In a context
of globalization and international development, more and more websites are
releasing a version of their site in other languages, especially in English.
The objective is to benefit from the increase in the overall volume of sales
made abroad: this has indeed exceeded one trillion euros. However, if a good dose of common sense facilitates this
exercise, few sites have the resources and skills to translate and locate their
site internally. Adapting a website to a foreign audience requires certain key
skills, particularly linguistic and technical.
To help you
make your business visible all over the world, Text master introduces you5
practical tips to optimize the translation of your websites:
1. Choose your domain name
carefully
If you are
already considering multilingual versions of your site before it is created, be sure to opt for a domain name
that is understandable and easy to remember, for the different language groups
you want to reach. In general, we prefer to opt for a URL expressed in English
because it is the language most likely to be understood by the greatest number.
2. Think about your SEO in search
engines
Optimizing
the SEO of a multilingual site (SEO) is not an easy thing, and there is no real
miracle method. Depending on the resources or the time you have, you can opt
for three different strategies:
- One directory per language (mydomain.com);
- One subdomain per language (fr.mydomain.com);
- A unique domain by language (mydomain.fr and mydomain.es).
The latter
solution is the one favored by Google because it greatly facilitates the search
engine to provide relevant and targeted results to users through recognition of
language and country.
3. Avoid automatic translations
A magic translation
button would be so much simpler, would not it? Although the APIs developed, have made great progress, be aware
that the quality of your translation will not be perfect (far from it). The
problem is that in addition to conveying a very bad image of your company,
translation errors are now sanctioned by search engines, which will
disadvantage your website in their results. Our advice: always prefer the work
of a human translator to that of a machine.
4. Consider the cultural context
Translation implies
much more than a word-for-word transposition, for one simple reason: each word
carries cultural baggage that nuances its
meaning. This is why a common term or
banal expression can sometimes have a very different meaning depending on the
language chosen. Poor translations due to misguided cultural interpretations
can lead to situations of misunderstanding (or worse), which can have negative
repercussions for your business. So be sure to use a seasoned translator with
an excellent understanding of the cultural differences between the source and
destination languages to avoid this kind of inconvenience.
5. Pay attention to the choice of
languages
The fact
that you have a particular affinity with Italian and Portuguese is not enough
reason for you to decide to translate your website into these languages. You must put aside your personal preferences
and think only of your current or potential target audience. Also, pay attention to the language features of
the country you are in interested. Some have two or even three official
languages. This is predominantly the situation
in Belgium, anywhere a company that wants to gain visibility throughout
the country would be well advised to consider at least a French and Flemish
version of its site.
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