Well-translated websites engage more because they scale better. We could let it up that way if we want to get straight to the main point. But let's better understand what that means, shall we?
Scalable localization is what determines that a website's content is delivered to the right users. It decides how the business will connect with potential customers, taking into account technical aspects of search tools, market trends, cultural nuances, and geographic specifics of your target audience.
Bringing scalable solutions to a website means keeping it updated and compatible with major CMS (Content Management System – the system that allows creating, organizing, publishing, and managing content on a site).
The CMS, represented by free or paid website creation software like WordPress, Drupal, Adobe Experience Manager, etc., is the solution for businesses that need a dynamic website, not a static one.
Translating a website involves much more than translating content into other languages. It includes adaptability to CMS and a set of strategies and tools that, together, bring benefits for business expansion.
Benefits of well-translated websites in terms of business
Many businesses focus on defining their goals and missions but often falter when it comes to the technical and efficient planning of their content pages. They might launch a website, but it doesn't yield significant results, the kind that grabs the attention of managers: the results of performance.
Performance results are directly related to Localization strategies and the tools supporting scalable translation.
So, what are the benefits of scalable translation, and how can translators convince their clients in terms of business? We can mention:
- Immediate Expansion
60.4% of the world's top websites are in English. Not surprising, considering it's the language with the most speakers globally. However, only 16.2% of the world's population speaks English.
This means there are plenty of other languages to explore for a website targeting an increasingly global market.
The creation of a website should consider translation into foreign languages from the initial planning stages. This ensures that the content will be well-localized when the time comes for translation, a recommended practice for smart localization, being more cost-effective and translation-efficient.
- Cost-Effective
With the right tools, like machine translation assistance, website translation can be cost-effective for clients. Automatic translation can be especially useful for low-priority projects or testing new languages.
- Personalization through Terminology and Translation Memories
Every brand has its style guide, part of its marketing strategy. "Terminology management" combines corporate lexicons and glossaries to train a tool ensuring the most client-compatible terms are always used.
Translation memories stored in Bureau Works software also contribute to this customization, storing client terminology files and information, allowing the company to enhance automatic translation responses over time.
What must be included in a Complete Website Translation Service?
Scaling a website translation project takes into account several factors:
SEO Optimization
- SEO strategies don't automatically transfer from one language to another. They require careful mapping work in each language.
Layout
- Knowing how visualization panels will be distributed helps translators see how content will be displayed and make corrections to avoid a poor layout that doesn't make much sense in the target language.
Quality Assurance
- Quality control should go beyond simple language checks to review formats, codes, and overall market acceptance.
Hybrid Translation
- Automated translation is part of website translation projects and can enhance the accuracy of manual translation. The best way to find a balance, considering the pros and cons of Manual vs. Automatic Website Translation, is to combine processes.
- Performing hybrid translation means: automatic website translation with the supervision of manual processes and the simplicity of machine-run programs.
Many less robust solutions are offered in the website translation market. Still, only a service with a total approach will ensure that the subsequent administration of the translated site is as simple and efficient as possible for the client.
Well-translated websites create opportunities for both translators – who can work on projects with scalable performance results – and for clients whose brands thrive with a broader audience reach and guaranteed user experiences with quality and personalization in various languages.