Localisation or Translation

Regionalisation / Localisation Rather Than Translation

Localisation is adapting content socially and culturally rather than directly converting it. By taking into account culture the message can be better conveyed.

Localisation is not just a matter of translation. The Chinese education system is different to the Western education system resulting in Westerners thinking differently and interpreting differently. What might be acceptable to a Chinese user may not be acceptable to a Western user and vice versa.

A straight translation does not take into account cultural sensitivities and it may not convey the concept the way it was intended. If the translation uses "unusual" words instead of "regular" words it affects the readability of the content. The translation may be technically correct but the synonym (words with the same meaning) chosen by the translation may appear unusual when used within the context of the message for the target audience. This results in the translation not being a fully accurate representation of the original website content. If this is undertaken poorly then trust is lost.

Undertaking a simple translation of your website from Chinese into English will most likely produce suboptimal results. The translation is only part of the process - by only doing a translation may minimise costs and effort but is a likely recipe for failure. Rather than just a translation a whole Western website re-evaluation needs to be undertaken. The aim is to get more Western visitors through your entire sales funnel and increase sales to Western customers and businesses.

Localisation does not just apply to the text. The entire website can benefit from localisation. This includes such things as layout, navigation, colour schemes, volume of content on a page, number of links, how links open and image quantity and sizes.

Localisation is best done by a person in the local target market as they have a feel about how to convey the message in a way that is culturally sensitive. They are able to include intangible cultural cues such as values and current trends because they are exposed to mass media such as TV, radio and newspapers in these target markets. By living in the target market you naturally understand these cultural trends. Because these trends continually evolve, by being in the target market you automatically stay abreast of these cultural and social trends.

Knowing the local abbreviations builds rapport - for instance, the local football club may have five words in the official name but locally it is referred to by just one word. If you use the whole five words for the name it diminishes the credibility of your message and reduces trust in your message.

Localisation assists you in effectively communicating your values, products and services while building rapport and trust with the visitor. It permits you to engage with your customers in a more substantial way compared to a translation.

In-market translators are aware of linguistic and cultural nuances and this generally results in a more engaging text rather than a stilted translation. An in-market translator will be able to take into account many things such as abbreviations, jargon and culture specific phrases and terminology.

Cross-cultural sensitivity is important. This needs to be reflected in your message, web design, images, and translation. Culture, language, and norms need to be considered in the localisation.

You do not need a translation of your website or an embedded translator in your current Chinese website. Rather, you need a new, fresh Western website that builds trust and produces sales.

High Quality English Sales and Support

The concept of providing high quality English language sales and support is often difficult for Chinese businesses but it is important for building trust with Westerners. Without building up this rapport with the Western customer completing a lead into a sale will be difficult to achieve and forces the Chinese company to negotiate from a position of weakness resulting in the only potential differentiator of price. This is detrimental to profit margins.

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