Creating a business from scratch can be an exciting time for you and your team. Not only have you created something that people are looking for, but you’re making money from it too. That’s pretty good going – it’s what many people are looking to achieve from their chosen career paths.
If you’re just starting out as a small business, then you’ll more than likely begin by targeting a specific group of people. Perhaps this target audience are people in your local area, town or country. However, chances are, this is exactly what your competitors are doing. If they’re a more established business than you, then it can seem near impossible to catch up. That’s where professional translation services come in.
Small businesses aren’t as aware of globally translating their business as they should be. Globally translating your website, documents and other content types can open up your products and services to a much wider audience, and of course, more eyes on your business means a bigger profit. A bigger profit means there is so much more you can do to make your business bigger and better than it has ever been.
Here are a few things small businesses need to know about global translation:
What are the options for translation?
Usually, there are two main types of translation – human translation and machine translation. There is some debate about using one without the other, but in most cases, both are used together to get the best results. Companies such as Intrawelt use their own highly qualified linguists as well as professional machine translation to get the best of both worlds.
Machine translation is primarily used for speed – it can quickly translate a block of text or a large document into the desired language. Human translators can then go through this newly translated content and fix any errors or mistranslations. This is usually the most effective, time-saving translation method.
What shouldn’t you do?
It may be tempting to try and save a little money and attempt to translate in-house. However, it’s strongly recommended that you avoid this at all costs. Translating in-house can have a negative effect for a number of reasons; online translators aren’t always accurate, plus, if you’re not a native speaker in your desired language, it’s unlikely you’ll get accurate translations.
If the people you’re targeting globally see your incorrect translation efforts, or what they’re reading doesn’t make sense to them, then they’re instantly going to go off in search of a competitor. It’s always worth doing things the right way in business, even if it means spending a little extra cash. A professional translator ensures you always have accurate, compelling content for your new customers.
Reverse the way you think.
Instead of looking at global business translation services as an added cost to your business, see it from a different point of view. Global translation for a small business is a forward-thinking approach to business growth. The investment of global translation services will put you higher than your competitors and help make your business more catered to your individual customers’ needs.
Make it easier for the customer.
It’s important for a customer to be able to comfortably read about new products and services in their own language. As a result, they’re more likely to be loyal to your brand and see you as a reliable and credible company to do business with.
You can’t expect to break out into global markets without actually working hard to get there. You can’t expect a customer to go out of their way to find out about you and what you’re selling, so make it easier for your customer to learn about your products in a language that they can understand.
With a website, people far and wide will potentially be able to see what you have to offer. Make it easier for people to find you with translation.
Small businesses can thrive from global translation.
Translation services are a business investment that does need thought. However, translation is also a crucial part of your business strategy going forwards if you want to grow your customer base and sell more products. Help create a brand that everyone knows and loves and speak your customers’ language – trust is the key to success.