All business owners seeking to expand into the international market need to think about localization and how to approach new audiences from different cultures. Why is localization necessary? What speeds the process? And what do you need to know? All this and more in this article.
The need for localization
Whereas previously all businesses seeking to offer their products and services abroad needed to consider highly creative solutions for outreach to international audiences, with commensurate costly outlays, nowadays, thanks to the web, worldwide reach is a snap. That said, you need to perform all kinds of adjustments, since what works in one country for a specific audience is almost certain to fail in a different country with a different audience. The most notable component of localization is language translation.
The link between translation and a thriving business
Of course, if you want to approach a new international target audience, you need to translate your content. Whether it’s a website, user pamphlet, catalog, or anything else, your translation needs to be adapted to the local culture. Translation is more than just rendering the text word-for-word. It has to convey the spirit of the original text in a manner that feels whole and authentic, so that readers can’t tell it was ever translated. To succeed in this complex task, translators not only need to master both languages (source and target), but also to be highly familiar with the cultures in which those languages, or their variants, are spoken. This is the only way to accomplish the desired objective and produce a final product that moves your business forward.
How to guarantee success
Now that we’ve established that translation is a complex task requiring knowledge, experience, patience, and skill, it is important to recall that unprofessional translation not only fails to help your business, but may even hinder it. To ensure smart and precise marketing to an international audience, it’s best to employ the services of recognized professional companies. These firms work with high-level translators, giving you peace of mind thanks to the assurance that the product you receive will give you the best possible opening.
