What is the Importance of Translation in Business Expansion?
We’re living in a global village today. Especially, for businesses seeking to expand, the statement bears more significance. When they’re reaching markets across borders, prioritizing some key strategies is imperative. Translation is one of them, which involves providing all business resources in local languages. In fact, language is more important than price for 56% of customers. That’s what Reverie seeks to achieve– language inclusion for growing businesses.
When you want to reach an audience of different cultures, you need to speak in a way that reflects their culture and values. By enabling text, voice, and video localisation, we put you closer to your audiences. While it makes communication clear and easy, it also prevents possible misunderstandings, and so on. There is more than one way to understand the importance of translation in business expansion.
Translation as a Business Strategy
Translation is a strategic tool for breaking language barriers and expanding market reach. It not only improves accessibility but also demonstrates a commitment to serving customers. You need to understand that customers are loyal to brands that reciprocate the same.
Implement localization, which is a step beyond the simple concept of translation, tailoring content to fit cultural contexts and preferences. It involves adapting messages, designs, and formats to resonate with local audiences, to make them relevant and engaging. Localization is also at the heart of user experience. By reflecting cultural nuances and expectations, you will get closer to customers.
By addressing language barriers and localising content, businesses can tap into new markets, attract a broader customer base, and reduce acquisition costs. This strategic investment not only drives sales but also builds brand loyalty by making products and services appealing to customers in different regions.
Ensure Clear Communication with Customers
Of course, the straightforward reason to translate your business offerings into local languages is to avoid misunderstandings. While educated people may know how to deal with misunderstandings or where they can happen, not all consumers can cross language barriers. Misunderstandings are inevitable.
Even major brands like KFC have faced challenges with translation. For example, their well-known tagline “finger-licking good” came out to mean “we’ll eat your fingers off” in Chinese. Such misunderstanding can cost the reputation of your business at its best. It can also invite legal and compliance-related risks when you’re operating in different countries.
Marketing and Branding Across Cultures
If you’re planning to expand the market reach of your business, you inevitably have to cross borders. But it is established that customers are not willing to consider brands whose digital content is not in their native language. In fact, 75% of consumers prefer buying from websites in their native language only. Focus on language-friendly content is crucial to make customers engage with your online content, which is part of marketing and branding.
E-commerce businesses are especially in need of translation, which must ensure product descriptions for their offerings are available in the native language of the market they’re dealing with.
On the other hand, by making customers across cultures feel comfortable with your offerings, they will start buying from you. If you do really well, they might prefer you over other brands, putting you among the larger competition.
Customer Service and Support
Communication is at the core of seamless customer service. Then, multilingual customer support is essential for your business in a global market to address diverse linguistic needs. Moreover, 75% of customers come back to buy more, if you provide after-care service in their local language.
By offering assistance in multiple languages, companies can enhance communication, resolve issues promptly, and stand out from competitors. Providing support in the local language helps build trust and rapport with customers faster, too.
Additionally, high-quality multilingual support significantly boosts customer satisfaction, making clients feel heard and understood. Once again, satisfied customers are more likely to remain loyal, turning into repeat patrons and contributing to long-term business success.
To Boost SEO Efforts
Expanding your website into multiple languages can boost its visibility in Google searches. Think of it like entering more races—your chances of winning a medal improve. Moreover, 1/3rd of online consumers search for local businesses daily, highlighting the importance of localising your website in different markets.
It also reduces competition for your brand as a whole. While your site might face tough competition among English-language sites, the competition for Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Kannada or Telugu sites is often less intense. If you gain recognition, local consumers will also prioritize your brand. Additionally, a larger, multilingual website can attract more backlinks, enhancing SEO.
Technical and Product Documentation
Accurate product information is crucial for maintaining clarity and helping users understand the features and functions of a product. It is imperative that it is provided in the local language of customers. Misunderstanding can dent the loyalty of your customers.
It includes translating safety instructions and user manuals to prevent misunderstandings. Clear, precise documentation helps users follow safety protocols correctly, minimizing the risk of accidents and misuse. You’re less likely to face various liability and legal risks too.
Financial Benefits of Translation
Investing in translation can lead to increased sales by opening up new markets and reaching a broader audience. The possibility of revenue increase is up by 1.5x. Sure, there are initial costs of translation services. However it is often outweighed by the potential revenue from these new customer segments. Over time, the return on investment (ROI) from translation can be substantial.
Legal and Regulatory Compliance
If you have a business presence in multiple regions, adhering to their legal requirements is non-negotiable. For that, accurate translation in legal documents is crucial. It ensures that contracts, agreements, and other legal materials are correctly understood and enforceable across different jurisdictions.
Miscommunication due to poor translation or lack of translation can lead to significant legal issues, including disputes and liabilities. Ensuring that all legal and regulatory documents are accurately translated minimizes these risks and protects the business from potential legal complications. It entrenches trust with international partners and clients, allowing smooth operations across borders.
Challenges and Considerations
Lack of Qualified Translators: Finding skilled translators who are experts in both the target language and subject matter can be challenging. Because expertise in the relevant field is crucial for accurate and nuanced translations. But you can gain on both fronts with a partner like Reverie.
Managing Translation Projects: Efficiently coordinating translation projects requires clear communication and organization. Setting timelines, providing necessary resources, and ensuring that all parties involved are aligned with project goals is not easy.
Balancing Quality, Cost, and Time: Striking the right balance between high-quality translations, cost-efficiency, and timely delivery is often difficult. It involves making strategic decisions to ensure that the final product meets standards without exceeding budget or deadlines.
Conclusion
The importance of translation for your business needs no emphasis in today’s world. The daily instances of customers switching brands due to lack of support, losing brand value, and slowed down sales are all examples of that. Beyond this all, if you want to make your business stand out globally, you must consider investing in effective translation services for your business.
FAQs
What is localisation in a business?
Localization in business involves adapting products, services, or content to meet the specific cultural, linguistic, and regulatory needs of a target market. It increases relevance and appeal to local consumers.
How to reduce the costs of translation for my business?
To reduce translation costs, consolidate translation needs to leverage bulk discounts, use translation memory tools to avoid repetitive work, prioritize essential content, and choose professional yet cost-effective translators. Also, consider machine translation for initial drafts, followed by human editing to ensure accuracy and quality.
What are the four types of translation?
The four types of translation are literary translation (books and poetry), technical translation (manuals and documents), legal translation (contracts and legal texts), and scientific translation (research and academic papers).
What is the concept of translation for businesses?
For businesses, translation must focus on accurately conveying brand messages and product information into target languages while maintaining cultural relevance. It must also ensure clarity to prevent misunderstandings and align with market expectations.
