Translation and Your International E-Commerce Strategy

Most businesses realize that they are simply a click away from any corner of the globe. Well, actually two if you include the Yahoo! search a potential customer does to access your shopping cart. What most businesses, unfortunately, do not realize though, is that their shopping cart is struggling to make it to the checkout counter. Bill Dunlap, managing director of Global Reach, Inc. notes that "for every $2 million a site is doing in domestic sales, they're leaving another $1 million on the table in international sales if they're not making themselves easily available."

To paraphrase the above, let me draw on a quote from Willy Brandt. The former West German chancellor is reported to have once said: "If I'm selling to you, I speak your language. If I'm buying, dann muessen Sie Deutsch sprechen (then you must speak German)."

In economics this is referred to as opportunity cost -the cost of something in terms of an opportunity foregone. The opportunity cost of not speaking "German" is a whopping 50%! This simple truth is supported by statistics.

Donald A. DePalma reported in a study conducted for Forrester Research that "Visitors linger twice as long as they do at English-only URLs; business buyers are three times more likely to buy if addressed in their own language; and customer service costs drop when instructions are displayed in the user's language." (Donald A. DePalma, Strategies for Global Sites, 1998).

Another Forrester Research report, quoted in an article titled "Reasons for Success in International E-Commerce" (webpronews.com) provides statistics that indicate "over 55% of the online world accesses the Internet from countries where English is not the native language."

The message is loud and clear: Do not assume that there is no reason to translate your marketing materials or that English is used in other countries! To be sure, English is the lingua franca of the world, and many people do have the ability to read English. But, faced with a choice, would you pull out your wallet for a company that caters to your needs in your non-native language, or your native language?

If translation is not part of your international e-commerce strategy, then you may be leaving money on the table!

And, if you see the truth in this message, you have a couple of options available: you can develop an in-house translation capability, or you can commission a professional translation service to translate your marketing materials. Developing an in-house translation capability is prohibitively expensive, not to mention that it is a long term effort. An appropriate analogy to illustrate this point is that of an IT department.

Buying translation, however, can be overwhelming with all the technical jargon, and frustrating with all the endless marketing hype and "mission statements" that are thrown at you. Fact is, the basics of purchasing translation are easy. Read on.

Your starting point should be the clarification of your translation project requirements. Consider:

  • Whether your marketing materials are for internal consumption (including partners) or external consumption?
  • Whether cost is more important or quality is more important?
  • What is the time frame for your project?
  • What are your ongoing (long-term) professional translation service needs?
By clarifying project requirements, you are establishing the framework to answer the 2 most important questions that will determine the success of your translation project. Namely, what is the right type of translation, and what is the right professional translation service for your translation project?

There are two types of translation:
  • Machine translation (MT)
  • Human translation
  • In machine translation, a human translator supports the machine. In other words, a computer program translates the source text (i.e. the "from" language), with the resultant target text (i.e. the "to" language) then being edited by a qualified human translator, if it is edited at all. Machine translation (MT) is employed for "gisting" or, to get the general meaning (gist) of a document which can be useful when marketing material is only for internal consumption.

    Is machine translation right for your marketing materials? "Free online translations, is, well...free-the cost is right, but can you live with the quality?" is a short, informative works on machine translation (MT). Read it before continuing.

    Consider this recent headline from the Yahoo! Odd News section (2005-07-05)-"The Wurst museum in the world?" You guessed it-it is not a bad museum but one dedicated to...German sausages! If your marketing materials are rich and descriptive, and for external consumption, then machine translation (MT) is not an option.

    Commission a professional translation service, and put human translators to work on your marketing materials.

    Selecting the right professional translation service can be just as frustrating as selecting the right type of translation for your project. Do you go with a professional translation service provided by a translation company, a translation agency or a free-lance translator?

    Review the requirements of your translation project. Now ask yourself "What is the right professional translation service?"

    "Free Online Translations Guide-Professional Translation Service" provides a check list that is helpful in determining what translation service should be entrusted with your marketing materials. While the list is not exhaustive, it will guarantee that you get the most value for your investment in translation in terms of cost and quality.

    Establishing a criteria list provided the basis for determining what the right type of translation, and what the right professional translation service, is for your translation project. Now, before you hit the search engines, guarantee the success of your translation project by taking a few more minutes to truly prepare (peace of mind; priceless!). Read "Buying Online Translations Tips and Techniques."

    And that is it-it is that simple! Translating marketing materials will ensure that your international e-commerce strategy speaks "German," will ensure that your shopping cart makes it to the checkout counter, and will ensure that no money is left on the table.

    About the Author:
    Ivan Vandermerwe is CEO of Saeculii, LLC., the owner of Saeculii Professional Translation Service. Visit Saeculii Professional Translation Service for the latest translation articles and news.

    Copyright © 2005 Saeculii, LLC. All rights reserved.
    Reproduction of this article is permitted with inclusion of the "About the Author" reference as is (including a link to Saeculii.com), and this copyright information. Articles may not be altered without written permission from Saeculii, LLC.

    In The News:


    pen paper and inkwell


    cat break through


    How to Promote your business website using free online resources.

    There are many ways to promote your website for free... Read More

    If You Do No Other Preparation

    Far too often we see small businesses rush into doing... Read More

    The Key to Success

    Good business is about communication... not just what you say... Read More

    A Successful Solution: 10 Things to Consider

    A provocation for the coming year, decade, century or millennium.By... Read More

    Marketing Ideas Without Action Will Get You Nowhere!

    Marketing Ideas Without Action Get You NowhereYou want to grow... Read More

    Insiders Secret to Selling Mailing Lists

    If you've got a mailing list of at least a... Read More

    5 Reasons Your Marketing Communication is Falling Flat

    One of my associates sent me a promotional email she'd... Read More

    Collecting Customer Data The Easy Way

    Market research is a critical component of any marketing strategy.... Read More

    2 Great, Free Techniques to Get Customers to Come to You, Not the Other Way Around

    Here is a powerful tip on how to substantially increase... Read More

    Are You Marketing Backwards?

    Marketing is like rowing a boat. When you know how... Read More

    Let It Ring

    Telemarketing has its place in the marketing arsenal. But telespammers... Read More

    How To Market Effectively Even If No One Understands What You Do

    So how do you effectively market your product or service... Read More

    Preventive Marketing Offers Small-Mid Sized Business Owners An Ideal Way To Maximize Their Results

    As the owner of a creative services boutique - I... Read More

    Take the Logo Litmus Test

    Here is your C.I.T.T. (pronounced "kit")[Color ? Illustrate? Type ?... Read More

    New Years Revolution

    No, that's not a typo in the title. Resolutions are... Read More

    Step by Step Guide to an SMS Campaign

    SMS is good for:? Short lead times and immediacy ?... Read More

    CRM System: Give Meaning to Your Data

    A customer relationship system (CRM) system uses technologically-driven strategies to... Read More

    Multicultural Marketing ? Taking Care of Business At Hand

    Multicultural marketing mirrors the changed face of America and is... Read More

    Eleven Reasons Donors Stop Responding To Fundraising Letter Appeals

    Donors will stop responding to your fundraising letter appeals for... Read More

    To All Internet Marketers - How To Get My Business?

    More and more people are realizing that the Internet offers... Read More

    How Toyota Captured the #1 Market Share . . . Through Solid Decision-Making!

    How Toyota Captured the #1 Market Share . . .... Read More

    Provacative Research Works

    If you want to double your business, then you need... Read More

    Build Lifelong Networks With Your Own Barter Group

    I don't know if you have ever seriously considered bartering.... Read More

    Creating And Maintaining A Mailing List

    Starting to collect proper information to create a... Read More

    Creating Your Own Lead Capture Pages

    Having a downline can be golden. A downline is a... Read More

    How to Size an Emerging Market

    In developing their business plans, companies of all sizes face... Read More

    Using a Contact List Profitably Part One

    In previous articles, we discussed the generation of a contact... Read More

    A Great Marketing Model ? Utilizing the Power of OPM

    Staying ahead of the marketing curve seems to be a... Read More

    Take a Leap! How To Take Your Business To New Heights

    Take a moment to reflect on the current reality of... Read More

    Listen To What The Marketing Experts Say

    But more importantly, watch what they do. If you do... Read More

    How to Give Your Biz a Boost with a Summer Marketing Makeover

    Are you on track for hitting all your business goals... Read More

    Consumer Thinking And Search Marketing

    12/20/04According to a recent article by ComScore Networks, about three-quarters... Read More

    Design Direct Mail Postcards Back-to-Front to Boost Response Rates

    Conventional wisdom says that the front of a direct mail... Read More