Vast opportunities for profitability exist in the Japanese and Chinese online markets: two of the three largest economies in the world behind the US.
Entry into these markets has traditionally been difficult; but with the help of local experts, online retail businesses expanding into Japan and China can benefit by:
- Handling direct orders from customers in Asia before investing in a physical presence in the region.
- Having the ability to perform thorough, low-risk and cost effective market testing via the online channel.
- Building valuable customer relationships and customer loyalty quickly and easily.
“Couldn’t I just translate my current website?”
The assumption that a single website will look and feel exactly the same regardless of language is very, very common: however it is also incorrect, and often costly.
Simply put:
A translated website is not a localized website!
The way in which users browse websites and transact online is vastly different between markets.
A classic example: Order forms with required fields that are not relevant to the customer’s country of residence, state/province/prefecture dropdowns in alphabetical order instead of geographical. The result: Confused customers who are suspicious of an unprofessional and seemingly unreliable site.
- Relevancy of graphical elements and suitability of the language, symbols, graphics and copy presented on the site must also be assessed.
- Word-for-word translation cannot express the real message you want to deliver with the nuance and flair that a local expert can provide.
Visit our Website Localization page for more details about our services.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
True. Website localization is different from mere translation.