Category Archives: Localization

Standardization and Localization in Emerging Markets

As emerging markets continue to grow at exponential levels, it is expected that over half the global growth by 2025 will be derived from new markets in developing countries. The emerging economies, which have historically been seen as low-cost production bases, have now become the sought-after customers. With most of the world’s population living in developing economies, it has become imperative for firms to get a foothold in these markets to ensure consistent growth and profit.

Building customer and supplier bases in emerging economies does not work with the one-size-fits-all strategy that was used in the past. Every individual market presents new challenges and opportunities based on the microeconomic and macroeconomic scenarios, logistics, and demographic realities. In order to be successful, firms should start paying close attention to emerging markets and build their strategies around these specific countries.

Emerging Markets and Localization

For decades, large organizations have put emphasis on standardization of services, rather than localizing their services. Companies have applied the same tried and trusted formulas, merchandise mixes, and marketing and operating processes, and have implemented these formulas internationally. They demand consistency from the suppliers, and they push the standardization techniques deep into the mindset of the consumer market.

But standardization is slowly seeing its end. Consumers are growing more and more diverse, whether in values, lifestyle, wealth, or ethnicity. There are many regions that have been flooded with chain outlets, and slowly consumers are developing a preference for the unique characteristics of local products, against the standardized products offered to them. Emerging markets are challenging the one-size-fits-all theory, and in response, organizations are localizing their products and services to customize them according to each local market. In essence, companies are moving toward localization, and away from the age-old practice of standardization.

The biggest benefit of going from standardization to localization is strategic. Standardization restricts experimentation and is easy to copy. Localization, on the other hand, makes it difficult for competition to track the changes, let alone copy them. If done well, localization offers lasting competitive advantage for manufacturers and retailers alike, and so you should choose the services of a translation company that is based in the region you want to operate in.

Reinventing Your Firm

Though standardization has been effective in the past, it is losing its attractiveness now. As customers become more diverse, their lifestyles have changed as well, and these changes have been followed by new demands.

Diversity is not the only factor affecting standardization. As more and more commercial chains come up, natural space restrictions and other requirements have also increased. The prime locations now are fiercely guarded against international firms that do not have localized operations. Building more branches of the same organization as a market strategy has become an exhausted practice.

Finally, standardization can harm brand images by forcing practices and products into a mold. The resulting homogenization undermines innovation, even throughout supply chains. The managers at these firms stamp out any exception, when trying to meet targets. This leads to an environment where there is no room for innovation, and therefore to new processes, services, or products. Standardization ultimately leads toward commoditization, and low profitability and growth.

Technological advances over the years have made it possible for manufacturers to delve deep into buying behaviors and local preferences of consumers. Any mismatch between demand and supply can be located immediately. New information is making it possible to localize service, products, and even stores with high precision.

Even though emerging markets share a lot of similar characteristics, each region is distinct and should be approached accordingly. Microeconomic and macroeconomic, operational, cultural, and strategic challenges have to be overcome to sell your offering effectively in any emerging market. Hiring a translation company in emerging markets can be a huge asset for any business in the long run.

Tips for Entering Multilingual Markets

Many software applications and technical manuals have very bad translations, and they end up making no sense to the reader. Before launching a product in the market, the texts should first be translated, and this should be given to professionals for completion. But the process is not as simple as it sounds. Here we list some of the major points that define whether a new translated document or product will be successful in the market or not successful.

Considering Translatability

Ideally, multilingualism should be considered during the early phases of the designing process of the new software. Even if you feel as if the multilingual versions may not be in the scope of the product at the beginning, you should still leave some options open for the future. Expansion of existing software into multiple languages is a very difficult task.

Single-Byte or Multi-Byte?

You will surely run into many unexpected obstacles and problems, while doing software localization. For instance, it is quite easy to change the date, the numbers, or even the currencies. But it becomes difficult when trying to accommodate the character lengths in different languages. Prematurely ending lines, menus with some parts cut-off, and other such problems give the product an unprofessional look. Multi-byte sets of characters for Asian letters need neat Unicode solution. Your apps can run smoothly when you find workarounds to common issues that are specific to any particular language.

Linguistically and Culturally Adept Professionals

All languages have certain words that can have different meanings. This makes it necessary to have experienced and adept professionals at hand, who can successfully localize the apps, rather than letting non-technical translators do the technical translations. Such professionals can interpret the meanings of sentences accurately in specific technical contexts. Else, simple commands such as “click to start” may be translated into unclear phrases that decrease the professionalism and comprehensibility of the product.

Often, you can derive great results by working with the reselling partners in every country that your product is released. These resellers are very interested in getting the software translated into the local language, and even have sufficient technical knowledge needed for great translations. Obviously, they should have a good understanding of both the original language and the language of target audience.

Timely Localization

Modern software are defined by frequent changes and additions to the existing features. These should also be translated and adapted into the different target languages. It is imperative to have a flexible and ready team of partners, and a translating agency who can cover the additional requirements in time. However, this may lead to conflicts if translation has been left to the resellers, as mentioned in the previous point. Resellers may not have the free time to simultaneously run some translations, and also personal schedules and differences in time zones should be accounted for. You can work along with the localization agencies in some cases, which can provide both linguistic and technical competence in addition to fast delivery.

Benefits of Having an Overviewer

All projects must have a responsible translation professional in-house, and another one at every partner organization. Many software localization agencies differentiate themselves in this option, as they usually employ professional and skilled project management. A project manager acts as the contact person, which simplifies the overall project and communication flow.

These five points can lead your product to multiple versions in different languages very quickly. You can guarantee a successful launch and product cycle in foreign markets by investing thought and care into execution. Multilingual text for products and sale requests are likely to experience sharp rise in the near future, so organizations must be ready for them. Please visit our Website to learn more about the high quality linguistic and localization services Terralíngua can offer.

Optimizing Website Localization

Successful development of a brand and international market access are presently carried out through websites. Websites represent companies, their online brand image, and they also act as trading platforms. These are some of the reasons why companies need an online presence, and why translated websites are vital to access markets in foreign countries. A comprehensive website for foreign audiences is required for successful appearance in markets abroad, and for a profitable presentation of the organization, as a reliable goods and services vendor. You can also choose a translation company for localization. Some ways to best utilize website localization are discussed below.

Localization of images

Images on your website should be culturally sensitive and appropriate for the target audience. Doing this, can boost your organization’s power to connect well with visitors, and also foster healthy and long relationships with the audiences. Images hold different meanings for people in different regions. Knowing how the audience perceives an image is necessary to maximize the effect of the image and to ensure that it does not affect their sensitivity. When trying to build trust and earn loyalty, images can make a world of difference. You can consider the following when localizing your company’s site:

Details: Mistaking Mexican and Italian flags, for instance, is bad for business.
Sensitivity: People show strong inclinations for things like metaphors, symbols, or colors. So, your site should carefully use these things in different places.
Risk assessment: Try to avoid unintended consequences, which can possibly be hazardous or embarrassing for the company.

Adjust and adapt

Websites are not universal in nature. People around the world do things differently, and so your company should be able to adjust and adapt to the global market. For instance, a Japanese website generally displays a lot of text, animations, images, colors, and scrolling layouts, while this may be irritating for viewers in other countries. The design and style of a correctly localized site has to be consistent with all the local norms so that the site is usable, and looks familiar to the target audience.

Language combinations

You do not have to completely localize a website for different regions. Blurring the language lines can positively affect the website’s representation more than translating all the full content. Localization is not simply about translating content, but it involves a complex process of modifying content to make it locally relevant. Keep the following points in mind while changing the language component in your website.

Length: Lines written in one language may be bigger or smaller when translated. So, keep it simple and choose the most effective one.
Emphasis: Content in foreign language looks appealing to the target audience. So, a foreign language can be a good aspect when trying to make your webpage user-friendly.
Universal appeal: Translating few texts to an exotic language can improve the international appeal of your site.

Finally, if done in moderation, then mixing languages can greatly help your website in gaining the attention of the target audience.

Is full translation of a website required?

Any organization’s tagline or slogan is among its most valued branding assets. People tend to remember memorable phrases in company names. It is not easy to brand yourself in the minds of all customers, and this becomes especially true in the case of crossing language barriers. You can follow the points given below to keep the company’s brand identity memorable.

Identity: Being consistent helps in maintaining the organization’s image.
Nuances: Worldviews, belief systems, and culture systems shape how people think about words.
Target customers: You should know who your target audience is. A phrase that is funny in one language may be offensive in another.

Target your localization towards the visitors of the particular region. You do not need to translate everything, if you can capture the essence of your message in a well-structured line, in the target audience’s native language. A well thought localized tagline or slogan for your organization could act as an effective means of fostering relationships with future customers, in diverse markets. Hire the services of a translation company to best utilize your website to reach varied audiences. Please access our Website to learn about the localization services Terralíngua can offer.

Choosing an Agency for Brazilian Portuguese Translation Services

Most international corporations will need the services of professional translators to make their products and services more user-friendly in different regions of the world. Translation into Brazilian Portuguese, which is among the top 10 most spoken languages in the world, is in huge demand. It is spoken by over 200 million people in the world and has a few region-specific dialects. Organizations that provide English into Brazilian Portuguese translation services empower any corporation to tap the vast market potential of the Portuguese-speaking population. The following tips should be taken into consideration when trying to find reliable English to Brazilian Portuguese translation services:

Experience

It is imperative that you search for expert and experienced Brazilian Portuguese translation professionals for your work. To gauge the quality of the services provided, you can check the track record of the service provider. Look for organizations, which have significant positive feedback from customers, and have a strong base of satisfied clients. Having years of experience counts in the translation-services industry and so does the educational qualifications of the professionals.

Time for Completion

The time taken to complete the assignments is another important consideration to make when choosing an English into Brazilian Portuguese translation service provider. You should search for the most flexible ones – the providers who are willing to work in your time frame. Try to find providers who can do quality work in reasonable time. Companies that hire expert professionals can usually guarantee quality services in the prescribed period of time. The end content should not only have translated words, but capture the underlying essence of the content, which can be best delivered by seasoned professionals.

Localization

Localization of your content is as important as the translation service, if not more. Localization involves adapting any text into the language and cultural dynamics of the target region. Professional translation service providers can give you localization services as well, and using such services is highly recommended if you want to connect intimately with your consumers. Localization of documents can help your consumer imbibe the ideas of your service or product in a more personalized way.

Budgeting

Local English into Brazilian Portuguese translation services can help in customizing the content according to market. This also helps in reducing the expenses related to the services, as bigger companies may charge more due to their overhead expenses. Also, having a concrete financial budget before trying to find a service provider can help in curtailing any extra expenditure that you may be tempted to make.

Value for Money

Check the value of the services that are included in the quoted price. Ensure that the company is employing expensive expert translators or affordable amateur translators. Check if they have an editor to check all the translations thoroughly. These factors can affect the price quoted, and are related with the quality of the translation service.

Translator Profiles

For English into Brazilian Portuguese translations, you should look for an agency that works with expert native translators, and has expert native editors to crosscheck the content. Therefore, having two native translators working on your document is ideal for most translation needs. In addition, make sure that the editor’s job includes checking the translation line by line, and not simply giving a quick grammar check.

Specialized Translations

If your translation has special requirements like medical translation or translation of legal documents, then choose specialized service providers in the category. Some translation services may also accept specialized orders at an additional cost. Avoid becoming a testing ground for agencies that have beginner translators in the specialized field.

When looking for English into Brazilian Portuguese translation services, you should research well to determine the legitimacy of the claims made by the service provider, and choose the one that is most suited for your needs. Please visit Terralíngua’s website to find out how our localization and translation services can help your business reach the international market.

Translation and Localization of Brochures

Translation and localization

Most of the content available on the Web is intended for international audience and, therefore, has to be written in various languages. Most of the times, this work is done by a translation agency. However, some translation companies fail to consider the localization aspect in content translation.

Localization can broadly be defined as making software pieces available to people from a different culture. This involves altering software, such that it is culture specific for the user. Localization doesn’t simply mean translating something, but it is the process of total overhauling the software to make it more user-specific.

When it comes to translation, the localization emphasis depends on the end user. The key to brochure localization, for example, is to alter the brochure in such a manner that the user can read and undestand it in a natural way, when taken in the context of his/her culture. Translation, then, is basically a step in the process of localization.

The translation of a website, for example, consists in changing the language in a website, whereas localization strives to make the site functional for users coming from different cultural backgrounds. It is important to make sure that users understand the content and not simply read through it, and this is handled by localization. Before starting a localization project, market research has to be conducted and an optimized version of the page created, and only then can content be localized.

Brochure translation and localization

Brochure localization and translation services are required for various situations, and also a large plethora of industries, product trading, and professional services. Brochures offer a very cost-effective, simple, and easy way of advertising, whether in a foreign market or your home turf. The key is to make brochures informative, easy to grasp, and neatly organized. When working on the international arena, brochures should be specific to the particular region’s dialect, and should make sense to the target audience there.

There are various reasons for taking the help of professional translation services that have years of knowledge of working in foreign markets, in localization services for international campaigns, and in brochure translation. It goes well beyond the simple idea or process of translating actual text to the end market language. Some reasons why you should opt for professional translation services are discussed here:

– Having a localization service is critical to engage effectively with any type of foreign market, fundraiser/awareness campaign, or advertising. Localization transcends the written content such that it takes into consideration things like content and cultural references, content and visual imagery, and social standards.
– Layout isn’t only important for the technical translation services such as design of software interface. It holds importance even in the case of printed brochures. For instance, English to Portuguese brochures need to be created in the left to right orientation, while for English to Chinese translation, layouts have to be changed such that the target language can be read from top to the bottom of the page.
– The process of transcreation, which involves translating creative contents that can’t be translated literally, often forms a large part of localization of brand marketing. This process uses professional localization and translation to localize and translate brand marketing or humorous content that doesn’t translate directly to the target market. It’s used frequently for things such as various visual content, children’s toys, and video games. Also, it can be used by a company in its brochures that emphasize on brand marketing. Mottos and logos are frequently changed to some other equivalent in a target market that speaks foreign language. If the company fails in doing this right, it can even be embarrassing, nonsensical, or offensive to them.

Localization and translation of brochures can help in reaching far more diverse audience and so should be pursued using professional services. Please visit Terralíngua’s website for brochure localization services.

Technical Tips for Website Localization

We have always talked about the challenges that translators face in terms of language, grammar, composition, cultural sensitivities, and so on. However, have you ever considered any adjustments the technical team has to make if a website has to be translated? There are a few basic but important rules that the technical team has to follow if the website has to be localized and made available in a range of different languages. Here are some technical tips for translating websites.

Use Unicode for Encoding and Serving Your Web Pages

It goes without saying that encoding is one of the basic levels of security a web developer incorporates in his or her website. However, there are different encoding standards and formats that can be followed. But if the website has to be translated and served in a number of different languages, the best encoding format that can be used is Unicode. There are more than 110,000 characters in the Unicode format and no language has so many characters. Therefore, Unicode can be used for all languages without any encoding issues.

Using Styles as Opposed to Using Tags

If you want to localize your website, it is better to use style sheets rather than using the tag for changing the font of the content. The issue here is that not all computers will have the font set that your computer will have. So, if you use the tag, the formatting might not happen as you intended and the text will be displayed as plaintext. On the other hand, styles in style sheets do not require the font to be present in the computer of the user. In case there is any variation in the font size or formatting as well, the style sheets will automatically readjust.

XML Documents are Ideal for Localized Sites

XML or XHTML files are ideal for coding a website if it has to be translated into different languages. XML documents support a number of language fonts and are supported by a number of online translation softwares also. As a result, the time taken to convert XML files into different languages is much shorter. Also, translators can work with the actual code of the web page, which will further simplify their task.

Avoid Graphics Wherever Possible; Use Text Instead

It is not that graphics cannot be translated into different languages. It is just that the effort required to convert graphical content in one language to another is very high. There are a number of processes involved in creating animated graphical content and it is just not a question of running it through a translator. The whole process has to be repeated from the start. To avoid this, try to use text instead of graphics. With a little bit of creativity, you can create effective content even without the usage of graphics.

Navigation

Take the example of a page converted into Arabic from English. English is read from left to right while Arabic is read from right to left. As a result, if the menu bar of the English site is on the left hand side, the menu bar for the Arabic version should be on the right hand side. So, ensure that the navigation of the site is designed in such a way that it can be translated independently.

Avoid Embedded Scripts or Keep Them Invisible

Try to avoid embedded scripts like SQL queries, JavaScript, etc. in your web pages. This will allow the translator to be more flexible with translations. If you have no other choice but to use embedded scripts, try to keep them hidden as much as possible.

Six Important Software Localization Guidelines

Imagine a scenario where you have translated your software into a number of different languages. You have announced the release date also. And then, you may suddenly realize that you have made the software available in most languages, but have not really tested them in all. The fact that you do not know if the software actually runs in a particular language can lead to panic. To avoid stressful situations like this, here are some rules that you can follow.

Convert User Strings into Resource Files

When you have a string that is visible to the user, make sure that you convert it into resource files. Examples of user visible strings are error messages, product names, titles, image strings, etc. When you add these strings in resource files, you can easily translate them. Most translators specify values to different translated strings. When a user selects a particular language, the software matches it with the translator value you have assigned and text in the corresponding language is displayed.

Avoid String Concatenation

Concatenation bug is one of the most common bugs that localization experts have to deal with on a regular basis. Take the example of a shopping site that allows you to buy t-shirts. The shirts available on the site could be of different colors. When you write the translator code for, let’s say French, you would use the commonly used French term for shirt and just append the translated version of the color that the user picks. But for French, this kind of translation does not work. French uses modifiers before some words and don’t use it for others and ignoring this aspect will result in wrong translation. So, the best way to avoid this bug is by completely avoiding string concatenation.

Include Punctuation Marks in Resource Strings Only

Punctuation marks also work like concatenations, except that punctuation rules differ from language to language. So, you cannot let punctuation marks be as they are and just translate the words. The best way to deal with this is to put all the punctuation marks into the resource strings. This way, you can add the relevant punctuation marks wherever necessary according to the translated text, without any grammatical errors.

Be Careful With First Names

In North America, people tend to use the last name more regularly. In some eastern countries, predominantly Asian, some people will have only one name. You cannot figure out if it’s the first or last. Obviously, the direct translation algorithm will mess this up and the blunders can be frankly embarrassing. The errors will be in the prefix to the name. To avoid this, make sure to add a gender tag to the name so that you have a comparative parameter while translating the string and add the right prefix.

Make Provision for Extension and Compression of Strings

When the user interface is designed, sentences will have a specific number of characters. But the problem in translation is that some words that are short in one language are long in another. The best way to deal with this issue is not to have any limitation in characters in the layout. You can just allow the text to orient itself in the space available. Just ensure that there is enough space for the strings to grow or shrink.

Stick to UTF-8 Character Encoding

Another issue that you are going to face with translated text is character encoding. There is the UTF-16 standard that you will be tempted to use. But keep in mind that UTF-8 is ideal for all your needs. Make sure you invoke the encoding at the top of your page to avoid any confusion and ensure that the standard is maintained throughout. Make sure you maintain this uniformity across all UI pages’ code.

Challenges of Software Localization

Software development is a constant necessity and a booming business in today’s IT world. There are a number of companies that produce high quality software. To ensure the global reach of the software that they produce, developers make it available in multiple languages. While this is a logical move by the company, there are a number of hurdles that the developers have to overcome. The basic source code will remain the same, but the user interface (UI) designers will have to work with the translation team to ensure that the software is effectively localized. Here are a few solutions to the challenges that the developers would face while localizing the software.

Localization Should Begin When the Coding Starts

If you are familiar with the software development cycle, you are aware of the fact that the user interface (UI) design is finalized before the coding part actually begins. So, the team responsible for the development of UI will already have started working even before the source code work starts. As a result, the UI team will have to work with the translation team to ensure that the UI is effectively localized. For each region, a separate UI is designed and coded. The basic design and layout remains the same. Only the text in the UI will be made available in the regional languages.

All Editions Should Be Rolled Out Simultaneously

One of the secrets of successful software is its simultaneous global release. When you release software on a global scale, your competitors have fewer chances of getting the jump on you to release their products. As a result, translators also have to work on a tight schedule to ensure that the localized UIs are ready for a global release. This is not an easy task especially if the localization is handled by a single company. They will have to work on tight deadlines and ensure that the quality is of the highest order.

Help File and Legal Documents Translation

One of the biggest challenges that a localization team will face while working with software localization is its technical documents. Localization experts are well versed in languages but they are not aware of the minor technical details which are crucial for a technical manual or a help file that is provided with the software. So, the translators will have to work with the technical team to ensure that they get all the minor details spot-on.

The same is true for legal documents. Without being aware of the legal ramifications, a translator might use terms that are considered legally wrong. To avoid this, translators should closely co-ordinate with the legal team to translate the legal documents accurately without any discrepancies.

Although the aforementioned activities are fairly simple and straightforward, they consume a lot of time. Also, quality is something that cannot be compromised on while localizing software.

Updated Content

When an update or a patch to the software is released, the developer team must ensure that the UI patches, if any, should be localized. The localization team will again have to work with the developers to get the terms in question right. If any content in the help file or the software content has to be updated, the relevant patches should be localized before they are released.

Cultural Barriers

There are certain cultural barriers that the localization team should be aware of while working on localizing particular software. For example, the usage of specific terms might be culturally inappropriate in some parts of the world, although it is accurate on a grammatical basis. Similarly, these small cultural details should be at the back of the localizing experts while they are working on software localization.

Top Language Choices for Technical Publications

It is a very well-known fact that English is not the most widely spoken language in the world. Although it is considered as a global language, not everyone can speak it. People from countries with the largest economies of the world, like China, Japan, Germany, France and Brazil, prefer to use their native language as opposed to English. So if you decide to sell your products in areas where English is not the main language, you should provide user/technical manuals in those local languages. Then, you may wonder about the number of languages you need the manual in if your product is offered globally.

Target Areas

The truth is that you will not need the manual in so many languages. Before you make your choice on the preferred languages, you must first consider which areas you are trying to target. For example, if you are targeting only a few countries for your business, then consider only those regions’ languages. But if you want to make your publications available on a global scale, here are some of the top language choices.

Chinese

China has emerged from a developing economy to become one of powerhouses in the modern world. Yet, the majority of the Chinese population is not familiar with English. That is because Chinese government promotes education in its national language rather than in English.
If you translate your technical publications into Chinese, you can actually reach the largest population on earth while in terms of economic opportunity you can reach approximately 6.1% on a global scale.

Japanese

Japan has always been a country that is known for its technological development, despite the fact that the country is often affected by natural disasters. By translating your technical publications into Japanese, you can reach out to around 4.5% of the online population. But the economic opportunities or business opportunities that you can generate by translating your technical publications into Japanese is a decent 10.5% owing to the Japanese economic strength.

German

Only 1.4% of world population speaks German, but the economic opportunities that you can generate using the internet by translating your technical publications into German are as significant as 8.4%. Also, Germans have a reputation of being tech savvy and have a very small tolerance level to technical mistakes. So, make sure that the German version of your technical publications is of very high standards.

French

The percentage of global population that exclusively speaks French is only 1.5%. But if you have the technical publications of your products translated into French, you can actually target 6.2% in terms of business opportunities.

Brazilian Portuguese

Brazilian Portuguese is spoken by the 190 million inhabitants of Brazil. The country offers immediate attractions to new market entrants, such as a consistent and stable economy, built on the development model of a policy adopted by the Brazilian government in the last years. The adopted measures made provision for constant growth with generation of formal employment, better income distribution and ability to absorb external and internal shocks.
Therefore, the market for technical translations in Brazil has become highly specialized since the 90’s due to a scenario of growing number of imports, increasing demand for translation of technical publications, the privatization of large enterprises and globalization.

Spanish

Around 7% of the world population speaks Spanish. So, that is the third most sought after language for technical manual translation needs. However, the economic opportunities that you can generate by making your technical manual available in Spanish are a decent 7.8%. Also, there are a few variations of the Spanish language that you should consider while having your website translated into Spanish. It is recommended that you discuss about these variations with your translation company before actually going ahead with the job.

Always Localize!

You can look at this scenario in many different ways, but the percentage of target audience who knows English is rapidly decreasing by the day, due to the growing market size. So, it is always a good idea to have your technical publications translated into more than a couple of languages, especially if you are planning to market the product on a global scale. Terralíngua has the technical and scientific expertise to help you translate your publications into several languages.

Three Common Website Globalization Errors

The internet turned our world into a very small place. Business people have made full use of this situation and are offering their products and services on a global scale. However, one of the challenges they have to face on a regular basis is the language barrier. Even though every part of the world we live in is accessible via the internet, lack of knowledge of the local languages continues to be a problem. To overcome this barrier, business people have come up with a novel idea: offering the website in regional languages.
Although English is accepted as the global language, not everyone on the globe can read, write and converse in English. This is why there are a number of companies that offer professional translation services. You can get your website translated into a number of different languages. However, there are a few common mistakes made by these professional on a regular basis. This article will highlight those errors so that when you get your website translated, you will ensure that these mistakes are not repeated.

Purpose of Translation

Before going into the mistakes that translation professionals make, it is important to understand the purpose of translation. Your website is available in English by default. If a visitor who can’t read English visits your website, he/she should be able to access the website easily, in the language they are comfortable with. The word ‘easily’ here implies that they should be able to get their native language version of site with only a couple of clicks. With that in mind, let’s look at the common website globalization errors.

Using Country Flags for Language Navigation

You would have noticed the small icon of a nation’s flag, with the language printed next to it, on the home page of a website that is available in multiple languages. If you want the site in English, you have to click on the US or UK flag. If you want it in Chinese, you have to click on the Chinese flag. The same holds true for French, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and other languages.
But did you know for a fact that English is the native language of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries? Also, Chinese language is not exactly Chinese. There are many regional dialects and variations of the Chinese language. Mandarin is the most used dialect of Chinese as it is the official language of China and is spoken in other areas like Taiwan, and Singapore. Cantonese is spoken in the Canton province of China, Hong Kong and Macao.
As there are differences in spoken Chinese, so also are there differences in written Chinese. Currently Chinese characters are divided in two forms: one is the ‘traditional’ and the other is the ‘simplified’. This split was promoted by the government in 1949 in order to increase literacy rates among the population. The new and simplified version of characters came into use in Mainland China, while the original traditional script was kept in use by the Chinese population outside mainland China (Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao). The fundamental difference between the two forms is that the traditional one uses more strokes and is based on earlier characters. The modern simplified Chinese is much simpler.

Apart from being factually inaccurate, using the flag of a single country to representa language spoken by many might be felt as inconsiderate and disrespectful. For example, with the tension between Taiwan and China, Taiwanese visitors might feel offended if to visit the website in Mandarin, they have to click on the Chinese national flag. This is one mistake you should try to avoid in your site.

Usage of Target Language Script to Indicate the Language Availability

Translated websites are available in many languages, but some of them indicate the available languages in English script. For example, the script used in Chinese language is totally different. As a result, if someone who doesn’t know the basics of English visits your site, they will look at the language choices and fail to recognize the word ‘Chinese’ in English script. That might be a potential client you just lost. It is important to make sure that all available language options in your site are written in their native scripts, so that visitors can easily recognize and access them.

Lack of Visibility of Language Navigation Option

If your website is available in multiple languages, and the navigation option is not clearly visible, there is no point in translating your site. Make sure that the language navigation option is clearly visible on the home page itself. Ideally, place it at the top right corner or the top left corner of your home page to ensure maximum visibility. This will also guarantee that the investment you made on the website translation is worth every penny.

In order to have an adequate assessment of your localization needs, please visit our website and send us a message or request a quote.