Regardless of the type of business you run, if you wish to expand, you need a detailed action plan. You need to identify the markets that might be interested in the products/services you provide and connect with your prospective buyers. A multilingual website is, thus, paramount if you want to go global. Studies have shown that 52% of people prefer to make purchases from sites in their native language.
But, here’s the thing: simply translating your old posts, pages, tags, and categories isn’t enough. There are numerous factors that can make or break your multinational page.
Learn them so that you can avoid a catastrophe.
1. Skimping on Translations
Let’s set the record straight – no professional website, especially one that’s intended for an international audience, is going to be cheap. Cutting the budget for translations will only do you more harm than good.
You might think you’re saving money by asking one of your bilingual employees to translate your site, but you are actually setting yourself up for failure. A poorly translated site conveys an unprofessional image.
By skimping on such an important element you’ll likely end up with awkward translations that will confuse potential buyers. Don’t risk your credibility for a few bucks. Hire a professional team of multilingual employees that can accurately translate your content and make sure your website is easy-to-understand for anyone that lands there.
2. Ignoring Customer Preferences
Don’t assume all your potential international customers will know English well enough to navigate the site and be able to place an order. You’re the one that’s coming to them and essentially infiltrating yourself in a new market. You should be the one adapting to their requirements, not the other way around.
Do your research and learn as much as you can about your new target audience by taking into account their needs and preferences. Make the necessary changes to your website, so they don’t feel like intruders when they visit it. Strive to make them feel welcome, almost as if they would take a walk in their city and just enter a local shop in search for different items they need.
The key to international success is speaking to your customers, understanding what their needs are and ultimately giving them what they want.
3. Don’t Forget About Customer Support
You’ve successfully managed to turn your website into a multilingual one and correctly translated the content for your intended audience. But have you thought about the situation in which your customers have any questions or difficulties buying from you? What is he or she supposed to do next?
Besides a Frequently Asked Questions section, consider integrating customer support too, whether you provide it through phone or email. Choose whatever fits your business best but make sure you have it so your customers can easily reach you in case they need to. Otherwise, you’ll start losing them once they hit a bump in the road they’re not able to overcome by themselves.
Many websites have a tough time implementing the necessary changes to expand and reach an international audience. These may be the most common errors, but every little detail counts and should be taken into account when making such a significant change in your company. Don’t fret if you’ve already made a few mistakes. The important thing is to identify them and quickly solve them so that you can maximize your customer reach.