Going Global: 5 Questions to Ask Before Translating Content to New Markets

By Ian Henderson

In an increasingly global commercial marketplace, businesses are realizing it’s smart to pay close attention to the needs of non-English speaking customers. Companies have made themselves available to a wider range of global customers by establishing websites as their digital storefronts—a big reason why 40 percent of consumers worldwide say they have purchased something online from another country.

Finding success with international customers online has in turn encouraged many companies to think about doing business abroad, whether it’s to take advantage of economic growth in an emerging market like India or to better serve existing customers in faraway locales.

As more companies are evaluating opportunities abroad, they also should be evaluating how well their content speaks to these consumers. After all, 72 percent of consumers worldwide say they would be more likely to buy a product with information in their native language, according to Common Sense Advisory.

Whether it’s providing a German-language brochure to a prospect from Berlin, or a French-Canadian website for customers in Quebec, internationally minded businesses must start thinking about translation. But, if you’ve never embarked on a localization project, where do you start? Here are five questions to ask yourself before translating content for a new market.

1. Is your translation strategic or a one-off?

It’s not uncommon for a business to dip its toes into translation purely out of an immediate need. Perhaps a salesperson has encountered a promising prospect who is more comfortable reading Portuguese than English. As a result, you whip up a localized product brochure for that one individual – and then keep the document in your back pocket in case you ever need it again.

This type of translation certainly solves an immediate need, but you should also consider whether these one-off translations are actually providing clues to guide a strategic business move. If you’re receiving frequent requests from customers in Quebec, but your sales efforts with these prospects are falling short, perhaps it’s time to consider a full-on localization project to design a website and collateral to serve French-Canadian customers. A strategic effort offers more potential for growth in a globalized economy.

2. Do you have buy-in from the top?

You may not need to seek CEO approval for one-off translations, but it could be a different story if you’re planning a larger translation project. Again, localization is an opportunity to grow your business. So, if you find your company is consistently losing sales because it lacks the content needed to attract customers in a certain part of the world, loop in your CEO and discuss the benefits of turning a single translation into a more strategic localization project. With the CEO’s buy-in, you can start thinking bigger.

3. Do you have local expertise or knowledge?

Local context is critical for successful translations. Language is a nuanced thing, and businesses that start a localization project are sometimes surprised at how the interpretation of a simple English word or phrase can vary so dramatically once translated. Even just reporting the weather becomes difficult when you consider that every culture has its own unique way of describing temperature, humidity, and other climate factors. If you don’t have a deep understanding of these linguistic nuances internally, you might need to look for outside help.

4. Should you outsource translation or manage the project(s) in-house?

Speaking of help, you’ll need to decide how much of the translation effort you should manage internally and how much you should turn over to a language services provider (LSP). Bringing in outside help offers the benefit of project management support, access to experienced translators, and easier scalability. But you’ll want to weigh that against the cost of initial investment, the scope of your project, and the credentials of the LSP in question.

5. How flexible are you to changing the way you work?

If you’re working with an LSP or internal translation team, you’ll need to accommodate occasional requests that may change the way you work. For example, let’s say you develop instruction manuals for your product. You probably already work within a certain publishing platform to draft and produce these manuals.

A good translator should be able to work within your existing suite of tools to localize content, but only if you are flexible enough to provide source files and other relevant supporting materials. Linguists may also suggest a standardized workflow to enable speedier translations, so keep in mind that it could be your benefit to change some aspects of how you work to accommodate better efficiency.

A Stronger Foundation for Success

Localization can unlock new international opportunities, but it’s not something to wade into without some consideration. Improperly translated content can cost money, delay sales, and even pose business risks if it reaches the market. So take time to evaluate your options and set a course of action before embarking on any new localization project. Doing so will improve your chance for long-term success.