Ecommerce’s Global Language – How Translation Professionals Opens Doors To New Global Customers

What is the global language of e-commerce? Certainly it is not a surprising revelation to learn that the answer is English. Today we are able to conduct business around the world with such speed that completing a call or transaction between the U.S. and another country, happens quicker than physically driving to a local business, a walk to a neighborhood establishment, or sometimes faster than a response from a directory assistance operator. For global marketing and marketers, these opportunities to conduct business are virtually limitless. However, there is one consideration that can slow businesses access. English, while the global language of e-commerce, is still the second language of a huge percent of the world population.

In the U.S. alone, just from the 2000 census, 18% of the population over 5 years of age, this means 47 million individuals, predominantly speak a language, other than English, at home. Spanish, Chinese and French are the top three. Around the globe, French, is spoken in countries on five of the seven continents. While Spanish is the principal language in countries on the South American continent, just over 10% of households in the U.S. also speak Spanish as their first language. Could these be your potential customers? Or, should I ask would you like to include them in your customer or client data base?

Anyone in business today, understands not only just how critical communication is to building customer relationships, but also in reaching specific target markets. Several years ago, ATT indicated in one of their annual reports,the value of long distance to two specific ethnic groups and developed advertising that reach those markets in their language. Banks, auto dealerships, public agencies, hospitals, private businesses, retail chains and more, are enhancing their own communication tools all in an effort to be user friendly to customers whose principle language may not be English. I have called customer service departments of businesses and while waiting on the telephone, listened as prompts were offered for individuals to continue in English or another language. The user manual for my wireless phone is prepared in English in one direction. If I invert the book, it is in another language, Spanish. Each of these businesses or institutions share a common theme: create access to services and/or products for more than primary English speakers. But they did something more in their move to strengthen their own communication skills. A loud and strong statement is made to these potentially new customers, that they are valued, their heritage is respected, and they are fully welcomed without the wall that differing languages sometimes create.

Would you like to offer your services to the 28% of the French population, that access their web by mobile phones? How about the individuals that frequent 16,000 wireless spots in France, which by the way ranks 6th in WiFi Hotspots? Would you like the opportunity and ability to communicate your products, and services, with individuals whose first language is French and Spanish, comfortably and effectively? Would you like the language barriers removed to enhance your capabilities, eliminate cultural errors, and unknowing usage of insensitive informal language mistakes?

So how are you reaching this abundance of potential national and global customers? A successful and efficient first step is to secure a translation service. These are professionals that translate your documents e.g. sales material, information, directions, and your business presence, into another language. You need a translation service that will give each project a personal assignment manager. A professional service that has translation specialists, whose first languages are not only either French or Spanish, but are also certified by the American Translators Association. Translation Professionals has all of those service features plus a reasonably quick completion time. They are experts in this field. Let them open customer doors, client markets, for you in new national and international markets.