Yes, I’m talking about you, the trendy hat designer in Italy, the artesanal cheesemaker in Ireland, the graphic designer in Poland.
Given the two major economic factors currently driving the marketplace – the increasing globalization of buying and selling and the temporary market downturn – small businesses really only have two choices. One option is to raise your prices and continue to market locally. That obviously sounds more than a bit counterintuitive. The other option is to increase your customer base on a global level and watch your sales grow exponentially.
Whether you are selling products or services, there is no longer any excuse for not taking advantage of the global market. Large companies have been making use of translation and localization services for years now, and there is no reason that small to mid size companies can’t do the same.
It is also easy to do and not that expensive at all. Most reputable translation agencies will have translators who can add whichever languages you wish. In Europe, for example, it is exceptionally profitable to trade within the EU. By simply adding one or several of the predominate languages (such as English, French, Spanish and Italian), almost any small business can reach a surprisingly large number of new customers and clients.
It is a much more cost-efficient marketing technique than continuing to re-up the same old adverts in the same old local papers. What you need now is new customers.
Some small businesses have already been taking advantage of this huge market niche, especially those in Information Technology and, obviously, those in translation and localisation services. It is surprising, however, that so few other business owners have taken this basic step towards increasing their sales.
Depending on the size and complexity of your business, product or service, you may be able to opt for a simple translation of your website, rather than localisation. The latter entails a more in-depth process, involving a careful examination of cultural references and various technical aspects. For the small business owner, the primary advantage of a simple translation is that it is much less costly, generally charged at the usual per word basis as any other translation project.
Another way to cut the costs of this marketing choice is to choose only a few of your webpages for translation. It may be that you only really need, at least for now, to have your homepage, product page and order form translated. This is an ideal way to test the waters, and you can always include the other pages as your cross-country sales increase.
A good website, translated into a number of languages, allows the small entrepreneur to compete across a wide range of countries and markets, on an almost level playing field, with much larger and more established businesses.
How else will you ever find out that the chic teenager in Barcelona simply must have your perfect chapeau or that the fabulous restaurateur in Antwerp has been looking for just such a fromage as yours.
Tourists and holiday-makers have become increasingly sophisticated, both in their choices of destination and in the kinds of experiences they seek.
While package holidays still abound, with their carefully orchestrated and predictable offerings, more and more vacations are being planned, plotted and booked online by individuals with their own particular interests and passions.
And one of the things that has always drawn these discriminating travelers is the opportunity to experience firsthand the unique delights of another culture. For many, the most important aspect of that culture is the regional cuisine. Including the vin de pay.
Unfortunately many such intrepid tourists are hampered in their adventures by the obvious language barriers. It is surprising how many restaurants, cafes and other gastronomic havens fail to provide any sort of translations on their menus. This reduces the hapless non-native speaker to either guessing [often with disastrous results], attempting to converse with a server whose language he does not share or…walking out. And, yes, that is a frequent consequence.
This language barrier can impact even more heavily on urban restaurants where menus are customarily posted outside for the perusal of passersby. Potential customers, unable to decipher what is on offer, will often simply keep walking.
There are a number of approaches for the translation of menus. The most frequent, and generally most unfortunate, is to have someone, painstakingly and literally, translate the name of each item. Unfortunately this is often impossible, as the name might have highly specific local or regional connotations with which a tourist would not be familiar. In some cases, of course, when the selection is simple and universal, there is no problem.
A much happier solution is to provide a brief description of the item, including main ingredients, method of preparation and such. This can also be used, with a few well chosen adjectives, as a means of enticement.
Surprisingly, it is not just small establishments that fail to take advantage of this simple and obvious means of luring in customers. I have been in many restaurants in Europe [in Vienna, Warsaw, Barcelona and Dublin, to name just a few], often hotel-based, that provide no menu translations whatsoever.
The translation of menus [and other food, hospitality and wine based literature] is definitely best done by professionals, preferably using a language services agency that has translators with much specific experience in the field. It is work which requires nuance and cultural knowledge. For an example of such, see:
www.acutetranslations.com/services/food-drink-catering-translation-services.aspx
It is also well worth considering taking advantage, at the same time, of copywriting services. Even for menu items, a well-honed and appetizing description can yield surprising returns, both in terms of the number of items ordered and repeat visits by the clientele.
A comprehensive and professional language services agency can coordinate all aspects of such a project, from the translation to copywriting and even DTP, if necessary. And it is an investment which can show immediate and gratifying returns.
There are many moments when a global company, agency or individual will require language service providers in the course of doing business, but there is one aspect which is often ignored.
While the day-to-day business of doing business tends to take up most of our time and attention, there is also an ongoing need to establish brand. This is what sets us apart from our competitors in the virtual and non-virtual worlds, reinforcing our value, weight and unique presence.
For many companies and entrepreneurs, our marketing, especially our global marketing, may be only virtual. For other, larger, firms it will still remain a vital part of doing business. Any firm or individual who is active in the global marketplace requires a seamless, highly professional and distinctive virtual face.
This is assuming, of course, that you have already had your website translated, and you have asserted certain unique qualities in order to establish your brand. If not, a good exercise is to simply write out a list of characteristics and qualities that you feel sets you apart from your competitors. What do you do better and faster than they do? What added value can you provide? Next, prioritize them. Pick two or three and write out a “mission statement” which explains, succinctly, who you are, what you do and how very well you do it.
Now, what comes next?
First, consider any other platforms you might be utilizing, such as blogs, social networking sites, “yellow pages” profiles and such. You should make sure that you are projecting your brand – in terms of message and mission statement – both visually and textually, across all areas where you have a presence.
This is one of the most cardinal rules in advertising and marketing and a highly important means of establishing brand identity. In this way, potential clients get to know you, remember you and, yes, come to trust you. If it matters to Coca Cola™, it should matter even more to you.
A daunting task? It could be, but this is where a full-service, highly professional language services agency can truly come to the rescue.
The reason for this is that, in order to establish cross-platform continuity, a variety of services can be required. Some of these may include translation, localisation, proofreading, editing and DTP. An agency with access to a wide variety of language service tools will be able to manage and execute such a project with ease.
Localisation services are often the gateway, as you can see, for example, at Acute Translations:
http://www.acutetranslations.com/services/localisation.aspx
Since the entire point of this process is to ensure continuity of brand identity, it is imperative that it be handled by a single provider who can not only offer all the necessary services, but also, by having them under one “roof,” ensure the very continuity that you are seeking.
And, lest we forget in this virtual universe, make sure to follow through with your non-paperless tools as well. Yes: business cards and letterhead do still exist.
