The Growth Companies of the Future Are Masters of Language
Have you ever been close to purchasing a service or product online only to refrain from it due to its poor use of language and lack of localisation for your market? In business, the outcome of using bad translations and inadequate language instead of doing proper content localisation is serious. Everyday companies lose hard cash due to poor conversion rates. You certainly don’t want this to happen to your own business.
Underestimating the importance of language, and localisation of online stores, websites or apps inhibits the potential of many companies to do successful business abroad.
We trade more and more across national borders. When it comes down to it, Denmark is a microscopic market. Therefore, the Danish language is not the (only) key to success. The growth companies of the future are the ones who master their communications in the local language.
Most people think that localisation is simple and that just by going to a translation agency they will get an adequate translation and localisation. But they lack an understanding of what localisation involves, and why a localisation strategy is needed. I don’t want to point fingers at companies. This poor understanding has emerged from traditional methods and poor advice from the agencies that handle the translation and localisation process. It comes from a focus on profit and not quality, as everything is calculated as a margin on the freelancer who does the work.
It is a costly process to expand, and it requires great strategic ingenuity and care if you are to successfully move your business model into new markets. Often smaller companies with smaller budgets do not have the opportunity to invest enough in localising their business. It has traditionally been far too expensive to set against the unreasonable business models used by traditional translation agencies. The result is a quick fix that doesn’t create value.
It damages the credibility and reputation of a business when its shop window is muddied by incomprehensible expressions emerging from literal translation. We have the technology at our fingertips to do things smarter and at better prices - it just requires a showdown with outdated methods.
Transparency is the key here. Translations and localisation should not be covered by opaque pricing models, where you can’t know if you are paying too much. This is why we at EasyTranslate have completely removed our margin of profit on the translators’ work so that a degree of coverage does not come between the customer and the right solution.
Language is culture, personality, and values - which is why it is so important that you localise your communications. Especially online, where there are no shop assistants. When language is under-prioritised, you as a company risk failure to communicate - and in the end that impacts the chances of success in new markets.
