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Make an International Statement Online

Peak Translations Ltd News and PR from Peak Translations Ltd - Published 04 March 2016 In and out of the office, the internet has become an essential tool for sourcing goods and services.
Businesses have had to respond to this medium to meet customer demand and reach a new audience. They’ve set up an online presence, projecting the key branding messages that are important to consumers, but is this communication being ‘lost in translation’?

The internet is an archive of informative business content in English, and yet, only 27% of the worldÂ’s online users would call this language their native tongue. Alarming, when you consider that 72% of customers abroad agree that they would rather source products where the included information is written in their own language. So, while businesses may have all the right details on their website, the words donÂ’t register with foreign clientele. This becomes increasingly confusing when the products being searched are for an industrial purpose and will require a level of professional technical translation to help clear up any industry jargon that might not apply in another language.

There are some simple steps that businesses can take to ensure that their online messages make an impact in the global marketplace. Always remember your audience, a challenge that may well become difficult if you want to appeal to several different language speakers. Keep text clear and concise where possible. On the other hand, remember that if youÂ’re not currently using a professional translation service and even if you can undercut the competition with your lower prices, 56% of internet users place more emphasis on language than they do on costs.

Images can help to convey information and support the text you already have, driving the message home to your consumers. The use of photographs, infographics and pictograms can be easier for consumers abroad to understand – especially where products are technical and diagrams can help to identify quickly and instruct your website visitors. Images may work to some degree but where the content of your website is trying to sell your business, visuals alone won’t be an authentic representation of the benefits you offer. You also need to be aware of the cultural differences around imagery and in words for that matter. While an image or phrase is recognisable in one country, in another it could have very different connotations – and likely not all positive!

Understanding the subtle meaning of words, and other forms of communication, is a feat for even the most accomplished language speaker. You could attempt to translate your website’s text yourself or with the help of an ‘in-house’ language speaker but you wouldn’t take that risk with any other aspect of your business, and the task of delivering business messages should be paramount. In many cases, it is essential for the person responsible for translating your communications to have an extensive knowledge of not only the language they are working with, but in the industry they are explaining.

Other services may yield an accurate command of any given language but you can guarantee the native speaker looking at your websi
Images can help to convey information and support the text you already have

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