Marketing campaigns
Whether you operate in a B2B or B2C environment, your target customer is more likely to find you through online channels right now. The recent need for remote working, avoidance of large gatherings and closure of several public venues has meant that offline marketing channels have very limited exposure and therefore, impact.
Instead of exhibitions, physical mailouts and print adverts, try investing in multilingual online search, video, social and display ads and SEOs to increase traffic to your website in your target markets; run personalised email campaigns to your clients in their own languages; and get your creatives ready to download or send in several languages. With the amount of content available online, make sure your message is customised to the consumer in every way.
Website
Your website is the online face of your business and considered a one-stop shop for all information related to it. It is vital that you keep it up to date and relevant to your customers, especially now.
According to the media analytics group Comscore, online traffic has jumped up by an average of 20 per cent across Europe and the US.
From existing information about your company, products and services, to more recent updates related to the pandemic, a corporate website is the best place for allowing your customers to stay informed and removing any element of uncertainty that the recent crisis might have brought up. With very few other communication tools available, your messages should not be lost in translation. Get your website translated into the language(s) of the countries you operate in for business continuity and sustenance.
E-commerce platform
With most shops still struggling to open to full capacity, it’s natural that we’re witnessing a steep rise in e-commerce activities.
The chart above shows Shopify’s booming stock prices over the last six months.
Materialise on your consumer’s move from brick-and-mortar to online and ensure a smooth CX (customer experience). This includes having your e-commerce pages and processes in the right languages and currencies. According to online payment portal Stripe, out of the top 450 European e-commerce websites, 74% of customer checkouts lacked local language translations and didn’t have the relevant payment methods for international buyers. Their findings further reveal that 9 out of 10 lost sales in Europe result from common checkout failures.
To localise the CX, businesses need to identify their target markets and translate the checkout page. They should also ensure the correct currency and payment options are available to their international customers.
Apps
An increased reliance on digital services has meant a massive surge in usage for various mobile applications. According to app store intelligence firm App Annie, use of mobile apps saw a 40% year-over-year increase in the second quarter of 2020 and reached a massive 200 billion hours in April.
Developing an app for your business will require very little investment but will bring in great results from across the globe if it offers good user experience.
Localising the app widens its reach amongst non-English speakers and those preferring their own languages. Careful localisation using a professional translation agency also ensures that the app contains appropriate currencies, calendars and units.
Communication platforms
Customer portals
From questions about how your business is coping during the pandemic, any changes to your customer policies to product-specific queries, the demand for quick access to both active and reactive information has increased. To accurately meet the specific nature of every enquiry, have your responses translated in your customers’ languages so they can easily understand your answers. This will go a long way in client retention for your company.
Communication with international stakeholders
If you have employees overseas or international distributors and suppliers, keep them in the loop about any decisions you make at the central level that will have an impact on them. Also, provide regular information, in their preferred languages, about how the company is tackling operational and financial debacles, if any, to put their minds at ease.
As the world gets to grips with the reality of the situation, businesses need to devise and implement plans that are in line with upcoming trends and user behaviour. If your business fails to provide a tailored online customer experience, it will fall behind. Get in touch with the STB team today to discuss the translation of your website and other digital content.
Written by Marya Jabeen
