Global expansion can be a complex process. The list is endless, from adapting to local cultures, complying with regulatory requirements, and communicating effectively with potential customers. That's where a global localization strategy comes in handy.
In this blog post, we explain why your company now needs a global localization strategy more than ever. We'll explore translation's role in a company's international expansion, discuss the importance of cultural sensitivity in translation, and discuss how it can help mitigate business risk.
You'll also receive info about the positive impact of translation on international growth and explore the costs of expert localization translation services for international business expansion.
Finally, you'll get tips on choosing the right translation service provider to build a long-term partnership that ensures consistent, high-quality translations for all your business needs.
Launching your business into new markets can be a daunting process. But it's essential for growth and long-term sustainability, and revenue growth.
According to Sustainability Mag, some of the most sustainable companies of our times are well-established global enterprises are:
Keep your competitors from leading. You can diversify your customer base through international expansion. In addition, global development can mitigate the effects of economic downturns in a region, providing some security against unexpected events such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic or war conflicts.
The resources are scarce: starting from natural ones and ending with talented people to hire in your company. The demographic structure in the United States and the brain drain that's been happening over the last few years in the US suggest that more qualified employees leave the country for education and jobs. They choose (and will continue to) Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe over their home market.
Access to new talent pools, technologies, and resources comes with the territory.
A well-planned globalization strategy mitigates the risks and ensures long-term business success. But to achieve it, your company needs to speak the local language and understand how to attract the best people: both talent and customers.
Related content: A Guide To Understanding Translation and Localization
Take Netflix as an example: in just seven years, the company has reached 190 new countries all over the globe. Their thorough market research and understanding of local culture, laws, regulations, and business practices made Netflix a go-to platform for online video entertainment.
Now, many followers are trying to repeat Netflix's path as they see great potential in the globalization of online video services. The market share held by Netflix started to decrease, but customers are still loyal to the first brand they discovered. And the first one that allowed them to discover the power of personalized and localized entertainment.
What was first a major blocker: intellectual property rights and licensing, doesn't look so hard to crack now when Netflix took a first stab at it. The interface, the shows, and the support of the Netflix platform are available in many languages.
As it turned out, in many cases, it is possible to launch an international premier of an original TV series, no matter what country or region the users will access it. Germany, France, Italy, South Africa, Japan? All target countries can access Netflix's original content at the same time.
International expansion strategies of Netflix also point out that localized content is something that viewers want and will continue to watch in the future. This is why, aside from the globally accessible translated content, the platform invests in individual market strategy, ensuring that users in Europe, Asia, the USA, Brazil, India, Mexico, and other domestic markets can watch locally developed content.
Launching your business into new markets requires effective communication with international customers and clients. This is where the role of translation becomes critical. Accurate translations are essential to connect with your target audience and effectively convey your message.
According to Can't Read, Won't Buy research:
Expanding a business globally requires much more than just translating content. Content localization is equally crucial, as it helps ensure your message reaches your target audience in different regions, increasing your chances of success. Professional translation services help businesses overcome language challenges and ensure accuracy and consistency across all materials.
Localization means adapting your content, products, and services to the local market, including language, currency, and cultural norms. Accurate translations ensure that your brand message is conveyed accurately and effectively in the target language.
By investing in localization and translation services, companies improve their chances of success in new markets and gain a competitive advantage.
Investing in language services is indispensable to any successful global expansion strategy.
Related content: 6 Tips on Preparing Your Content for Translation
In this age of technology, machine translation has become a popular option for businesses looking to expand internationally. For example, the rise of ChatGPT showed users could use it for more accurate contextual translations compared to interpretation services offered by Google or Amazon.
However, professional translation services offer significant advantages over machine translation.
Professional translators are trained to handle linguistic complexity and cultural nuances to ensure your message is accurately conveyed to an international audience. By investing in professional translations, companies can avoid costly mistakes and build a strong reputation in global markets.
While machine learning algorithms can be faster and less expensive, they lack the cultural awareness necessary for accurate translations.
Machine translation tools can translate large volumes of text quickly and surprisingly accurately, making them ideal for routine communications such as company memos, internal email comms, or social media posts.
They can also be helpful for companies on a tight budget that want to test new markets without incurring high costs.
Machine translation tools will work in multiple languages at the same time, meaning businesses can reach a broad audience without the need to hire numerous translators.
As it turns out, according to research, over 53% of non-English speakers will turn to machine translation services when their native language version of content is not available.
Machine translations could be better. They cannot understand idiomatic expressions and cultural nuances, leading to inaccurate translations. And that can cause misunderstandings and miscommunications, both internally and outside of the company.
Moreover, machine-translated text can appear stilted and unnatural, which can be off-putting to your target audience.
It often lacks proper editing and comes in an unusable format, especially for expert niches like legal or technical translation. A human linguist (proofreader) must still work with such texts to ensure your company can use them as intended.
In conclusion: when using machine translation for business documentation, you must weigh the benefits of increased efficiency against the disadvantages and risk of potential errors and misunderstandings that could damage your reputation in foreign country and markets.
Related content: How Much Do Translation Services Really Cost? [Rates & Factors]
Regarding global businesses, accurate and culturally appropriate communication is critical. Machine translation often results in clumsy or inaccurate translations, damaging your brand's reputation.
Professional translation services provide human expertise and cultural understanding to communicate effectively with international audiences. In addition, translation services can perform localization, which means they adapt content to specific languages and cultures for maximum impact.
By investing in high-quality translation services, companies saved time and money in the long run by avoiding costly mistakes and missed opportunities in foreign markets. Choosing professional translation services is a crucial step to successful international expansion.
Cultural differences can be a significant challenge for companies entering new international markets. Misinterpreting and miscommunication can occur without sensitivity to these differences, damaging brand reputation and relationships with customers and partners.
Therefore, it is essential to consider cultural factors when translating content for a global audience.
Professional localization services provide human expertise and cultural knowledge to ensure accurate and culturally appropriate translations that resonate with international audiences. In addition, localizing content for specific regions or countries can also improve engagement and relevance for local consumers.
Companies looking to expand globally must understand the importance of cultural sensitivity. Different cultures have different customs, values, and beliefs that can affect communication and business relationships.
Professional translation services can help bridge this gap by delivering accurate and culturally appropriate wording and messages.
By managing cultural differences, your company can build trust with customers and create a positive reputation for your brand, ultimately leading to successful international expansion.
Even the best global players need help with it. Forums all over the web are full of examples of both funny and disastrous translation mistakes.
Swedish furniture company IKEA once named one of their products a "Fart Desk" (well, maybe not exactly, but the Swedish word used in the name did not translate well to English).
And Reebok has created a shoe line name that, for culturally sensitive folks, reminds of the infamous spirit who raped women. The company had to issue an apology and spend more money to fix the mistake to rebrand the controversial product packaging.
Global expansion can provide lucrative opportunities for companies, but it requires careful planning and execution. One way to tap into new revenue streams is through translation.
Effective translations help you communicate with international customers and clients in their native language and show that you are committed to their needs. Accurate translations also build trust with potential clients, increasing sales and revenue.
In addition, investing in professional translation services can be a cost-effective strategy for global growth, as it helps companies overcome cultural nuance and adapt to local business practices.
One of the most effective strategies for increasing global brand awareness is a high-quality product paired with a high-quality translation. Accurate translations of marketing materials, website content, and product descriptions can help companies build trust with international customers and improve customer satisfaction.
By communicating effectively in local languages, companies can also demonstrate their commitment to cultural sensitivity and respect for local customs, which can go a long way toward building loyalty and long-term success in new markets and target countries. Working with a reliable translation service provider can be a cost-effective way to increase international brand awareness and boost sales.
Related content: Localization vs Internationalization: 2 Sides, Same Coin
Investing in high-quality translation services can also tap into a larger international talent pool. When you offer job postings and recruitment materials in multiple languages, you can target a more significant number of applicants.
Not only does this increase the chances of finding top talent, but it also ensures that the hiring process is fair and accessible to everyone, regardless of their language background. By demonstrating your commitment to inclusion, you can establish your company as an attractive employer for global talent, which ultimately positively impacts your long-term success in international markets.
By working with a reliable translation service provider, businesses can ensure that documents such as legal contracts and compliance requirements are correctly translated. Investing in high-quality translation services demonstrates cultural sensitivity and respect for local customs and languages.
Overall, accurate translations are an essential part of any successful global expansion strategy. They help companies build trust with their international audiences and avoid misunderstandings that could damage crucial business relationships.
When you expand your business globally, cultural differences can be a significant challenge. To avoid misunderstandings and miscommunications, addressing these differences head-on is important. Translating marketing materials, websites, and communications with local partners minimizes these risks of the growth strategy.
However, it is equally important to understand the cultural norms and values of the target market so as not to offend potential customers or partners.
Working with local translators or translation agencies can help ensure the accuracy and relevance of translated content. Clear communication and understanding of cultural nuances help build trust and long-term relationships with international partners, increasing profitability. Managing cultural differences is a critical component of any successful global expansion strategy.
Expanding your business into new markets requires careful consideration of legal and compliance requirements. Failure to meet these requirements can lead to financial penalties, reputation damage, legal action, and wasting the company's growth potential.
Accurate translations of legal documents, contracts, certifications, and other vital materials are essential to meeting these requirements. This is where professional translation services come into play.
Working with a reliable translation service provider ensures that all required documents are translated accurately and culturally appropriate. Investing in professional translations can help mitigate risks associated with non-compliance with legal requirements and ensure successful global business expansion.
As you expand your business worldwide, you must appeal to a diverse audience that may not speak your language. High-quality translations can help you connect with your new customers and build their trust in your brand.
Poorly translated content can lead to misunderstandings and negative reviews and damage your reputation in a new market. By closely examining negative reviews and working with professional translation services, you can ensure that your messages are accurate and resonate with your target audience.
By building trust through clear communication, companies can develop long-term relationships with their new customers worldwide.
Investing in professional translation services can be a game changer for companies looking to expand globally. Not only do they ensure proper communication with international audiences, but they can also save time and money in the long run. Companies can focus on their core competencies by avoiding costly errors from poor translations while ensuring effective communication in global markets.
High-quality translations save money and build trust and credibility with foreign customers and partners. Working with a reliable translation service provider is essential when meeting complex legal and compliance requirements in new markets.
Related content: 7 Tips to Avoid Wasting Your Translation Budget
Professional translation services can be a significant investment for companies expanding globally. However, when you understand such services' return on investment (ROI), it becomes clear that it is a worthwhile expense.
By translating content into the native languages of customers and business partners, companies can increase sales and improve their brand image in international markets. High-quality translations also build trust with foreign customers, which can ultimately lead to long-term partnerships and growth opportunities.
Although the cost of translation may seem high initially, avoiding costly mistakes and misunderstandings in new markets is a wise investment.
These factors make investing in professional translation services worthwhile for any global business.
By accurately translating essential documents such as contracts, marketing materials, and product descriptions, companies can avoid potential lawsuits, fines, or reputation damage due to inaccurate translations.
In addition, by working with professional translators who understand local cultures and customs, companies can avoid cultural faux pas that could damage their reputation or impact their success in international markets.
Calculating the potential savings from professional translation services primarily considers the cost of errors caused by inaccurate translations, potential revenue increases from expanding into new markets, and comparing the cost of outsourcing to in-house translation processing.
A professional service provider can ensure translations' accuracy and cultural sensitivity while assisting with localization to adapt content and marketing materials to the local market. Choosing a translation service provider with industry-specific expertise can guarantee that jargon and industry-specific terms are translated correctly. This forms the basis for building a long-term partnership for consistent, high-quality translations.
Working with a reliable translation service provider can make all the difference for your global business. When selecting a translation service provider, it is crucial to consider their language skills and expertise in your industry.
Look for a provider that offers professional translation services, such as document translation and interpretation, and uses native-speaking translators to ensure translation quality.
It's also essential to choose a provider that offers a range of services, such as website localization and multilingual search engine optimization, to support your global expansion strategy.
Related content: 7 Things Your Translation Project Manager Handles for You So You Don’t Have To
Long-term partnerships result in consistent translations that match the voice and tone of your brand across all markets.
In addition, working closely with a translation service provider can save you time and resources, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your global expansion strategy. A long-term partnership also will enable you to communicate effectively with international clients while ensuring consistency of translations over time.
In summary, a solid international expansion business strategy is critical for companies in today's interconnected world. This includes understanding the importance of translation and localization, cultural sensitivity, and risk mitigation.
Professional translation services offer global companies numerous benefits, including opening new revenue streams, increasing brand awareness, accessing a larger talent pool, building customer trust, and cost efficiencies.
So, do you want to go global? If you answer yes, you must work with a reliable service provider to ensure consistent, high-quality translations. Do not let language barriers prevent your business from reaching its full potential. Start planning your global expansion strategy now and take the first step toward international success.
Recommended articles:
How to Really Save on Translation and Localization?
Are You Making These 4 Mistakes in Your Business Growth?
3 Scenarios of How Wrong Your Website Translation Can Go and Why
