Today, a growing number of businesses decide to trade internationally, and so approaching foreign markets and audiences has become somewhat of a natural step for many in order to grow and thrive within competitive sectors. Nonetheless, it’s important to note that in the last decade or so, there was a very significant change in the approach to the way such internationalization is conducted.
Today, despite globalization, consumers in individual markets around the world are fully aware of their ‘uniqueness’, and so this simply must be reflected in the way companies approach them. The ‘one-fits-all’ strategy, which was extremely popular even amongst the largest brands in the world, mainly due to its straightforward nature and a relatively cheap implementation costs, is now slowly becoming extinct and a is being replaced by its newer and modernized version.
Nowadays, companies approaching the oversea markets tend to create strategies which are focused around individual aspects of each of the markets separately, considering socio-economic, political, demographic and even religious aspects.
One of the most important factors, which can directly contribute to the success of an international campaign is the use of language. Generally speaking, each market has a distinct native language, and studies show, that majority of consumers around the world strongly prefer to be approach in their native tongue.
Due to the fact that languages today play such a significant role and can strongly influence the outcome of an international campaign, more and more organizations decide to work with professional translation agencies and partner with them during the internationalization process.
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How To Find The Right Language Translation Or Interpreting Provider?
Finding a translation provider, which will be suitable for converting your particular documents and materials, can sometimes be a challenging task, especially if you do not have any previous experience in working with translation agencies and perhaps do not fully understand how this process works.
When evaluating the potential translation providers, there are several factors which can determine whether the agency would be a good fit for your company. Looking at the interpreting agency’s list of past clients, languages covered and corporate sectors they specialise in can be a very good place to start. Additionally, it might be a good idea to ask for a free translation sample, and then have it independently checked and proofread by a native speaker of the target language. This will give you a very good insight into the quality of the translations as well as the general processes.
Looking at reviews and feedback left by the agency’s previous clients can also give you a very good understanding of the quality of their work, responsiveness and overall standards of customer service. Although most of the providers would have some sort of client feedback on their website, going through a third-party review site such as ‘Google Business’ will give you somewhat of a more honest and candid idea.
There are currently several professional translations and interpreting agencies in the United Kingdom, which specialise in converting business documents and materials. London based providers such as Language Reach, Lingo Experts, Translation Services London or Language 24 are only some of the leading UK translation agencies, generally recommended to corporate clients. Interestingly, although these companies work predominantly with commercial customers, they also provide expert translations to private customers for a number of personal documents.
Another website which is worth exploring when looking for a new language translation provider is Clutch. This website a detailed list of all major agencies and provides detailed reviews & feedback directly from verified business partners, who must use their LinkedIn accounts to verify the review, allowing you to choose an agency which has an in-depth knowledge of your particular business sector and a first-hand experience translating documents similar to yours.
What Documents And Materials Should Your Business Translate?
Translating documents can be exceptionally beneficial for your organization, regardless of the corporate sector you trade within. The specific type of documents and materials you should translate depends however on a number of different factors. From your chosen market and audience, to the language pair as well as the predominant way you intend to conduct business (e.g. online or a physical store).
Translate Your Website…
Most businesses, especially from the SME sector, tend to trade online, especially in the early stages of their international expansion. In such case, their website will usually be the initial and primary point of contact between the business itself and a potential customer.
As a result, ensuring that the site is available in the market’s native language is essential. Research shows, that 9 out of 10 customers are much more likely to complete a purchase if the information about a product or service is available to them in their mother tongue. At the same time, 20% of people asked explicitly said to never make a purchase if they are not able to fully understand the information provided on the company’s website. As you can see, translating your website & other digital documents can be essential in order to acquire new customers and grow the revenue as a result.
…And Other Marketing Materials
If, apart from a digital space in form of a website, your company also plans to open a physical location in the new chosen market, translating other marketing documents and materials can be equally important.
From brochures and leaflets to product descriptions and business cards – providing such content to your potential customers in a language they are able to easily understand can go a truly long way in terms of branding and directly increase your company’s revenue.
Convert Your Documents
Although making sure that your website and other marketing materials are available in the market’s native language can directly influence your revenue and sales, translating your legal documents, such as contracts, terms and conditions or warranties can greatly benefit your company in the long run.
By providing these types of documents to your customers and business partners in a language they can fully understand, you will not only create a positive and honest brand image, but also protect yourself from any future misunderstandings, which can often prove to be rather costly, both in terms of budget and company image.
Language Interpreting
When expanding into a new, foreign market, you may often be required to hold meetings and conferences with potential business partners or government institutions. As these meetings can be crucial for the final outcome of your internationalisation process, it’s key to ensure that you are able to completely understand all information fully and similarly present your point of view in a clear and precise manner.
By attending such meetings with a professional linguist who is a native speaker of the target language, you can ensure that the meeting goes smoothly, and that any information exchanged between the parties interested is clear and fully understood by everyone involved.
Translate And Succeed Internationally
As you can see, professional translation services today play a key part in globalisation and international expansion for companies from majority of business sectors. With a tailored approach, which takes into consideration socio-demographic and economic factors, now being the norm amongst different industries, language translation and interpreting agencies became essential business partners for a rapidly growing number of organisations. By converting your materials and documents into the native language of your chosen audience, you not only create a positive brand image within a new market, which can directly affect your sales and revenue, but also take a step ahead of your competitors, who failed to fully appreciate the importance and power of using the right language.