Welcome to the global village

Thanks to the internet, any business is available to promote its wares to a global audience, without even trying.

However, it is one thing having a website that potential customers may stumble upon accidentally, but another to make the most of the web to actively sell your brand to consumers in a foreign market.

While you may be under the assumption that having your website presented solely in English is good enough, you may be missing out on real opportunities to increase sales and business in completely new markets.

In fact, the importance of developing your webspace for an international audience has never been greater. Whereas once you had to go out and actively pursue a new overseas market if you wanted to expand into a foreign territory, now the customers come to you via the internet.

You effectively have the power to travel anywhere in the world via your keyboard and similarly, the world can come to you in much the same way. Through the push of a button, you are potentially just as close to a French consumer base as you are an English or Indian one. In this sense, the world as we know it has become a ‘global village’.

Localisation

However, there is a difference between attracting overseas visitors to your website and then converting them into sales. One of the key ways to make that vital transition is through localisation.

If someone from Spain, for example, happens to accidentally find your site online and is interested in what you have to offer, one thing that may put them off taking the next step in the buying process is if the information provided is not in their native language.

They may have a rough understanding of the English language and a general idea of what it is they would be purchasing, but if the shoe was on the other foot, would you feel comfortable buying something from a website you can only partially read?

You do not have to be an expert in several different languages to succeed, either. Click here for an example of one service that can provide you with business translations to ensure that you are open to a much wider audience.

Business translations are also not necessarily as simple as swapping one language for another. Culture and context are important things to consider and if they are misunderstood, the effects can be devastating for a business or brand.

One famous example involves a woman’s hair product company that was launching a new curling iron called ‘Mist Stick’. However, in Germany, ‘mist’ is used as a slang word for manure. As it is not a direct translation the brand did not pick up on the mistake, although the writing was already on the wall for a product effectively labelled a ‘manure stick’, which was supposed to help the user curl their hair.

Colour and images also play their part in holding equally-important sway when trying to convince a possible customer you not only have something worth investing in, but also that you understand their needs and wants. Regardless of where your audience is coming from, that first impression is just as important as ever.