3 Things to Keep in Mind When Setting Up a Multilingual Website
by Chad Richardson
If you’re thinking about translating your website into a different language (or several languages) then you’re ahead of the game. This will help reach many more viewers who can potentially become customers and by translating your website into a language that your viewer understands, you’re letting them know that their business is important and your organization is the type of company that will provide great customer service. Here are some things to keep in mind when you translate your website:
- Translation Company: It’s a good idea to pair up with a translation company that has a good reputation. Choose a company that has been around for a long time, and take a look at the translations they have done in the past to make sure their work is up to the mark. When you’re assigned a translation company, you can ask them to translate one of the passages of your website and take a look at it before giving them the go-ahead for the rest of the website. This will help to make sure everyone has expectations aligned and the opportunity for the translators to learn your preferences, in turn creating a partnership that results in your satisfaction.
- Translation Languages: You need to have a good idea of the demographic that you’re trying to reach with your website. If you have a large Spanish or Chinese population, for example, interested in your product or service, then it makes sense to translate your website into their language. Remember to do some research first to find out what populations are interested in your product or service so your investment is well spent.
- Type of Translation: When it comes to translations, you can have very exact and technical ones which focus on maintaining the precise meaning of the original, or more creative ones that can be more playful in the use of words. Keep in mind that it’s communicating with your viewer which is the most important thing and in some cases will require adapting the text to the local market or demographic. Have a conversation with your translation company about your audience and ideal customer profile, no different to when you are creating the original content this will also pay dividends in the final translations.
Contact us to learn more about setting up a multilingual website.
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