Member Article

Unlocking international markets: the issue of languages in a connected world

It was an insatiable appetite for new markets and commodities that propelled adventurers and merchants onto the high seas in the 15th and 16th centuries.

A domestic desire for exotic spices, opulent silks and all manner of luxuries led these proto-businessmen on voyages of discovery and derring-do that lasted for years and more often than not ended in disaster. It was a time when geographical knowledge of the world was hazy, when large areas of the map remained resolutely blank and when attempting to reach the tropical Indies by going north into the artic wastes didn’t seem like a silly notion.

These intrepid mariners faced constant danger from pirates, disease and a less than friendly welcome from local people. And always at the back of their minds, a gnawing doubt that competitors from other countries would beat them to it. Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and England, as the major sea-faring nations of the time, were in a dog-eat-dog battle to “get there first” and establish priority trading relationships with the indigenous populations and, of course, make vast fortunes.

Centuries later, that same craving for new markets and new trading partnerships remains undiminished, although very rarely does it involve a 2 year-long round trip and the threat of perishing in a storm on the south seas. A time-travelling merchant, in fetching silk doublets, would recognise very little of our world now. He would, however, recognise the impulse to do business out of the comfort zone. And one tool in particular that we just about take for granted now would appear to him as an instrument of magic in this endeavour. That tool of course is the internet.

It might not be too far-fetched to think of the internet as the 21st century equivalent of the sturdy and seaworthy vessels which plied the oceans in search of fabulous wealth and riches. Although we can’t all become an Amazon or an ebay, businesses ignoring the internet to reach out into the world are missing a trick. Seeing beyond the domestic market into the unchartered waters of international markets may be daunting but the rewards can be huge.

When expanding into new countries and regions, the issue of language, even at first contact, is more often than not the first hurdle to overcome.

Yes, to a large degree, the lingua franca of international business is English, but businesses expecting potential partners or customers to speak English do themselves a disservice. If your website, at least the key sections of it, is not configured to appeal to speakers of your new target audience, then this could well have them swiftly clicking away in search of something they can understand.

Research shows that visitors stay twice as long if a website is in their own language (source: Forrester Research) and customers are four times more likely to buy from a website in their own language (source: IDC). What about marketing brochures or documentation intended for exhibitions or trade fairs?

Glossy, beautifully written and expensively produced they may be, but again, will those points matter if they have people reaching for a dictionary. And that site visit you have organised. Have you considered how you will be communicating with your visitors or do you expect them to speak your language?

If you think that running your key texts and documents through a machine translation programme such as Google Translate will quickly solve the issue, here’s a little trick I would recommend. Find a text in your area of business but in another language and run it through machine translation.

So, what does it sound and look like in English? A bit odd? Not grammatically correct? Or is it quite simply plain gibberish? Whichever result you end up with, would you be happy to present such a document to a potential new business partner? I suspect the answer will be no.

The internet has turned the world into a global market place and countries around the world value British goods and services. It has never been easier to look for, research and find new collaborations anyway in the world. Lucrative contracts and exciting new partnerships could be just a click away but businesses ignoring the linguistic demands of this new landscape risk getting left behind. When doing business internationally, don’t let the issue of language scupper your chances.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by TurkishBusinessTranslations .