10 Reasons Why Website Translation Is Crucial

There can be no underestimating the importance of a good business website in a day when internet usage is at an all-time high – and growing. With huge numbers of people searching for products and services via the internet all over the world, a major competitive advantage can be achieved through the relatively simple act of website translation: presenting the information to people in their own language.

10 reasons why you should consider website translation:

  1. Increase your search engine ranking

It’s all very well having great website content, but you need to make sure the right people can find it! Search engines lead people to your website, and in many countries where internet usage is high (France, China and Japan) the default search engines are not necessarily in the English language. In fact, more than half of all Google searches are NOT conducted in English. Translating your website is key in making your company appear on search engines in the countries you are targeting and drive traffic to your website.

  1. Less English-speaking internet users

Seoul, South Korea skyline with Namsan Mountain and Seoul Tower.It used to be that English was the primary language of the internet, and English speakers were the main users of the internet. This is all changing as countries across the world show substantial increases in internet usage, consequently opening up the worldwide web to huge numbers of non-English speakers. Almost 70% of internet users are non-native English speakers, yet 57% of websites are available only in English: translate your website while the imbalance is evident and you will catch these new markets at the vitally important growth stage where opportunity is wide open.

  1. Increase your customers

Website translation will make your website available to thousands more people from all corners of the globe, and this in turn will bring you new and relevant customers.

  1. Gain trust

Offering your website in another language will earn you trust from speakers of that language, which in many cultures carries high importance. We cannot always assume that people across the world will feel confident enough in their English ability to use English-language websites – especially when they are located a long way away. Let them know that you speak their language and they are more likely to purchase from you.

  1. Understand cultural sensitivity

On a similar vein to trust, a multilingual website will help to overcome cultural barriers and portray the information in a way that is sensitive and relevant to the target culture. This will help the user to feel comfortable navigating your site and trusting your product.

  1. Portray a positive image

Before you even start reading a website, seeing that it is multilingual sends out an immediate and positive message that you are international.

  1. Beat your competitors

Give any non-native speaker the option of using a company whose website is in their language, compared with a company whose website is available only in English, and it is not hard to guess who they will choose. By translating your website you will be putting yourself a step ahead of your competitors and establishing yourself as the market leader.

  1. Make it easy for your customers

website translation laptopThe harder it is for visitors to read your website, the more likely they are to give up and leave your site. Make the journey for your customers as easy as possible by offering the information in their own language, and they are more likely to stay on your site and ultimately become consumers. A report by the Common Sense Advisory discovered that, even in our globalised world, 85% of consumers will not make a purchase if information is not available in their native language.

 

  1. Gain a valuable marketing tool

Website translation will not only enhance your sales potential, it is also a brilliant marketing tool. Having your website available in multiple languages is an easy and cost effective way of capturing new users, giving your brand a global outlook and marketing your company to a whole new international audience.

  1. It’s about them, not you

Finally, everybody likes to think they are important, and by translating your website you are telling your customers that you think they are important. Their opinion matters and their business matters. The simple act of presenting information in their own language is a great way to demonstrate that you value them, and this will make them want to do business with you.

Cactus Language Training is a leading provider of language training, translation services and cross-cultural training. Please contact us here or call 00 44 (0) 1273 830 960 for a competitive quote for professional translation. You can be sure of high quality and accuracy as well as prompt service and fair prices.

 

moving abroad checklist

Moving Abroad Checklist: Learn the Language

Whatever your reasons for moving abroad – retirement in the sun, the opportunity to enhance your career or the pursuit of a more fulfilling lifestyle – you are sure to have a moving abroad checklist to help you prepare for life in another country. If you are relocating to a country where another language is spoken, the most important thing you can do is learn the language: even the basics will make a huge difference to your experience.

Moving Abroad Checklist: Learn the Language!

5 reasons to learn a language before you move abroad

  1. Knowing some of the language before you arrive will give you the skills and confidence you need from the very moment you set foot in your new location; knowing that you are prepared will also make the run up to your move less stressful. If you have children, this is just as important to help them adjust to a new life abroad.
  2. Taking language classes before you leave will help you to learn about the culture of your host country, too – from popular music and typical foods to cultural etiquette and greetings – thereby reducing culture shock when you arrive.
  3. There are many ways to learn a language before you move abroad, so you can pick the method that suits you best (or combine a few): evening language courses in 19 locations across the UK, private language tuition or a language course abroad.
  4. You may need to sort out housing, banking, schooling and other essentials before you arrive in your new country, and some knowledge of the language will vastly help with this. Depending on where you are moving to, you cannot always rely on the locals to speak English.
  5. Leaving loved ones behind can make any move abroad a little harder. By learning some of the language before you go, you are giving yourself the best chance of making friends in your new environment: meaningful exchanges with the locals will then help you to feel settled, and a smooth cultural transition is proven to maintain psychological happiness. Then all you need is to install Skype to call friends back home!

5 reasons to continue classes once you are there

  1. Learning a language in situ is a great way to meet people. Whether you want to take private language training in your home or office, or take an in-country language course at a local school, you will be making contacts and perhaps longer-term friends.
  2. Having a language course set up when you arrive will provide some consistency and routine in an unfamiliar environment. It will also make you feel good that you are doing something positive – all of which will help you to settle in quickly.
  3. Taking classes in-country is an excellent way to learn the local accent and the specific vocabulary of that country, which will help you to feel and sound more like a local.
  4. If you are emigrating with your family, your children will likely be immersed in the language and pick it up quickly. Show them an example by learning it too – and because you don’t want to be left behind!
  5. If you are relocating for work, language classes can be invaluable in keeping you up-to-date with important business language, familiarising yourself with business etiquette and helping you to establish successful business relationships. Knowledge of the language is a key factor in making the experience positive for everyone involved.

expat-show-large-2015Visit Cactus at the Expat Show in London at London Olympia on September 11th-12th. We will give you a FREE language needs analysis and a £50 voucher towards any language course.

Cactus Language Training is a leading provider of private and corporate language training. We specialise in language training for relocation – in any language, anywhere in the world.

Meze Magazine - August 2011

This article in the business section of Meze magazine takes a look at virtual learning options for business people pushed for time.  “If you do business in countries where English isn’t the first language, it pays to be able to do more than order beer and sausage – and being short of time isn’t an excuse.  There’s no need to leave your desk or hotel room when you can lean a language in real time on Skype.  You can speak to trainers freom all over the world and benefit from the extra motivation of having intense, face-to-face training.  Cactus Language Training, whose past clients include big corporations like Goldman Sachs, Deloitte and Credit Suisse have a pool of international trainers available on Skpye for around £29 per house.  ‘All you need is broadand, a headset and a web cam you are ready to log-in,’ says Cactus PR manager Lucy Brandt. “This executive product is for those who have no time to do a session in a training centre.” https://www.cactuslanguagetraining.com

Cactus appoints US PR agency - and builds media buzz

As part of its stateside marketing drive, Cactus recently appointed PR consultancy, MDP Publicity, to design and develop a US media campaign: https://www.mdppublicity.com/

MDP Publicity is a highly successful communications agency with a special focus on the travel market. The Agency brings vast experience, in–depth knowledge and perceptive insights to each campaign it undertakes and its principal, Meryl Pearlstein, is a specialist in media relations.

The appointment has already started to generate initial media interest in the states, with an article on Travel News Gazette: https://ftnnews.com/tour-operators/12127-cactus-language-training-vacations-around-the-world-mix-classes-with-culture-and-activities.html

Cactus also received a mention in The Chicago Tribune: https://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/ct-trav-0417-news-to-use-20110416,0,7835476.story

Tinka Bose, Head of Marketing at Cactus, comments: “Cactus has always been aware of the power of PR in engaging with customers, generating interest in our services and building the Cactus brand.  So we’re really pleased to have a US team dedicated to PR and are looking forward to seeing how the campaign grows and develops in the months ahead.”

The Independent - 30 September 2010

This full-page article by Virginia Matthews takes a look at ways in which people can improve their language skills without having to sign-up for formal lessons.  It forms part of a larger supplement all about how language skills put employees and businesses at a competitive advantage in the global marketplace.  “Chris Moore, Head of Cactus Language Training, says there is no substitute for good teaching in getting to grips with an unaccustomed foreign language. Self-study and online training courses can only grow, given the internet, but whether you are footing the bill for a language course or your employer is bearing the cost we find regular, targeted feedback from a fully qualified teacher remains the key for the majority of people.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/student/career-planning/getting-job/language-lessons-online-or-in-person-choose-what-suits-you-2093270.html

Cactus launches specialist DELE exam preparation evening course

Cactus Language Training, the world’s leading language training company, today announced that it has developed a new, 20-hour Spanish course helping students to achieve their Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera. The course offers expert tuition for students and professionals looking to take language learning to the next level and attain this internationally recognised certificate.

Cactus has designed the course to be taught by qualified and experienced exam preparation teachers over three terms with one, two-hour class per week. Classes focus on the DELE exam tasks and cover the key skill areas of reading, writing, listening, speaking, grammar and vocabulary, with students advised to undertake four hours of additional home-study a week.

The next course is scheduled to start on April and will take place at one of Cactus’ top partner schools in Holborn in London. Students will then be prepared to sit their DELE examination in August.

Richard Bradford, MD of Cactus Language Training, commented: “We’ve designed this course to cater for any students of Spanish who are looking to achieve the diploma but can’t study during office hours.  The evening programme will prepare them for the DELE exam by providing small, friendly classes and a thorough grounding in all the key skill areas. We’re pleased to be adding this new course to our existing training portfolio which offers the best possible choice and teaching methods for anyone wanting to learn Spanish.”

For more information about this, and other exam preparation courses, simply visit: https://www.languagecoursesuk.co.uk/courses/exam-preparation.php

BBC UK China - August 2010

This broadcast for the BBC Learn English team includes an interview with Cactus’ teacher Jim Hitch.  He discusses what makes a native speaker’s English and non-native speaker’s English different, including some typical problems for people speaking English. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/ukchina/simp/elt/ask_about_britain/100803_aab_230_foreigner_english_story.shtml