Top 10 tips to translate your website2

María Jesús de Arriba Díaz Cipherion Translations

How to translate your website effectively

An essential 10 Step Guide

The 10 Steps

1. Ready, Steady, Go Global!!2. Markets3. Global Website Structure4. Tools5. Design6. Content7. Professional Translations8. Integration9. Online Sign Off10. Measure Results & Innovate

1. Ready, Steady, Go Global!!

• Easiest, fastest and most cost-effective way to create immediate global reach and exposure

• Key element of Global Presence Strategy• Look at success & “not so” success stories• Stay ahead of competitors• Website design team can handle multilingual websites• Partner with a globalisation/translation team that can

support and guide from planning to going live• Ensure communication is fluid across all teams• Plan for translating your website and develop SEO

optimisation in other markets and share it

Success Story

Success Story

Success Story

Poor Online Global Presence

Poor Online Global Presence

Poor Online Global Presence

2. Markets• Target Markets:

* Geographical* Demographical

• Access to Internet and Speeds

• Online Behaviours and Expectations

• Ensure that your brand /company name will work in the target market

• Target regions within each market, as regional languages may exist:* Europe: French = France/Belgium/Switzerland

German = Germany/Austria/Switzerland * Beyond Europe: Spain Spanish Vs. LatinAmerica Spanish

France French Vs. Canada French Portugal Portuguese Vs. Brazil PortugueseChinese Mainland China Vs. Chinese Taiwan/HK

Study your target market

Study your target market

Study your target market

3. Global Website Structure

Key: Consistency across all markets

Dedicated Market Domain/Subdomain (.es, es.website.com)Vs.

Pages within Original Domain (www.website.com/espanol)

Dedicated Market Top Level Domain (.es, .de, etc.) Vs.

Separate subdomains (es.website.com, etc.)

Dedicated Domain Vs. Pages in Original Domain

End User Experience & Expectations:

• People buy based on “feeling”

• People have different expectations depending on your industry/service/product

Dedicated Top Level Domain Vs. Separate Subdomains

Search Engines & Google:

• Search engines view sub-domains as the same site as the Top Level Domain and impact of in-country SEO may be lost.

• Google uses webhost server data in its search algorithm, therefore best that for each in-country website, server is based “in-country”.

Pages in Original Domain

Dedicated Domain

4. Tools

• Compatibility with different Web Browsers• Unicode UTF-8 • HTML Vs. CSS• CMS Vs. Individual Web Pages• Flash or Not Flash

5. Design

• Consistent but Flexible• Text Vs. Imagery Balance • Colours & Images• Flash or Not Flash• Text Expansion• Text in Graphics/Images• Flags Vs. Market Drop Down/List

Image Adaptation

Text Expansion

Text Expansion

Text in graphics

Flags (Landing Page)

Flags (Home Page)

Drop Down

Country List

6. Content• What content will require translation based on market research?

* Full website Vs. Microsite Vs. Home Page Only* Downloadable documents * Search Function/Menus* Images/Graphics

• What format will the text be translated in?* CMS Vs. HTML/XML files Vs. Word/Excel

• Source content frozen before translation starts & Available

• Key to also extract and translate:* Keywords and Meta-Tags* All text hard-coded/embedded into menus, images, Flash animations

What to Translate

What to Translate

Keywords and Meta-Tags

Home Page Only

7. Professional Translations• Same investment in branding/marketing of your English website should be put

into attracting non-English speaking customers

• Partner with a professional translation/globalisation team who will support you every step of the way to building your global online presence:

* Fully understands you, your company, your goals.

* Will provide a turnkey service and guidance as to best approach, including target market keywords & SEO.

* Has the knowledge, experience, systems and motivation to ensure that you succeed.

* Will provide you with PERFECT quality translations that will ensure that your non-English speaking customers have the same user experience as you intended for your English speaking customers.

8. Integration

If text translated through:• CMS >> Insert translated text ensuring

source formatting/layout is maintained• HTML/XML files >> Link/Integrate translated

files onto website• Word/Excel >> Paste translated text into

HTML coding ensuring source formatting/layout is maintained

CMS

From XML…

…To Web Page

From Word…

…To Web Page

9. Online Sign Off

• A final Online Testing/Sign Off PRIOR to going live is KEY

• Native speaker with eye for detail• Layout/Formatting• Links/Drop Downs/Options• Characters• Content

Layout

Corrupted characters

10. Measure Results & Innovate

• Analyse the results of your Global Online Presence

• Monitor SEO and Google Marketing initiatives and watch your hits increase

• Modify and target other keywords• Listen to your customers• Keep an eye on what others are doing• Keep innovating

11. Live Content & Regular Updates

• Global websites = Live Entities• Process Workflow • Latest News• Blogs, Newsletters• Regular Content Updates• Continued Global Online Success = Process +

Planning + Globalisation/Translation Partner

Thank you for your attentionGo raibh maith agaibh as bhúr n-aird

Gracias por su atenciónVielen Dank für Ihre Aufmerksamkeit

Merci de votre attentionGrazie per la Vostra attenzione

Obrigado pela sua atençãoご清聴ありがとうございました。

Cipherion Translations Tel.: +353 1 246 7592 – Ext. 112 Mob.: +353 87 622 66 22 Email: mjdearriba@cipherion.comwww.cipherion.com