Why International Business Websites Need Foreign Language Versions

Why International Business Websites Need Foreign Language Versions

As the internet continues to grow, your business has to stay relevant and visible with professional website translation. Currently the internet has over 4.66 billion active users across the planet, and nearly 65% of the world’s population has access to the service. It continues to grow and any international businesses have to keep up, in order to stay current, and visible in this digital age. Your online business is likely to be spread across shopping sites, social media and of course your website. Your website is the heart of your online presence, letting customers know who you are, what you do and of course, guiding them to sign up for newsletters and make purchases with you. Businesses who want to be competitive in a digital age have to consider a multilingual website, and to do that they need to find a good translation and voiceover agency. It is one of the most effective things you can do to boost your chance of success online as an international business. To help you make an impact online here’s why international business websites need foreign language versions:

English Speakers Aren’t The Low Hanging Fruit

The internet was invented by an English speaker and so most information presented online in the beginning was in English only. Times have changed though, and now, there is substantial internet usage across the world, by many people who either don’t speak English, or who prefer to access websites in their native language. As a business, low hanging fruit for international business doesn’t lie with English speakers. Foreign internet markets are the low hanging fruit, and if you tap into them, you’re likely to see some great success with your international campaigns.  Don’t be put off if you don’t know the language – you can find some great agencies that will cover the translation and voice over work – whether it’s French or Japanese voice overs, there are plenty of options out there.

Easy Marketing

Professional translation of your website is a cost-effective way to market your company, and grow your brand overseas. International adverts and voiceovers have to be more deeply culturally fine-tuned and designed for the target market, whereas your website is an easier first-step when it comes to creating awareness of your brand and products to international customers.

New Customers

Quite simply, offering your website in a different language opens you up to new customers who would have otherwise not had access to your wares. With every new language added, you get an instant increase in the chance of making sales, especially in major world languages like French and Chinese.

Increase Trust

Providing a multilingual website tells your customers that your brand cares about people, and wants to make their interaction with you easier. This effort then boosts customer trust, which can be particularly hard to gain over the internet, where people are wary of who they buy from.

The Edge On Competitors

The internet is highly competitive when it comes to bringing new customers to your site. Every business has to think carefully about how to compete. A multilingual website puts you ahead of market leaders who haven’t yet provided those languages on their websites. If they have already taken this step, without a multilingual website you’re behind.

SEO

Search engines we may use as default in England are not the default search engines in other countries. With that in mind, it is important to recognise that other search engines recognise your site by the languages available on it. If your website does not have the native language of a certain country on it, it is likely to be invisible to scores of internet users in that country.

A Multilingual Website Is Essential For International Businesses

For any business wanting to make a positive impact in other countries, a multilingual website is essential. Utilise professional translation and subtitle services and advance your website into the global internet customer base, it can only boost your brand success in this fast-paced digital age.

About the author: Lawrence Blackwell’s Bio 

Larry has had a varied career in PR and Marketing with responsibility for the marketing department of several SMEs and experience in international organisations. He has developed new marketing strategies with a particular focus on understanding and exploiting multi-lingual campaigns. He speaks French, Spanish and his native English and is a regular contributor to the Matinée Multilingual Blog.

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