Developments in global communication and the advantages of the internet have resulted in language being one of the only real barriers remaining in international business possibilities. Website translation services are at the forefront of breaking through this barrier and creating a business world with no borders. Since 2004, nearly 50% of all online business transactions were completed in a different language to English. Automatic translation tools are almost useless for this purpose as the accuracy cannot be guaranteed or monitored. This is why a reliable and professional translation service is pivotal to ensuring the upkeep of your company's reputation and the positive outcome of your business ventures.
Despite the current unstable financial climate in many countries, some economies around the world are continuing to thrive and grow. Particularly, parts of South America, the Middle East and Russia are seeing a burst in business activity that is bringing international investment into these countries. China has also long been a major player in global business and is the second largest economy in the world behind the United States. Over the past 30 years, China has increasingly invited trade from overseas businesses and this is an opportunity that many in the west have taken keen advantage of. Translation professionals operating in China had a 46.09% increase in their income in 2012, a figure that is sure to continue growing.
When the decision is made to enter a foreign market there are many things to consider. Making your company's website understandable to the country in which you intend to expand is of the utmost importance. In a survey conducted by commonsenseadvisory.com, 72.4% of consumers stated that they would be more likely to buy a product if the accompanying information was in their own language. Additionally, 56.2% of consumers went on to say that being able to obtain information in their native language was more important than the price of the product. Faced with these statistics it is shocking to observe that out of the top 1,000 global websites, 433 are presented in just one language, making no attempt at all to provide translation for potential global visitors.
Approximately 33% of internet users don't speak English as a first language, so the importance of having your site translated into the many alternatives is immediately evident. It is predicted that employment levels for translators and interpreters will increase by 42% between the years 2010 and 2012, demonstrating the rapidly growing necessity of such acute skills.
The localization of website content has to be approached in a wholly pragmatic way in order to guarantee the best results and highest returns for your company. Not only does the content have to be translated to precisely depict the original material, but the cultural differences have to be taken into account. A professional translator will be sensitive to these differences and maintain such accuracy that it will appear as though the translation version is the original written text. Being completely aware of the culture within the target country is essential to providing a perfect translation.
The semantics of languages are subject to constant evolution, therefore when it comes to achieving perfect website translation, a culturally aware linguistic professional is the only viable choice of person to be entrusted with this task. Translation technology is rapidly developing and the capabilities of such programmes are more impressive than ever. But when it comes to your business, it goes without saying that you want a highly qualified and extremely experienced professional to be responsible for your website translation. There are some aspects of language that a machine can't always be guaranteed to comprehend so a human translator is necessitated to ensure the meaning of content is not confused.
With the many global economies that are expanding at a an exciting rate, it is foolish to presume that marketing your company solely in English will be enough to sustain your companies presence and growth. Website translation services readily exist with uncapped capabilities of promoting businesses around the world, creating and encouraging the possibilities that a truly global market has to offer.
