What do you need to consider when translating your website?

Website owners should consider how their site will be translated into other languages before starting the translation process. A professional translator will require all your website text ready for processing. Plus, information about your business, the industry you work in, and the wider goals of the website (leads, engagement etc) help produce the perfect end result. Not to mention, page layout and multimedia content throughout the website might need extra consideration for your new audience. 

That might sound overwhelming. But, with the right translations partner, the process is made simple. 

Here are our top things to consider if you're thinking about translating your website: 

Translating for SEO 

When you're translating your website, it's important to think about how your translations will affect your SEO. Translating your website into a new language can help you reach a new audience, but you'll need to make sure that the translations are done properly if you want to rank well in search engines. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind when translating for SEO: 

• Make sure that all of your translations are accurate and use the correct terminology. The right translations partner would help with that! 
• Keep your translations as close to the original text as possible, while still using the correct language. 
• AI translations are not always the best choice for the SEO section of your project.  
• If you're not familiar with the language, hire a professional translation company like Wolfestone Group with translators experienced in SEO best practices of your industry. 

The benefits of translating your website 

There are many benefits to translating your website into new languages. Here are a few of the most important ones: 

• Increased exposure - By translating your website into new languages, you'll be able to reach a new audience of potential customers. A quick search of "how many people speak Spanish" (for example) gives you a broad indication of who your new potential customers. 
• Improved SEO - Properly translated websites tend to rank better in search engines than websites with inaccurate translations. Not to mention search engines like Google and Bing rate websites with multiple languages highly. 
• Greater brand awareness - Translated websites help increase brand awareness around the world, and can help you build a global reputation for your business. 
• Did you know, a survey of 8,709 global consumers in 29 countries in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America, CSA Research found that 76% of online shoppers prefer to buy products with information in their native language. 

Choosing the right language 

There are many different languages that you can translate your website into. Some of the most popular are German, Spanish, and Chinese. 

However, not all languages should be approached the same. Some languages are more popular than others, and the positive results of your new translated site will depend heavily on your target market demographics. It's important to do your research before you decide which language to translate your website into; consider conducting some competitor research to discover the markets you could be tapping into. Or, utilize web analytics tools like google analytics to understand your existing visitor's languages - you may find a whole international audience is already engaging with your site and their first language might be the one for you to introduce to your brand. 

It's also worth considering some languages are more difficult to translate than others. At the Wolfestone Group, we can translate websites into over 220 languages, but they can differ in cost and delivery time. 

Accuracy is everything 

Accurate translations are essential for any website that is targeting a new audience. If the translations are inaccurate, it can be very difficult for users to understand the website's content. This can lead to a bad user experience, and can even hurt your website's SEO rankings. Working with an expert translation partner (like Wolfestone Group) would alleviate this worry, however. 

Localizing vs Translating 

Website localization is the process of adapting a website into a language customized to a location. For example, in South America, the Spanish language, cultural practices, and imagery would be different from those in European Spain. Website localization is an important step of the translation process to ensure your new audience feels considered and engaged with your newly worded content. 

Website maintenance  

Once your website translation is complete, it’s important to continue to monitor it. Website translations can go out of date if not well-maintained, so it’s important to keep track of any changes that occur on the original website and update the translation accordingly. Sometimes, working with a languages partner can be beneficial - always having that extension of the team to keep things perfect. 

Wolfestone has years of experience in website translation and can ensure that your website looks and functions exactly the same in every language, resonating with your new audience every time. 

If you're ready to expand your website's reach get in touch today for a free consultation. 

 Information Correct: 23/03/2022