We assume that people looking at our web site can read the
words. But can they? If they can't read what is
presented, they certainly won't buy. Tens of millions of people
use the Internet to buy products and services
everyday, but they wont buy from you. Why not? Because they
can't read English.
English is the first language in only a small number of
countries, and many people have English as a second
language. But consider for a moment the hundreds of millions of
people that can't read English. Who do
they buy from? Well it won't be from you.
No doubt you've seen sites which allow the user to select from a
list of language options. Perhaps it's an
option for your site. It is a relatively simple and inexpensive
option to present your web site in multiple
languages.
By giving your audience a choice you are improving your service.
Everyone prefers to deal with
organisations that understand and meet their needs. Fundamental
to quality service is the ability to
communicate. And you are widening your potential market by
millions and millions and millions. The
benefits of allowing foreign language readers the ability to
view your site are astounding. And the cost of
making the site available in multiple languages is probably far
lower than you think.
There are many firms specializing in language translation
services. They take your English based text and
graphics and translate them into Spanish or German or Chinese or
whatever languages you think best. And
they can do the same with your newsletters, your e-books, and
yes, even software products.
We provide translations of web sites. And for most jobs, clients
are surprised at how cost effective the
service is. They kick themselves for not doing it earlier.
Especially once the orders start to roll in from their
new markets. All that extra revenue, and so little effort.
Most web sites are somewhere between 500 and 1,500 words. The
cost of translating such a small amount
of text is small, and the effort needed to amend the web site
quite modest.
But a word of warning! Only human translators can accurately
provide a precise translation of a specific
language. If you want a perfect translation, only a real person
can assure you of getting one. Human
translators excel at creating perfect translations. When
translating general topics, it is necessary to use an
expert skilled at the appropriate targeted language, for
example, English into German
For specialized fields, one needs to find an experienced
translator who also possesses knowledge of the
terminology in that particular subject matter. In addition, if
you intend to print, publish or distribute your
translated materials to others, it is highly recommended that
you have a competent human translator review
and edit the material.
And yes there are a number of automated translation products.
And most work reasonably well. But their
translations only provide a rough approximation. The reader can
understand what is meant, but the words
are often wrong or in the wrong order. It's just like talking to
someone who doesn't know English well. You
can understand much of what they say, and communicate, but it is
hard work. That's how translation
software usually reads. Using such software won't give your
prospective customers any degree of
confidence that you provide quality.
Another alternative is to ask friends. No doubt you will have
friends or colleagues, or friends of friends that
have language skills. It is best to have people translate into
their 'mother tongues'. A mother tongue is the
language that a person learnt as a child. If you use friends and
family though, it's a good idea to get a
professional translator to proof read the results. Proof reading
is usually about 20% of the price of the
equivalent translation.
And if your budget is very small, you can include a simple
welcome page for your foreign language visitors.
Here you would just describe the web site in general terms,
explaining what you do and the key benefits of
the products and services you offer.
I hope this has given you something to think about.
Copyright (c) 2002 Grant McNamara, All Rights Reserved. This
article may be freely distributed and
published. If you wish to publish the article, out of courtesy,
please email me and advise the url.
|
