Expanding businesses into other countries means that you will be conveying your
messages to people who speak other languages. What's more, your audience may
have cultural background other than yours -- and it does matter. Surprisingly
many people think that creating, say, a website in a foreign language means just
to translate the existing English version. Good translation by all means is very
important. But what about putting your message into the context of the
particular culture, which is native to your new audience? This process is called
"website localization". It is like "tuning" your website (both content and
design) into unison with mentality of other people -- the prospective visitors.
Here I won't describe the part of web site localization which deals with
programming; this issue itself is complex enough. I will focus on writing
content for your website and its further translation. What part of this work you
can do yourself? Probably not all of it, but quite a lot. Here is a step-by-step
guide to help you in the process.
Step Zero: Remember: Your Website is Not for You.
It is for VISITORS. So it is logical to consider what THEY think such websites
should look like. It is their points of view that matter, not yours. When you
memorize this axiom, go to
Step One: Learn!
Self-education is useful in itself; besides, this knowledge is going to save you
money and bring profit later. Learn as much as you can about your prospective
audience. The more, the better. It's a rather time-consuming but exciting
process. I hope you will manage, as Ancient Romans used to say, "Miscere utile
dulci" (to mingle the useful with the pleasant). You will find out plenty of
interesting things about another culture. Customs and traditions, rules of
etiquette and moral principles, stereotypes, superstitions and lots of other
stuff for you to consider when addressing people from a country other than
yours. You can find plenty of information in the Internet. Search Groups as
well. Show your interest in other culture, and almost any native will appreciate
it and help you as an expert. In addition, you will make good friends with great
people. Travelers' guides can be an excellent source of information; they will
help you avoid costly mistakes not only during a trip abroad. Just one example.
You must have seen websites with pictures showing people gesticulate. Note that
any gesture which is quite OK in the USA may be misunderstood somewhere else. By
the way, do you know what the "OK" gesture means in some Asian countries? Demand
for money, that's what. In Tunisia it will be interpreted as a threat to kill;
in Arab countries -- "go to h…" In France it means just "zero" or "nothing." In
Denmark or Italy it can be taken as an insult; and so is in Brazil, Guatemala
and Paraguay -- here it is considered very obscene. So, you'd better make
pictures of your website "culture-neutral". The farther in, the deeper… What is
considered rude, impudent, offensive, or impolite in this culture? What is
respected, valued, venerated? What traits of character are appreciated most?
What are the favorite colors and what are they associated with? What are the
most noticeable differences between your culture and this one? Don't be
surprised if points of view on what is beautiful and what is ugly will also
differ from yours. When you come to the conclusion that your text won't do and
the design probably needs changing as well, go to
Step Two: Analyze!
Turn your findings into tips for writing another text. "Don'ts" here are of much
more important than "Do's" Realize how you shouldn't write. Learn what won't
work. Find out what to avoid in graphics and website design. When arranging
content and graphics, it is very important to know whether the audience reads
left-to-right, right-to-left or vertically.
Step Three: Write for your audience.
What to begin with when writing for a person from another culture? Put on his
shoes first. Well, that's second. First, take off your own shoes. I mean don't
be a representative of your own culture -- just for a short time you'll be
writing the content.
- Avoid jokes, slang, idioms, proverbs and sayings. They are YOURS, not theirs. Allusions to books they probably haven't read, quotations, however familiar they are to you -- all that won't work.
- Be cautious with metaphors and similes (comparisons). Pretty clear and familiar to YOU, for others they might be not so obvious.
- Symbols can mean something very different in other cultures. If you can't do without one, find out what it means THERE.
- Abbreviations and acronyms are tricky, too – they may be unknown to your audience.
- You will have to explain stuff you think to be trivial. Not everybody in the world knows what is eBay, Paypal, or Amazon. Celebrities' fame isn't worldwide, either. Big companies and brands may be unknown on the other side of the globe.
Step Four: Find a RIGHT translator
If you can, get a well-educated native speaker of a language you are going to
have your text translated into (it is called "target language") The reason is
that nobody can ever say: "I have learned this language" -- only "I have been
learning". We all have been learning our mother tongues since birth. That is
why native speakers have an advantage. The larger the translator's vocabulary,
the better your message will be expressed. Besides, a native speaker often has
precious knowledge on the culture -- it's precisely what you need for website
localization-- and will help you in the process.
Step Five: Bring it to Perfection
How to check the end result? Ask somebody from this culture to proofread the
text before launching the website. Encourage feedback when your website is
launched. Correct mistakes, if any, at once. Improve your website all the
time. Getting your messages understood in other languages and cultures is a
tricky task. It takes plenty of effort -- but it will pay. Not only will you
make profit and avoid bitter losses caused by misunderstanding. As a bonus you
will get deeper undestanding of people whose languages, cultures and even ways
of thinking are different. This understanding is the key factor of your
success in doing business or communicating with these people. Good luck to
you! Success be to your efforts!
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