Expanding your business internationally represents a real opportunity for growth. Thanks to the web, it's easy to extend your presence in the economic markets of different countries. However, there's one step you mustn't neglect if you are to reap the financial rewards you're looking for. A company's brand image, reputation and appeal will depend on the correct translation of its information. So what are the best ways to translate your website?
Four ways to translate your website into another language
1. Transcribe your site yourself
If you're bilingual, trilingual or multilingual, you may well consider translating your website yourself. English, German, Spanish, Italian... It's obviously preferable to speak at least a minimum of the language of the country in which you're setting up, especially for customer service management.
However, when translating a website, it's essential to have a thorough grasp of the grammar, spelling and conjugation, as well as the cultural and lexical specificities, of the language in question. Indeed, the quality of the content remains paramount. Your brand image is at stake.
2. Use a translation plugin
Wordpress, Wix, Shopify, Magento... CMS solutions and e-commerce platforms all have plugins, extensions or modules dedicated to transforming sites into multilingual versions or displaying them in different languages.
Free tools, freemium versions or paid solutions, with SEO function or geolocation option... The choices are vast, but can differ depending on the management system. It's also worth noting that some e-commerce solution back-offices offer the option of placing orders directly with translation services. This is the case, for example, with the TextMaster platform available on Shopify or Prestashop.
3. Use an automatic translation tool
Google Translate is the benchmark in automatic translation services. The powerful features of Google's solution make it possible to adapt entire web pages into different languages without modifying the page layout.
Other machine translation solutions, such as Deepl or Reverso, are also powerful.
4. Call in the professionals
Machine translation tools and plug-ins provide a fast, cost-effective service for transcribing website pages. However, these solutions can't solve everything.
Double-meaning words, cultural expressions, misunderstandings, marketing specificities or even the emotional dimension are not dealt with by artificial intelligence, however developed it may be.
When budget allows, using a professional translation service ensures high-quality content. Translation agencies or specialized platforms put you in touch with experienced professionals, both linguistically (native speakers, for example) and thematically (expertise in e-commerce, marketing, technology, etc.).
More than literal translation, we're talking here about a process of "transcreation". This Anglicism refers to the process of translating creative content from one language to another, preserving the intention and emotion while adapting the message to the foreign culture. This can also involve changing vocabulary, layout or images. The aim is to retain the spirit of the original content while harmonizing it with the cultural practices of future customers.
Why pay so much attention to the translation of your website?
The idea of expanding your target market and multiplying the possibilities for your business is so exciting that it's tempting to want to move fast. However, it's better to take your time and pay close attention to the translation of your website. Indeed, to attract prospects in another language, it's important to fully understand the customs, linguistic codes, habits and needs, which can be very different from one culture to another.
But there are other issues at play when it comes to translating your site. On a technical level, decisions have to be made regarding the structure of multilingual URLs: different domain names for each country, sub-domains or directories. The latter option seems to offer the most advantages for the least time and investment. By keeping just one site, the creation of sub-folders for each country still enables you to gain in visibility.
You also need to be on the lookout for double-entendre words that could lead to misinterpretation. Query analysis, SEO optimization and research into the most effective and relevant keywords for the target audience are also of great importance.