Plus, how will your employees uphold the company’s expectations if they can’t understand these documents? Translating your human resources documents can also protect the company from claims that the employee did not understand their rights and responsibilities.

But how do you find credible human resource translation services that you know will translate your HR materials accurately with a reasonable turnaround time?

Don’t worry! This is your Ultimate Guide on how to find a Professional Human Resource Translation Service to translate anything – from employee manuals and handbooks to codes of conduct and company policies.

Step 1: Determine what human resource documents you want to translate.

A professional translation agency can complete the translation process with any file type, format, software or platform available. Whether you’re translating PowerPoints or Word Documents, PDFs, video files, captions, training courses, or employee surveys, the format you work with shouldn’t be a problem for your translation agency.

If you find yourself getting stuck, a great translation service will also provide advice and be a resource you can consult with on the best way possible to tackle your translation projects. They will be able to answer any questions you have during the translation process.

When quoting your project, a translation agency will need your source documents and materials that you want to be translated.

Types of Human Resource Documents that Can be Translated:

Human Resource’s Mandatory Paperwork at the Start of Employment

• Employment contracts. If your industry uses contracts for employment, translating these documents may be a legal requirement.
• Employee manuals and handbooks. Many company policies and codes of conduct are included in the manual. Translating employee manuals can critically help a company’s multilingual employees.
• Insurance documents. Make benefits accessible for all employees by translating employee benefit policies.

Human Resource Training and Safety Materials

• Compliance documents. Certain industries might have compliance documents that employees must be able to read and understand (this includes other languages).
• Workplace safety documents. Material safety data sheets, evacuation routes, and other safety documents should be translated to ensure safety is thoroughly understood.
• Training programs and videos. Translation is not just for paperwork! Don’t forget to provide access to any multimedia like videos, slide decks, and audio recordings.
• Performance review materials. Help them get the maximum understanding of feedback from their performance review and translate their copy.

Day-to-Day Tools for Human Resources

• Tip sheets and planning tools. Any resources that make it easier for employees to perform their job duties should be available to everyone.
• Guides for managers and employees. Employee development materials and guides should be translated for both parties.

Corporate Communications (Sometimes for Human Resources or Internal Marketing Department)

• Corporate websites. From the website content to the user interface, websites should be translated for all employees (as well as any markets you do business in!).
• Company-wide emails or memos. Anytime communications are sent to employees, these should be translated for all to understand.

Again, your translation agency should be able to handle any file type or format that you work in.

Step 2: Five questions to ask a potential translation agency.

When selecting a translation agency service to translate your human resources documents, there are a few crucial questions you should understand and ask your potential translation agency. You should feel more confident in moving forward if your translation agency can answer these questions.  Plus, you can always ask for a sample translation!

Do you have ISO Certifications?

You’re looking for a company that will deliver services in accordance with ISO Certifications 9001 (Quality) and 17100 (Translation). Learn more about why you want an ISO-Certified Company here.

Do you use machine translation?

Ideally, your translations will be completed by human translators, but some companies use machine translation, which is notorious for making errors and bad translations. You’ll want to do the following:

• Ask more questions to ensure they have proofreading and revision processes to catch any errors.
• Ensure that pricing reflects that Machine Translation is being used, and not a human translator.

Do you include proofreading and revision in your translation process? What is your translation, revision, and proofreading process?

Not only should your translation agency include proofreading and revision as part of their translation workflow, but they should also:

• Ensure that the translator and revisor are two separate people. Just as you shouldn’t proofread your own work in English, your translator and proofreader should be two separate people.
• Look for how they will resolve any errors you find in the final translation. The translation agency should have a policy to resolve any errors that occurred during the translation process quickly.

Are your translators Subject Matter Experts in human resources, and are they located in the country where the target language is spoken?

Your translation agency should try to pair your translation project with:

• the language and
• the topic being translated. If you’re translating complicated medical instructions or a binding legal contract, you want to ensure that the crucial message is translated, not just word-for-word. And by ensuring the translator is located in the target country where the language is spoken, you’ll get a Subject Matter Expert in the language (resulting in the most accurate translations).

What is the turnaround time for the average translation project?

Project turnaround times depend on the number of words you’re translating, the number of languages, if it’s simple document translation or if you need voice-over for videos. But your translation agency should be able to let you know if your project will take days or weeks.

Step 3: The translation agency should provide a project quote and Project Manager.

Once you receive and approve a quote, it’s time to start the project! Good translation agencies will provide a dedicated Project Manager.

Ultimately, you’ll save time and money using a good translation company that provides a dedicated Project Manager for your translation projects. Your Project Manager takes on all aspects of translating a document once you provide them the finalized version in English.

Your Project Manager will be your single contact for all your language needs. They will organize your language team, communicate project updates, and ensure your project is delivered on time. Here is an example of what a translation team could look like for a simple document that needs translated into two languages:

As you can see a Project Manager is critical to keeping your work load at a minimum and getting the most for your investment when working with a translation agency.

The translation agency will then match your translation project with a subject matter expert (SME) who understands the content in your target language.

An SME will examine the content in English and localize the content to the target language. This is an example of an English to French document translation for a company that repeatedly used the phrase “as easy as pie” in their English onboarding materials.

Or another example of an SME…

• You’re translating human resource benefits plans, employee manuals, and employee contracts from English into Spanish
• A good translation agency will then provide you with a translation team that will include a professional translator who is a Subject Matter Expert (SME) of translation documents from English to Spanish.
• Depending on the complexity of the material being translated, your Spanish translator may also be an SME in legal jargon. This helps ensure any legally binding agreements are localized to the target language and fully understood.

Step 4: Human Resources receives the final translated documents.

The translation agency will deliver the final translation, exactly as you sent it, just in a new language! The goal is for the person reading the translated material to never know that the content was translated – just that it was written for them, in their native language.

English to Spanish Document Translation Example

It’s crucial to ensure that all of your human resources documents, materials, and communications are translated accurately and with a reasonable turnaround time.

A Warning about Machine Translation

Companies that use Machine Translation (also known as MT) can be more affordable but are often more inaccurate. They are incapable of taking tone and circumstance into consideration, which can lead to potentially damaging miscommunications. Protect both employees and your company by partnering with an expert human resources translation services firm.

Have more questions about translating for human resources that we didn’t cover? Let us know! Contact us today!

Get a Professional Translation Service for Your Human Resource Translation Materials

HR professionals can find a partner in Interpro Translation Solutions. No matter the number of items that need to be translated, the number of languages, or the timeline, Interpro has an expert team to meet your translation needs. Our proven expertise in human resources translation services quickly delivers accurate information to support your employees.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Translation for Human Resources: Tips and Best Practices appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

If you are curious about what is involved in subtitle translation, read on to learn more about how beneficial they are, how translating them can help your business, and how to ensure the job is done right.

What are subtitles?

You very likely come across subtitles at some point in your day-to-day life. You may even be among the growing group of people who watch everything with subtitles turned on. Subtitles are the on-screen text that displays the dialogue, voice-over, or audio commentary of a video. This text-based supplement is a cost-effective solution that helps people around the world understand and process on-screen content.

Uses for subtitles

Subtitles aren’t just for foreign language television shows and movies. They can be placed on just about any type of video, including:

• Video ads on social media
• eLearning content
• Organizational training videos
• Instructional and how-to videos
• Music videos

If it’s a moving image with audio, it can likely be enhanced by including subtitles.

Advantages of adding subtitles

Why go through the effort of including subtitles with your video? Let’s explore some of the most important benefits.

Reach More People

According to the World Health Organization, around 466 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss. Subtitles make your content accessible to those who may not be able to clearly hear the audio.

Subtitles aren’t just about making videos accessible to those with hearing disabilities: they make the medium more accessible to everyone. In fact, a 2019 study by Verizon Media and Publicis Media reported that 80% of people who use captions aren’t deaf or hard of hearing.

That’s because in today’s multitasking and mobile society, not everyone watches videos with the audio turned on. The Verizon Media study showed that 69% of people view videos without sound when in public places, and 25% view video without sound in private. A staggering 80% said that they are more likely to watch an entire video when captions are available.

By subtitling your video, you tap into an entire audience of viewers who prefer watching over listening when online.

Improve retention and engagement

Subtitles are an excellent way to make video content more engaging and informative, especially in the eLearning space. Having another medium to convey the information at hand can lead to higher retention rates over a longer period of time.

The same theory applies to video marketing. In the Verizon Media study, experts found that there was an 8% improvement in ad recall, a 10% increase in ad memory quality, and a 13% boost in brand linkage when captioning was utilized.

SEO: Search Engine Optimization

If you want your website to rank higher on Google’s search engine result pages, subtitling can help you do that too, directly and indirectly. Since Google’s algorithm can’t yet process audio or video, the transcript of subtitles allows search engines to crawl and index your video content. A higher ranking on Google leads to more website traffic, which results in increased conversions and sales.

Google also takes note of how long visitors stay on a webpage, rewarding those who keep the attention of their audience for a longer period of time. Because subtitles can increase the time a person watches a video, it indirectly impacts SEO.

However, adding subtitles isn’t enough to connect with your audiences if they can’t understand the language the subtitles are written in. This is where subtitle translation becomes important.

Subtitle translation

Subtitle translation is the process of translating a video’s audio script to another language. Videos can be subtitled in any language, giving audiences the opportunity to watch and understand, even if the spoken audio is in a different language.

Take all the benefits of source language-to-source language subtitles, and add to that the ability to connect with a multilingual audience. This is how subtitle translation significantly enhances the reach of your video content. Translated subtitles allow your video content to be understood by anyone, regardless of the language spoken in the video.

Voice-over recording is another effective video translation option, but isn’t always feasible. Sometimes, organizations opt not to use voice-over because of the increased costs as compared to subtitles. Other times, it simply doesn’t make sense depending on the type of video, such as music videos. Subtitle translation is the perfect solution in these situations.

How subtitle translation works

Although subtitles are text-based, the process isn’t as simple as replacing existing words with their translation. To get a better understanding of how subtitle translation works, it’s important to know something about subtitle formats.

Subtitle formats

Subtitles can be open or closed captioned. Open captions are integrated within the video itself, and cannot be removed or changed without modifying the source video. These are often called “burned” captions, because it is like they are burned onto the moving image.

Closed captions on the other hand, give the viewer the option to turn them on or off. Closed captions can be created with different file formats, including SRT and WebVTT.

SRT translation

This text file format stands for SubRip Subtitle. SRT is the most common subtitle file format, and consists of four components:

• an order number
• the time that the subtitle appears
• the caption and
• a blank line indicating the end of a subtitle.

Using SRT is advantageous, because it is supported on a wide variety of platforms. However, it lacks control over certain features included with the WebVTT format.

WebVTT translation

VTT or WebVTT stands for Web Video Text Tracks. This format was modeled after – and is similar to – SRT. Although they share many of the same features, WebVTT is a more robust solution, giving developers options when it comes to subtitle placement, font, color, and format. WebVTT also contains metadata that isn’t displayed on-screen, but contains information about authors, dates, instructions, and more.

Subtitle translation process

No matter which type of text file is used, the subtitle translation process can be broken down into seven general steps.

1. Script transcription: If there is no script available, the audio will first need to be transcribed.
2. Subtitling: The transcribed script is time-coded and formatted for VTT or SRT.
3. Translation, editing, and proofreading: Once the transcribed text is available, translation can begin. This process includes the editing, proofreading, and quality assurance of the transcribed content.
4. Translated script approval: Once the translation process is completed, the deliverable is sent to the client for final approval.
5. Sync text with audio: Translated text is synced with the source audio so that dialogue and on-screen visuals are harmonized.
6. Translated video validation: The final product will be reviewed by a native speaker for clarity, accuracy, formatting, and functionality.
7. Deliver target language video: The subtitled video and/or subtitle files are delivered to the client ready for use.

Ensuring High-Quality Translations

If you’re considering adding subtitles to your video, hiring a professional translation company is the best way to ensure a high-quality translated product. Not only do language professionals accurately translate the material, but they also take special care to localize the content. This means that all text will be culturally appropriate and formatted correctly, making it easily read and understood at a normal speed without detracting from the visuals on the screen.

Professional translation services go through a multi-step process that includes quality control checks by native speakers throughout the workflow. They are aware of the challenges and obstacles commonly encountered with subtitle translations, such as text display issues, and know-how to resolve them.

Conclusion

Subtitles are a helpful tool that allows your videos to effectively reach a larger audience. Subtitle translation takes that a step further, expanding your reach to those who speak other languages. When done by a professional translation company, high-quality subtitle translations can help make your video content accessible to all.

The post Subtitle Translation: How to Boost Video Content Reach and Engagement appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

Here at Interpro, we have successfully adapted to working in a hybrid environment, while still providing the same level of service and support to our clients. We’d like to share some tips on best selling practices during the pandemic that we urge you to consider.

Reach out to past inquiries

Stay in touch with prospective clients. Try reaching out to potential buyers that have previously made inquiries, but have never bought from you or subscribed to your services. Let them know you are still available to assist them with their needs.

Leverage your network

Since in-person networking events have been few and far between during the pandemic, it is beneficial to keep in touch with your current customer base. A simple reminder that you are available if you need help goes a long way. It took a lot of effort to build your customer base, and communicating with them is a courteous and efficient way to stay in front of them.

Reach out to potential clients

Create a segment in your email database for those potential clients that could have an interest in your service offerings. Simply sending a potential client a quick email with the services you provide can generate some opportunities. There are plenty of organizations that need the goods or services that your company offers.

Follow up with all inquiries

Give your inquiries the white glove service as much as you possibly can. In other words, you need to act quickly and respond in a timely manner. Ask how they identified you as a potential provider; the answer may provide you with talking points and an advantage over potential competitors.

Optimize your website

This is a good time to be looking at your website analytics. Determine how the activity on your website is best being followed with positive activity. If possible, make appropriate changes. Refresh existing content, and keep new and exciting information updated. An outdated website will not be the best way to attract new business.

Consider live chat on your website

Think about adding a Messenger application on your website to enable visitors to easily communicate with you.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected businesses in different ways, and many opportunities exist with both new as well as existing clients. Remain vigilant concerning creative communication options that can be utilized both in email messages and on your website. Finally, don’t lose sight of the fact that you have many opportunities to satisfy the needs of your existing client base, as well as those potential clients that need the products and services that you provide.

The post Selling During a Pandemic: Ideas and Strategies for Success appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

Rise does, nevertheless, support eLearning translation. You can export all the written content of your course into an XLIFF file, translate it, and import it back into the course with all formatting intact.

How you translate your Rise 360 course is an important consideration. While automated translation tools have come a long way, the nuances of language make using them for something as complex as an online course a roll of the dice. Idioms like “take a rain check” or “leave on a cliffhanger” confound them, and a phrase that makes perfect sense in one part of the world can be downright offensive in another.

Why is Rise translation so important?

One of the biggest benefits of eLearning is how easy lessons are to remember. But that diminishes when online learners are presented with material in a foreign language. Having to mentally translate the information as it’s presented reduces their ability to absorb and fully comprehend it.

Providing eLearning courses in multiple languages also allows you to reach more people. If you distribute online courses to a diverse group of learners with varying native languages, take a look at your LMS (Learning Management System) analytics. It should come as no surprise to see greater engagement among learners whose primary language matches the language of the eLearning course.

Ninety percent of people prefer learning in their native language. Think of the millions of opportunities you could be missing by not offering courses in the languages learners want.

What does the Rise translation workflow look like?

Many course developers choose Rise because it is easy to use. Fortunately, Rise translation is also a pretty straightforward process.

1. It all starts with your course. Create your complete course, including visuals and multimedia elements, in your primary language.
2. Next, duplicate your course and export the duplicate’s content to an XLIFF file. XLIFF is an XML-based file format that standardizes the exchange of information between tools.
3. A professional translator will translate the content of the XLIFF, save it in the same format, and send it back to you. You import the translated XLIFF into your duplicate course, and Rise does the rest.
4. To protect the quality of your eLearning course, it’s important to use a Rise translation partner that specializes in localization and to provide your translator with the original course as well as the XLIFF file.

A partner who specializes in localization will know when a phrase should be adjusted into a regional dialect to make it understandable to the intended audience. A good translation provider will also review the visuals in your course to make sure they are culturally appropriate.

How do you engage learners?

The best eLearning courses keep learners engaged with interactive elements. These complex, layered elements are far easier to translate if the translator is able to see them in action. That provides context for each layer and how they fit together to move the course along.

After translation comes validation – making sure the translation is accurate once the course is published. Again, this goes beyond just the words. You’ll want to choose a translation partner experienced in working with Rise to make sure the details you carefully planned in English still work. Publishing settings will match the English (i.e., SCORM).

For example, many languages cause translations to expand or contract. Let’s say a text box on one slide of your course is sized just right to house the word “science.” But in German, “science” is “Naturwissenschaft” – more than twice as many letters need to fit into the same text box.

Designers involved in your Rise translation project will be able to catch such issues and address them, so your course is accurate no matter the language.

Localized text changes impact timing. Slides with more text need more reading time, videos might require subtitles, and audio needs re-recording. All visuals must be timed accordingly.

A Rise translation partner who offers voiceover services will ensure spoken material, even if it uses technical language, is clear and unambiguous. Voiceovers are best recorded in a studio environment by native speakers who understand how tone, pace, and inflection can affect the meaning of content. An engineer will then adjust the timings in the course to ensure the audio and visuals are in sync.

Quality courses aren’t just about the content. The details of how the content is presented make a tremendous impact on the user’s experience and what that experience leads them to think about your company.

The future of learning is now

In 2019, Research and Markets predicted the eLearning industry would be worth about $325 billion by 2025 – almost three times what it was worth in 2015. And that was before COVID-19 sent our lives online. The pandemic condensed a decade of digital transformation into a matter of two years.

Online learning is no longer the future of training and education, it is the present. Savvy businesses are making the most of it by creating digital courses to train their workforce and educate their clients.

Rise 360 is a great tool for creating these courses. It’s easy to use, even for people with little to no course-building experience. The ready-made templates pull courses together fast, and its media optimization and fully responsive design keep your assets functional and high quality.

To fully maximize your investment in eLearning, don’t limit your Rise course to a single language. As of January 2020, only about a quarter of online content was in English. There are 854 million Internet users in China, 149 million users in Brazil, and 118 million users in Japan. Rise translation unlocks millions of opportunities for your course to reach people in the language they know – and learn in – best.

The post Rise Translation: Easier and More Important Than You Think appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

You may have contracted for event interpretation services in the past, or perhaps this is something new that your organization is going to need. Either way, it’s critical for you to understand the basics of event interpretation. This blog shares:

• What event interpretation is
• What the benefits of working with a company that offers a turnkey interpretation solution are
• What are the latest event interpretation trends

Let’s get started!

What is the Difference Between On-Site and Remote Interpretation?

There are two types of interpretation: on-site interpretation, and remote interpretation. Understanding the key similarities and differences between these can help you determine which interpretation option best meets your needs.

On-site interpretation takes place at the physical location of an event. Interpreters are present to communicate the presenter’s spoken information from one language into another, and vice-versa. This requires the use of a soundproof booth, allowing interpreters not only to hear what needs to be interpreted, but also to witness the speaker’s delivery.

Conversely, remote simultaneous interpretation (RSI) does not require an interpreter to be in the same room as the speaker and audience. Instead, audience members use headphones to listen to the speaker and hear the information in their own language, in real time.

One of the biggest advantages of RSI is that it eliminates the need for interpreter travel expenses and the use of special equipment. It is also a tech-savvy and innovative solution for organizations that are interested in being at the forefront of the latest technology.

Both interpretation styles are effective at ensuring that the linguistic needs of a multilingual audience are met. Engaging the services of a professional interpretation service provider can assist you in making the best decisions when planning your event.

Event Interpretation: Interpro’s Value-Add

Interpro offers a turnkey solution that organizes your workflow from start to finish. Working with a professional service provider eliminates guesswork and closes gaps. Our team understands each step of the interpretation process. From event logistics and technology needs, to language translation and special day-of considerations, our experienced team will help you plan, troubleshoot and succeed.

These benefits are obvious, but there is always room for improvement. Following these guidelines will help make the entire process as smooth as possible for your organization.

1. A Project Manager is key to a successful event.

One of the major benefits of working with a professional interpretation company such as Interpro is having an experienced Project Manager running the show. Your Project Manager understands the scope of work from one milestone to the next, and sees to every detail in order to ensure that the entire event runs according to plan. Additionally, your PM serves as the main point of contact between the interpretation team and your organization as event preparations unfold.

An on-site PM interacts directly with event participants, and helps facilitates support and other communications throughout the course of your event. Having on-site project management and technical support is crucial, whether interpretation is delivered on-site or through RSI. Attendees’ needs are met personally and promptly – delivering impeccable customer service – and the interpreters are allowed to focus on the task at hand, all a testament to your organization’s level of professional service and client service.

2. Don’t forget support materials.

As you plan your event, it is only natural that the focus be primarily on the content each speaker will deliver. However, it is also important to consider support materials as early on as possible. That means determining the type of ancillary visuals and other reference materials that each speaker will use, such as workbooks, pamphlets, brochures, or handouts.

Providing these reference materials to the interpreters as far in advance as possible allows for effective preparation, and ultimately higher quality interpretation. This is yet another way to guarantee an optimal event experience for your audience.

3. Get the layout in advance.

Content is the heart of your event. What is shared may very well make a lasting impact on your audience. In addition to focusing on the “what” side of preparations, you need to consider the “where” for event interpretation engagements.

In fact, doing an advance site visit of the venue to see the rooms and spaces that will be used is extremely beneficial as the number of rooms and attendees can have a direct impact on the scope of your interpretation project. Communicating the details concerning your venue from the onset is crucial.

It is also worth noting that having the interpretation in one room is usually ideal. If multiple sessions requiring interpretation run concurrently, the number of interpreters and on-site representatives needed will increase. A concurrent schedule will also require involve additional technology considerations, as well as more space.

4. Not all booths are created equal.

For on-site event interpretation engagements, two basic types of booth options are typically available:

• Soundproof booths
• Tabletop booths

Soundproof booths are full-size, fully enclosed booths used to provide complete sound insulation. These booths enable interpreters to efficiently perform their job without interfering noises from external sources. Tabletop booths feature an open back that provides partial sound isolation coverage. More portable than soundproof booths, tabletop booths accommodate two interpreters, but do not provide the same level as soundproofing as do soundproof booths. Both, however, are suitable for a wide variety of event settings.

5. Two heads are better than one!

This old adage certainly applies to interpretation. As interpreters are paired by subject matter expertise and experience, working as a pair, they are able to seamlessly take turns interpreting what the speakers are saying.

More importantly, since simultaneous interpreting demands so much concentration and effort, most professional interpreters can only work effectively for periods of 20 minutes or so. After that, they need to hand off to a second interpreter and rest before they can start again.

6. Logistics are important.

The method of interpretation is going to influence your event’s logistics. For example, for on-site interpretation, space needs to be configured to accommodate interpretation booths. For RSI, high-speed internet connection speeds and reliability are absolutely essential for handling increased traffic, and pre-show testing is highly advisable. Working with experienced professionals will help you to understand the logistical requirements necessary to ensure a successful outcome.

Final Thoughts

Event interpretation can contribute to your event’s overall success, delivering your content to multilingual audiences in the language they best understand. With so many critical details and moving parts to be on top of, choosing a turnkey solution with a professional interpretation service provider such as Interpro is a logical choice. You focus on planning your event, and let Interpro focus on helping you make the desired impact on your event’s attendees.

The post Event Interpretation: 6 Key Tips for Success appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

To help expand your business into foreign markets, we’ve put together a list of five steps you need to know.

1. Research International Markets

There is no doubt about it, you have to do homework before selling in international markets– learn about your new potential customers, what types of products they will buy, and what their buying behavior is like. You can gather some information by checking your current customer database to see if there are already some international buyers in the mix. If you do, gather market research in the areas where they live since you already have success in that region. There are also many tools available to help you with research. Try the following sites to get started:

• Export.gov
• U.S. Small Business Administration

2. Handle Legal Needs

Once you’ve established the foreign locales to sell in, obtain the appropriate documentation to do business in those countries. You may have to obtain a business license for the specific countries or other documentation to be compliant legally. Again, this will require some research. Different countries have different requirements. Export.gov has some good information about legal considerations when selling internationally.

3. Develop a Fulfillment Strategy

Next, come up with an order fulfillment plan. Fulfilling international orders is different than doing so domestically. You may want to consider using suppliers that are located in the countries where you sell to simplify the process. This will cut down on shipping time, which is a big deal for online shoppers. Alibaba is one of the largest online suppliers and they partner with importers and exporters in 200 countries. TradeKey, Kompass and Global Sources are good sources for directories of global suppliers.

Additionally, as part of the fulfillment process, find shipping providers that are local to the areas where you sell. Researching local shipping providers will help determine what is best for both you and your customers.

4. Set Competitive Pricing

Pricing for online stores is always a challenge. You have to be competitive but also make a profit. It’s no different when selling internationally, but it requires knowledge of what pricing is like in the countries where you plan to sell.

The main consideration is knowing how people value their money in the areas you plan to sell products. For example, spending $50 for an online purchase in the U.S. may be normal, but for a buyer in India, $50 may be a bigger portion of the buyer’s income so they may not be able to afford it.

The key to successful international pricing is adjusting your prices in different markets to stay competitive locally. This might mean certain products can be sold in certain areas because it just isn’t profitable.

5. Market Products for Local Audiences

Marketing for international sales also has to be localized. You may be selling in areas where you must reach buyers who don’t speak English. Even though you may have various detailed photos of products in your listings, many non-English speaking consumers will not buy products from sites they cannot read. That means you need to provide foreign customers with websites and marketing that are in their native languages. Companies like Interpro Translation Solutions can help you with multilingual marketing.

Final Thoughts on International eCommerce Expansion

Even though selling online internationally can be challenging, it’s a business decision that is worth making. There are endless opportunities and being successful isn’t as hard as you may think. Following the above steps, doing research, and coming up with solid strategies for marketing and fulfillment, will help your global expansion.

The post Going Global? 5 Easy Steps to Expand Your Online Business Internationally appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

You probably already recognize how difficult it can be to break into international markets. Not only is offering a product worldwide expensive from a shipping point of view, but attracting international traffic isn’t easy, either. You have to know your market, adapt your product to global preferences, and build confidence between your business and your customer. As eCommerce localization of your content becomes synonymous with success, it’s time to focus on growing your company internationally so you can be recognized as a worldwide product or service leader. When done correctly, eCommerce localization can accomplish this.

eCommerce Localization: Quick Facts

There’s no doubt that there is business to be done outside of our borders, and customers that can be reached with accurate eCommerce localization. Just how much? According to Internet Retailer, global eCommerce will increase to 16.4% in 2017 to $2.197 trillion, with website sales accounting for over 8% of total retail. The top market? Per Internet Retailer, China is truly growing. This should be a region to target if your marketing data is telling you that there is a need for your product in China.

According to Internet Retailer, China’s growth over the next 5 years is estimated to exceed $1 trillion in eCommerce sales by 2018, which accounts for it being the second largest eCommerce market (the USA being the first). Localization into Chinese should be done by a professional translation company that has actual native speaking translators in China. The geographical Chinese market you are targeting will determine which type of Chinese is most appropriate for your eCommerce localization. Chinese localization can either be Traditional Chinese or Simplified Chinese. A common misconception is that Mandarin or Cantonese are target languages to translate a website into. Mandarin and Cantonese are spoken Chinese. Traditional Chinese or Simplified Chinese are the written languages for eCommerce localization.

In addition to China, there are other marketplaces worldwide to consider for eCommerce localization. Brazil, Japan, Germany, France, and Canada are markets that are growing in eCommerce revenue. I can’t stress enough the importance of working with in-country translators for proper localization. If you’re going to invest in doing this, you have to do it the right way. If you are targeting Canada, you must localize your content into Canadian French. You can’t expect a Canadian French speaking consumer to appreciate and buy your product if it is not localized accurately for his/her market. Google Translate is an even worse option. Without having a professional translator work on your content, you are at risk for embarrassing translations that simply do not make sense. Especially if you are going into a new market, you may have one chance to make a lasting impression. The last thing you want to do is offend any potential client. Some of the largest companies in the world have made embarrassing localization mistakes because they did not do their homework when localizing their marketing materials. All it takes is finding the right partner and taking the time to fully research how to accurately get your message across.

eCommerce Localization: Baby Steps

One important thing to keep in mind as you work on growing globally: eCommerce localization is profitable in its own time, it’s an investment. You can’t expect a flourishing bottom line just because you’re branching out, nor can you expect the same number of clients, purchases, and profits internationally that you’re currently seeing domestically, at least not right away. While there can be many countries that are appealing to sell to, sometimes a phased approach works best. You need to crawl before you walk as they say! I recommend starting with the major markets in which your data is showing that sufficient interest exists for your product, and consider eCommerce localization to communicate with potential consumers in that geography in their native language as the first starting point.

eCommerce localization yields great results when done correctly, but it isn’t going to happen overnight. Have patience, prioritize, and take the time to make the right decisions.

One of my eCommerce clients, PuffCuff, sells in over 40 countries worldwide. Since Brazil was a large market for PuffCuff, for localization purposes their prioritization was to partner with Interpro to localize their eCommerce website into Brazilian Portuguese. This was the initial language of choice to appeal to consumers in this market in their native language. This also included translating text that appears in demonstration videos, in addition to product packaging. The Brazilian Portuguese website is now live, and provides detailed product and how-to-use information to Brazilian Portuguese speakers.

Building an International Team for eCommerce Localization

Your eCommerce localization marketing doesn’t end with accurate translations. You need international partnerships to grow your traffic, and you’ll want to recruit the right people to make sure your team has the best members possible, especially for global growth. Simply translating your content and product information into another language isn’t enough. You need to focus on your international marketing, just like you would on the domestic end.

As a client example, in addition to eCommerce localization for the PuffCuff website, one additional avenue for sales growth is through their Brand Ambassador program. The program entails having product representatives in several countries, including Trinidad and Tobago, promote the PuffCuff product and its benefits. Seeing actual demonstrations done in person can be very valuable, and multimedia localization for your eCommerce content is another great way to achieve this.

eCommerce Localization: YouTube

Oftentimes, “seeing is believing.” At least for myself, if I am making a product purchase, when I see it used in action I am more likely to have a connection with the product versus just reading about a description on the packaging. YouTube is a great avenue to have product videos reach millions of potential buyers. When looking to market to international audiences, a localization of the actual videos can be very helpful, whether this is done through voice over translation or actual subtitling of the videos. eCommerce localization for your multimedia can enhance your international sales and perception with multilingual buyers worldwide. International consumers can navigate YouTube in over 75 languages.

Amazon Translation for Your Sales Channels

Using a sales channel like Amazon International Marketplace? Your success will stall if you’re not focused on making eCommerce localization part of your sales channel growth, especially with the reports that Amazon experiences a 22 percent year-over-year jump in international sales in recent years. Trusting a professional localization company will help you with Amazon translation for your global products to speak accurately to your current and potential customers that are native speakers. When done correctly, Amazon translation allows your product information to not only be culturally adapted to reach a wider audience, but it also keeps your brand consistent across all languages, building confidence with global buyers.

Additional eCommerce localization considerations

It’s also easy to forget about all of the little things that add up in eCommerce localization, like reference to metric values, foreign currency, and international shipping. Without mention of these things, your company may be global, but it will not be inclusive or as effective as it can be. A customer needs more than just text information in their language when buying a product—they want to feel as though you care about them and your relationship with them and their business. Often, this means changing shipping forms to make room for international addresses, taking a hit on your bottom line to offer competitive international shipping rates, and providing customer support in foreign languages.

Final thoughts on eCommerce Localization

No matter what end of the spectrum you are on as a business owner, if you are a global company trying to sell around the world, eCommerce localization is an important marketing tool to consider. The localization of your eCommerce content will benefit you at some point, whether it results in initial sales with multilingual speakers or an improved brand perception to those consumers who appreciate the fact that you took the time to accurately translate your materials.

For many business owners, eCommerce localization starts with thinking of it as another investment. Focus on it as a marketing tactic for your global audience. Our friends at Sticker Mule, a company that ships their products to 87 countries, have written a great article on how to build an international eCommerce company. Here at Interpro, we have partnered with Sticker Mule to adapt their marketing content and product information for other cultures so that they can seamlessly build a relationship with other countries.

Long story short, you just have to get started. It can be a difficult and daunting task, but with the right partnerships, you can successfully grow your company internationally. Consider Interpro as a resource to assist. We’ll be an extension of your team, and will only recommend to you what we feel is in your best interests.

The post Unlocking Global Growth: How to Succeed with eCommerce Localization appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

Amazon is the world’s largest e-tailer, and it’s growing relentlessly. So, too, are an Amazon seller’s opportunities and challenges. Branching out into a new market, selling in product categories that are gated, knocking down shipping costs and breaking language barriers – these are questions you’ll need to face, sooner or later. But the first question an Amazon seller asks is: ‘Where do I begin?’

Before we go into what it takes to expand internationally on Amazon, we should first point out that language plays a big part in the process. Relying on the resources of a multinational team can open doors for you on venues that don’t use your native language, as we’ll see below.

So, here’s how to go about expanding:

1. Choose a Venue

There are several things to consider here. Catalog size, inventory size, logistics, profitability estimates, your product’s local demand and popularity, the type of competition, etc. Figure out what resources you’d have to put into each one of these venues, find the pros and cons of selling on them, and then narrow down your list to 2-3 options.

2. Sort out Taxes

While taxes, duties and custom fees can be very similar on certain types of goods for neighboring countries, aspects like tax registration and filing tax returns can be very different. Germany’s tax system, for instance, is hard to navigate, by all accounts.

With only 2-3 venue options left, it’s much easier to look into tax requirements for these ‘finalists’ only, rather than all 14 venues. Try to get a realistic estimate based on the type of products you’d like to sell, preferably from accountants who operate in the countries you’ve selected.

3. Set Out Your Price Strategy

There are experts out there who can provide price calculation samples for you to see and compare. Once you’ve also prepared an estimate of how much you can hope to sell and earn based on the price calculation sample, it should be much easier to decide which venue to go with. Also, now is the time to set out your overall strategy, and to think about how you’d like to price your products to turn your goals into reality.

4. Speak to Local Sellers

By now, you must have a clear favorite. But before you commit to anything, look for unbiased advice from Amazon sellers with experience. We recommend speaking to local, experienced sellers face-to-face, if possible. In fact, it wouldn’t hurt to travel to the country in question, to get a feel for how businesses are run there, and to familiarize yourself with customs and other cultural aspects.

Local Amazon sellers may be able to offer valuable insights. Issues like Lang Law, for instance, may not be on an accountant or a consultant’s agenda, but a French Amazon seller may be able to offer some insider tips.

5. Open an Account

Now you’ve made up your mind, you’ll need to set those wheels in motion. Amazon representatives can help set up the new account, transfer your listings to the new platform, and occasionally offer some insider tips.

From then on, you should consider using professional human translators, and ideally a one-stop professional translation company that can serve as a partner to centralize all translations. Assigning them to take control of content creation for your listings will help your product descriptions sound more natural. The best translation company for you will vary. Whichever approach you decide upon, please ensure translators are professionals and are paired by subject matter expertise. The message you convey to Amazon users via storefront information is also very important, and translators can make sure that you come across as a reliable and customer-oriented seller.

6. Find Customer Support Staff

You’ll need someone to handle your incoming and outgoing communication with Amazon representatives and buyers. Amazon has made it very clear that it expects native or fluent speakers to handle emails in the local language, whichever fulfillment channel you use. You may need to choose between having in-house representatives and relying on professional translators to carry out the task.

7. Outsource Some of Your Operations

There are three ways to go about selling on a new venue: trying it on your own, relying on third-party experts, or depending on an Amazon representative from the Services Team (provided you received a formal invitation).

For smaller, below-the-radar sellers, this tends to be a two-sided debate, because Amazon’s reps tend to focus on more prominent sellers. Also, for those who have the privilege of being invited, the deal-breaker is the fact that once the account is up and running, the appointed representative is no longer there to help.

We recommend the second option – relying on delegates who can give you access to their business partners, warehouses and logistics. You may be able to outsource most of your operations, in fact. Some third-party experts can handle all of the issues mentioned above, and they can help you meet performance targets, reinstate lost privileges or keep track of changing regulations.

If you’d like to learn more about the advantages of using third-party support from Amazon merchant specialists to expand internationally, download the free Global Selling eBook. Better yet, check out SellerEngine’s service package, and let’s grow your business together! SellerEngine makes Amazon easy.

The post Conquering Amazon Globally: 7 Steps to Expand Your Business Internationally appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.

Speak the Language

In a Harvard Business Review study, it was found that over 72% of shoppers spend most or all of their time on websites in their own language and nine out of 10 Internet users said that, when given a choice of languages, they always visited a website in their own language. Shoppers are looking for product information in their native language. If your product information is not in their native language, you will miss out on a potential sale not because your product isn’t good, but because the non-translated content isn’t relevant to the shopper.

However, it isn’t enough to just run your website text through Google Translate. Google Translate spits back words and phrases that are often only approximate matches, so you run the risk of putting out content that could be inaccurate or offensive to customers on your website. To take your website content to the next level, consider localizing your website. Localization is much more than translation. With localization, you adapt your website content to fit the local language and culture of your target market. It takes cultural context, colloquialisms, and even website imagery into account. Localization makes a website “natural” to local shoppers.

Show me the Money

Adjust the display of your product prices to reflect the shopper’s local currency. Give your shopper the ability to select their country of origin and/or their preferred currency. Without the automatic conversion of prices into a shopper’s preferred currency, the shopper will be forced to go off the website to check the conversion rate and do the math themselves, or even worse, the shopper will look for the product on another website that displays the price in a format that is familiar to them. With either of those options, your eCommerce website is creating friction in the online shopping journey, which will lead to lower conversion rates and lost sales.

SEO to Keep the Traffic Flow

Localizing your website content and showing prices in different currencies are both important pieces of optimizing your eCommerce website for international audiences, but there are several SEO aspects that need to be considered so you can rise to the top of searches in your international markets. A fundamental, but often overlooked, piece of this strategy is choosing your URL structure. Do you pick a country level domain—www.website.ca? Do you select a country based directory—www.website.com/ca? Each has their own benefits. By selecting a country level domain, your website gains an identity that can help with local search engines, but with a directory, you can take advantage of the SEO credibility that the main website already has.

Once you have a domain selected, it’s time to think about the tactics of your SEO strategy. One major aspect of an SEO strategy is your keyword plan. Make sure that keywords are optimized in each language that you are targeting. Some keywords may not make sense in some languages, and that’s okay! Omit it if it doesn’t make sense for that audience. When in doubt, get input from a multilingual resource who knows your business and industry, such as a professional translation partner or an in-country resource.

With 51% of the world’s population on the internet, it’s important that your eCommerce website speaks to as many of those potential customers as possible. Strategies like localization, displaying pricing in local currencies, and crafting a targeted SEO strategy will help you get in front of millions of potential customers, enhancing their eCommerce shopping experience and increasing your business’ success.

The post Going Global? How to Optimize Your eCommerce Website for International Audiences appeared first on Interpro Translation Solutions.