In today’s digital world, it is very important for a business to be present online. And Website Translation Mistakes is a great hurdle for their trustworthy and professional presence on the web.
Having a website is beneficial for any company aspiring to have an online and global presence. Capturing the attention of a wider set of consumers is the first step to growing as an online business.
English is the most common language online. But still, around 75% of people on the internet speak other languages, such as French and Chinese. Offering your products and services in multiple target languages can help you grow your business in the worldwide market. This requires Website Translation.
Website Translation can allow your business to boost your overall SEO and search result rankings and helps you tap into new international audiences.
It also enhances the overall customer experience.
However, it is common for anyone to make some Website Translation Mistakes, Before translating a website it is important to consider a variety of factors like user experience, website performance, and optimization so that you do not make any Website Translation Mistakes.
It is because all these factors change when a new language is added to the website.
There are a variety of translation tools and resources like Google Translate available for your website, but translating a website is tricky. A poorly translated website with a lot of Website Translation Mistakes is a huge turn-off for the users and can negatively impact the customer experience and hamper your business online.
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So, what are some really common Website Translation Mistakes?
Top 10 Common Website Translation Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
1. Not translating the website in its entirety
This is one of the most common Website Translation Mistakes. Translating a whole website can be overwhelming and time-consuming but it’s always worth it. Many businesses filter out the content that is most relevant to their target market and then translates it as it is easier and less time-consuming.
However, the translation of a website in its entirety completely immerses the customer into your website. This can help you garner their attention and ultimately increase your revenue.
2. Excessive dependence on Machine translation tools
While free translation tools such as Google Translate may provide an easy way to translate your website, they can also harm the overall content of your website and is one of the most common Website Translation Mistakes.
While machine translation has improved a lot with advancements in technology, it is still not something to be completely relied upon.
It is very common for such tools to result in awkward and sometimes even meaningless phrasing and errors in vocabulary and grammar. They do not guarantee accuracy or consistency in translation and can also result in grammatical errors.
So, instead of relying on a translation tool, take the help of a professional translator or someone who is well versed in the language you’re targeting. Also, make sure you have a native language expert to help you review the entire content before publishing to avoid such Website Translation Mistakes.
3. Ignoring Web localization
When your website goes international, it is not only the language that changes. A lot of other elements like local and cultural references, time and date format, and visual content also changes. It’s not just about translating but also about localization.
It’s important to localize your website’s marketing efforts and content strategy to make the right impact in each market.
For example, there are significant numbers of people in the United States and Australia that use pounds, so while translating it should translate as pounds instead of kilograms. Different countries can use a variety of units and metrics.
Also, it is important to take care that the font the website is using supports each language – including special characters as well. For example, many fonts are not able to support the Hindi language. So, it’s important to consider all these factors other than just translating the language of a website.
4. No Multilingual SEO Strategy
SEO is crucial if you want a website full of rich content and user experience. SEO tactics can change slightly depending on the target language. So, it is advised to plan accordingly and start afresh while dealing with multilingual SEO.
But those rankings won’t necessarily translate in your other target languages unless you get on the top of multilingual SEO.
Translate your keywords with care. Not only the content but even the keywords should be localized. They should not just simply be translated as each set of words matters. This ultimately leads to better search results ranking and marketing.
5. Cultural Misunderstandings
While targeting a new market, it is crucial to take into account the cultural differences. Many languages are full of culture-specific expressions which are often difficult to translate, and difficult to deal with.
Translation can help you improve the user experience of your website but not considering the cultural differences can damage your brand and may also harm the sentiments of the consumers.
So, make sure the translator or the editor is fully aware of the market or the location you are trying to target so that they can spot any such issues and rectify them and avoid such Website Translation Mistakes.
6. Ignoring the design and webpage Lost Layout
A well-designed website makes a good impression on the consumers and fully immerses them in your website. A website with a bad design and layout looks clumsy and unprofessional. Translating the content of a page can also affect the layout of the web page.
Different languages can take up different amounts of space, both horizontally and vertically. So, it’s important to design your website and choose a layout in a way that can accommodate a variety of languages.
The translator can also help in eradicating this issue of text expansion by modifying the content without losing its actual meaning.
7. Not Hiring Professional Translators
While everyone can speak and write in their native language, it is completely different to choose the right words for a website. The content needs to be clear, concise, and attractive. It should be well formatted as well as conversational at the same time.
Quality translation requires a professional and a domain-specific translator or a translation service. Keeping this in mind, do not rely on casual translators while translating your website.
Instead, focus on a professional translator who possesses all the necessary content and creative writing skills. They should have the right amount of knowledge, to understand all the elements of website translation & translate it effortlessly.
There’s nothing wrong with asking a friend, a family member, or a co-worker for help on your new translated website. However, avoid using them as your primary source of translation expertise.
8. Ignoring Your Target Audience
Even if you have an amazing translation strategy, it doesn’t guarantee that it will attract your audience. While starting with the language is a good step, it is equally important to keep in mind the people for which you’re translating the content.
For example, some culture-specific puns and jokes on your website may make no sense to international markets. So, it is important not only to translate but also to alter the content according to the target market.
9. Ignoring foreign language capitalization
In the English language, we capitalize many words like Nouns and language names. However, many languages do not follow the rules of the English language. Many Foreign languages do not even use initial capital letters in the headlines as well.
So, it is important to keep in mind these capitalization errors as they can make your website look unprofessional and clumsy.
10. Ignoring Double-checking and Proofreading
Working towards a content-rich website with an amazing user experience is a continuous process. This process requires regular proofreading and double-checking of your website’s content.
Before deciding to go live with your localized website, it is important to double-check that the content has been translated with care and expertise. Not doing so is one of the most common Website Translation Mistakes.
It can help you avoid unnecessary Website Translation Mistakes & errors and boost your website’s performance and ensures the adequacy of the translation. It is also important to check that the content doesn’t lack logic. When you re-read and double-check your website, it only gets better.
So, make sure not to make these Website Translation Mistakes the next time you are on to translating something! Which one of these Website Translation Mistakes do you think is the most common? Also, which one of these Website Translation Mistakes have you made with your websites earlier?
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