While globalization has made it easier than ever for companies to publish and sell internationally, that doesn’t mean one size fits all. Most industries in today’s world can benefit from a process called localization, in which translation experts rewrite a company’s content for specific foreign markets with cultural and social context. According to the market research firm Common Sense Advisory, when you choose to localize, consumers favor your products and services over generic alternatives. What does this mean for you? Quite simply, if you personalize your offerings to your local audience, you’ll stand out from your competition.
Here’s a list of five major industries that can benefit from translation services:
1. Banking
When it comes to finance, do you ever think of localization through translation? Probably not. We think of numbers and calculations. Yet if you’re trying to attract new customers, your success depends on clear and effective communication. Clients want banks and financial advisors they trust, and if you can’t provide them with accurate translations of their transactions and documents, they won’t hesitate to seek out the competition that does.
In this field especially, you should seek out experts to translate your financial documents, even if you’re wary of spending the additional money. Why choose experienced translators over cheap alternatives? Well, as a financial institution, your credibility and consistency are integral parts of your brand--and if you want that class of quality, you have to pay for it.
Here’s an example: finance uses different terms depending on the type of document. That means translators who understand financial nuances and possess high-level language skills can help fix potentially harmful errors. As a result, relying on detailed experts builds your brand image; in place of losing accounts, you’ll attract new clients who view you as a bank they can trust.
2. Gaming
The gaming community has seen exponential growth over the past decade, especially in Southeast Asia. Yet games designed for English speakers aren’t always guaranteed success when launched abroad. Users with limitless gaming options will leave for another platform where they understand the narrative and appreciate the cultural subtleties. The solution? Provide multilingual content.
By translating games into multiple languages, your company can expand your market and provide the full virtual experience to gamers worldwide. Especially if you're launching triple-A video games (AAAs) with high development and marketing budgets, accurate translation of dialogue and adjusting the background music accordingly shows your audience that the material is targeted to them. This, in turn, leads to higher levels of active engagement.
Don’t forget to think about the cultural and social aspects of game translation as well. For example, expert translators can help you determine what will work based upon local trends. They know that to succeed as a global gaming company, you’ll need to adapt - not just by making sure players understand how to navigate the game-world, but by following what’s trendy and traditional and avoiding what’s taboo.
3. eLearning
With the rise of globalization, more and more learners are opting for online training and courses, and international corporations are starting to rely upon this technology to train their remote workforce. Only 20% of the world’s population speaks English, though, and a mere 360 million people, 4.8%, speak it as a first language. That means that eLearning platforms will have to invest in quality translation services if they want to market themselves to the remaining 80% of their target market.
4. Legal industry
For the majority of us, legal matters are intimidating even when they're in our native language. It’s difficult to understand the jargon and complexities, and it’s easy to feel ignorant asking lawyers to explain what they really mean for the hundredth time.
Now imagine trying to understand documents in a foreign language. That’s the reality for many people looking for legal assistance. In some cases, clients who don’t speak English attempt to struggle through a law firm’s terms and conditions. Realistically though, they’ll simply give up and walk away. Is this preventable? Of course. Legal firms who want to empower their potential clients to seek legal assistance just need to make their services accessible across language barriers.
5. Travel and tourism
As the world slowly returns to normalcy and an increasing number of people look forward to travelling once again, we're likely to expect a sudden boom period as people from all over the world seek to stretch their legs after a lengthy period of isolation. Of course, English speakers aren’t the only ones who are having these dreams of adventure. With multilingual offerings, billions of potential travelers could take advantage of these services - and for many, they would expect nothing less.
Prior to the pandemic, research showed that many travelers preferred to browse travel websites in the their native language, and would seek out same language guides to take them around during their stay. According to the International Travel Monitor, published by Hotels.com, a large number of tourists choose their hotels expecting same language speaking travel guides and up to a third would like a translated hotel website as well.
Andovar at your service
In essence, when you invest in translating your products and services into local languages you’re making a decision that will pay dividends for years to come. Yet, a literal translation is no longer enough. Cross-cultural awareness is critical when localizing your content, yet original intent should not be sacrificed. To expand your customer base through translated marketing, you'll need to choose professionals who can provide additional cultural knowledge. Andovar understands this. That’s why we continuously go beyond literal translations to provide our clients with specialized content.
If you’re looking to move your company into the future, expand overseas, and achieve global relevance, you need to look no further. With headquarters in Singapore and offices across Asia, the USA and Europe, all of our work is done in-house. Andovar’s translation and localization services are just one click away, providing audio, native-speaking voice talents and competitive pricing.
Click here to get in touch with us today to know more about our services.
