The Internet has opened up a whole range of possibilities for businesses looking to reach their customers. Nowadays, whenever you are thinking of making a purchase, your first instinct is likely to go online.
Either you search for a company online, or visit their website directly. Searching for a business online has become the most common method among customers worldwide.
This is why businesses must have a website, even when their target customers are based locally. It serves as an online showcase of their products or services, and is the perfect port of call for their target audience.
It’s a good practice, but there’s one mistake many companies always make, and that’s only making their website available in one language, for example, English.
Why Every Business Needs a Multi-Language Website
A multi-language website opens many doors. English is indeed the most universally understood language, but its comprehension around the world is often over-estimated by businesses.
Not every one of your international clients may be able to understand your website if it is only available in English. It is obvious what the result of this will be – less sales, fewer customers, and a decrease in profit.
You will lose site traffic and leads – the last thing you want when trying to reach out to new customers. One sure-fire way to increase your traffic and avoid unnecessary losses is to contract the services of a professional website translator.
Don’t worry – your content doesn’t have to be available in every possible language. All you need is several translated versions of your material in the languages spoken by most of your clients, allowing them to learn more about your brand without any unnecessary hurdles.
A multilingual website is just as important as effective email management when it comes to dealing with international clients. In ConvertKit email automation review, the importance of emailing your customers, and keeping them engaged is highlighted.
Email automation plays a crucial role in conveying your message to your audience, as well as generating traffic towards your website.
However, even when you have perfected your emailing system, if your site offers information in only a single language, there’s a chance you will still lose a large number of potential customers.
If your target customers cannot understand your services because it’s in a different language, they aren’t likely to use your company. Most of them will give up and look for another that they can relate to, it’s just human nature.
People will simply move on, and in such a competitive market, you must find a way to stop your visitors from leaving, and searching for alternative options provided by your competitors.
Your customers are waiting to read your website in their language, so don’t miss out on improving their user experience with the following strategies and pointers:
Carry Out Customer Research
So, you’re thinking about expanding. Fantastic! But let’s pause for a moment, because a little prep work now will pay off big time later. Thanks to the magic of the internet, your storefront is now open to the entire world.
Here’s something every successful global brand knows: customers feel most comfortable—and are most likely to buy—when you speak their language. That’s why localizing your website is such a powerful move.
You understand the “why,” so let’s tackle the “where.” Who are you trying to reach? Before you bring in a professional translator to weave their magic, let’s first get inside the minds of your future customers.
You need to find out what channels they use, so you can connect with them. There is a world out there waiting for your professionally translated multilingual website, but first, you must learn more about sales opportunities abroad, and the market that’s open to you.
Also, don’t forget to read up on budgeting and annual planning.
Look for growing demands from customers and product shipping patterns. It may be hard to push towards a new market for some companies, but you can use analytical tools to help you fine-tune your strategy.
Whatever the case, the first step towards developing the perfect market strategy before entering a new market is undertaking some research.
Invest in Your Website
Many companies aren’t willing to invest in website translation. However, the costs are not as much as you might think – not even 1% of total investment in marketing.
Translation services have lots of benefits to offer, and guarantee immediate results, making the service worth your investment. If you decide not to translate your website, you may be alienating many potential customers who won’t know about your brand.
Find a Content Writer in Other Languages
If you are ready to enter a new market, it’s time to translate your content. You can contact an online translation agency for custom SEO writing services or original content in your language of choice.
This is a great strategy, since it means that you can have content written in a way that your customers will really understand.
Luckily, BeTranslated’s team of native linguists includes many professional copywriters working in a wide variety of languages.
5 Tips to Promote Your Multilingual Website on Social Media
The prominence of social media has meant that more and more online spaces are developing multilingual websites, further connecting our global community.
Given the widespread use of social media for various purposes, leveraging it to your advantage can prove valuable, particularly in promoting your translation company’s website.
Global businesses haven’t truly given in to globalization if they don’t have content available on their website in multiple languages.
This is where a translation company comes in: they can take a business with global dreams and make them a reality.
Other clients are on social media with more specific translation needs, like translating a brochure into multiple languages for non-English-speaking clients.
These clients are waiting for translation companies on social media — all it takes to reach them is a little promotion.
Here are our key suggestions that will help you make full use of promotion on social media.
Use Appropriate Hashtags as in the Local Language
As one of the most useful ways of connecting with others on social media, hashtags are invaluable for business promotion.
Further, by connecting the Twitter and Instagram communities, hashtags are easy to click on and make finding related content a snap.
When promoting your multilingual website on social media, use the right hashtags to ensure you connect with your target audience.
For instance, hashtags like #language and #translation are basic, catch-all hashtags that identify your purpose.
Looking for clients in a particular sphere? Add hashtags like #French or #MiddleEast.
Showcase Your Translated Content
Your clients will want to know about the content your company has translated before.
Do they need a full project brief?
No, but they will want to see an example of your quality and the type of work you do.
Client testimonials and examples of what you’re capable of help promote your translation website on social media in a professional, credible way.
Stay Connected With Your Audience
Social media is called social media for a reason.
Businesses of any kind that don’t take advantage of how it can bring people together are missing out on one of the biggest advantages of social media in the first place.
Client or not, multilingual websites on social media need to respond to mentions and say hello to new followers.
Promote Blog Content
A business blog, like this one, should be informative and professional. It should contain information that is helpful to an audience, not just promotional material.
Sharing this information on social media can give potential clients a way to connect with your translation service website via non-promotional means.
This creates a relationship that isn’t wholly based on marketing and instead shows a business in a more useful, credible light.
Use Language in Your Favor
Finally, what better way to connect with global clients than to post in multiple languages?
A translation company that tweets or posts strictly in English or another language isn’t showcasing its wide range of abilities.
Just as a multilingual website operates, it’s crucial to consider diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds when maximizing social media outreach.
It’s also worth noting that the client base for translation is not confined to one linguistic group
For instance, there could be Korean customers seeking translation into French or Spanish-speaking clients targeting the Japanese technology market.
Variety is the spice of life.
When translation company websites in social media promote their language skills, content repertoire, and connect with potential clients, they’ll find social media success sooner rather than later.
If you want to reach a wider market by translating your website and social media content, BeTranslated could be the perfect match for you. Get in touch for more information or a free, no-obligation quote today.
Be Careful About What Content You Are Publishing
It’s a great idea to translate your website, but make sure you are careful about what you publicize and share in other languages. Unless you can speak the language itself, you must be careful that you aren’t posting or sharing offensive information.
The best way to avoid this is to source your content from professionals, and be sure to have a native speaker check over your website first.
An effective website translation can be the perfect way to boost your business. Just like all other marketing strategies, it is a simple but effective technique to increase traffic to your site.
It is a very worthwhile investment, and will significantly improve your user experience. We hope that our tips have helped you prepare your business for the global online market!
Ready to take your customer reach to another level? BeTranslated is a boutique translation agency specializing in website localization and SEO writing for businesses.
We always work with certified native writers and translators, guaranteeing you quality content every time.
Get in touch for a free, no-obligation quote today!