Websites are an efficient way to appeal to and connect with our audiences. However, as our online presence goes global, users are looking for websites that speak directly to them - in their own language. As marketer Seth Godin notes,
“People like us do things like us.”
Simply put, users want to belong, connect, and come together online in places that reflect their customs, culture, and identity. Businesses that understand this and adapt to this need can appeal to markets far beyond their homeland borders. They are able to develop a worldwide user base simply by speaking the local language, and can engage and build relationships with increasingly diverse audiences.
Benefits of website localization
Today, websites are the business card of yesteryear - they are the marketing platform used to promote products, services, education, ideas, entertainment and more. Your business has to sustain in an increasingly competitive marketplace that is, thanks to the Internet, global. Speaking to a worldwide audience, in a language they understand, is the key to capitalizing on this huge market potential. If you're using your website to market your products, you need to reach your customers where they live.
While many companies might start shaking in their boots at the prospect of trying to corner unfamiliar markets, international values and desires aren’t as different as some may think. And localization is simply your way to showcase your services so that foreign audiences understand your value.
Localization, quite simply, makes you stand out. A full 75% of consumers say that they would choose a product that is marketed and developed in their own language over a generic alternative of similar quality. Therefore, localizing your marketing platform - your website - is actually a smart move that has the potential to massively boost your traffic and, by extension, your consumer base.
Cross geographical borders
With just 20% of the world’s population speaking English as their first language, there is a huge opportunity gap in the online world to engage the remaining 80%. By localizing websites, businesses can reach users that fall into this gap, expanding their consumer base each time they adapt to a specific region. By expanding into new markets, you create a more diverse and connected network of customers across geographical borders. Over time, you will become a recognized and trusted brand (or a “go-to” source), whether it’s to sell a product or service, or for entertainment or educational purposes.
Increased credibility: Expand globally
Adding a multilingual site to your online presence is a cost-effective way to dip your toes into new global markets. Gone are the days when you had to physically establish offices in different countries to be a global operator. Now, you can simply launch your international presence with a couple of clicks of the mouse (and some savvy translation guidance).
Language is a powerful tool when it comes to earning customer loyalty and navigating new markets. When you design websites in local languages, your international users know that you are serious about catering to their needs. In their eyes, your business is open to understanding the nuances of their culture by making web content that is tailored to them. By speaking their ‘language’ (through words, ideas, and imagery), new customers will identify with you, remember you, and ultimately learn to trust you. In turn, they will take the first steps toward transitioning into a paying customer. As you begin to infiltrate new markets, your reputation as a solution provider will spread as satisfied customers tell their friends, who then proceed to tell their friends.
After establishing credibility in new markets, you will then be able to leverage your localized presence to further develop global recognition of your brand. Due to the low competition for SEO keywords in languages other than English, you’ll have a keyword-ranking advantage on search engines, leading to increased global traffic.
Offer better user experience
Localization of websites by adjusting website design also leads to better understanding and customization of the user’s online experience. Not only is text translated to the local language, but a multilingual website is also adapted and tailored in terms of style, content and layout (taking into consideration cultural nuances). Different marketing methods appeal to divergent target audiences from other cultures. This includes subtle changes in fonts, formats, artworks and even colors. After a thorough investigation of your target audiences’ preferences, a website localized for their tastes will appeal to them and draw them into your site for a seamless and user-friendly experience that makes them feel at home - not like they are a trespasser in a foreign land.
Scale business revenue
The simple act of globalizing through localization can provide your business with a plethora of potential new customers and increase your business’ bottom line. In fact, expanding your customer base is the most cost-effective way to scale business revenue. Instead of increasing revenue by expanding your product offerings, raising prices, or reducing profit margins, you can achieve more effective results by implementing a multilingual website to reach a wider audience and by building a bigger customer base in exchange for a relatively minimal investment.
The Andovar solution
Do I hear you ask: How expensive is it to localize and capitalize? The good news here is that you don’t have to go it alone - there is no need to hire in-house staff or purchase complicated software. At Andovar, we provide translation and turnkey localization services for websites, software, eLearning and gaming platforms and more.
We are headquartered in Singapore, with offices across Asia, the U.K., and the U.S.A., and our work is done in-house by our team of native-speaking translators and experts. As a global leader, we support your business with multilingual SEO, translation, localization, and multilingual desktop publishing services. We begin with a translation memory (TM) analysis and content review to determine the scope of your project to tailor our services to your specific business needs and budget.
At Andovar, we have the expertise to lead your translation and localization campaigns, saving you significant costs as you scale your business to profitable new heights. Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can help your business expand its global presence.
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