You work for a local business – who’s made steady growth, even over the last few years (which have been challenging to say the least). You recognize an opportunity for your business to expand – exponentially – and you’re planning the next steps for outreach. The community you live in is beautifully diverse and you recognize the need to translate your written materials and localize your website. The executive team agrees – and has encouraged you to take the lead and make it all happen on a budget. How in the world do you even begin to take on this daunting task?
Do Your Research – Your “Who”
Dig into information about your community and market. What are the most common languages spoken? What countries have they come from? Are there local organizations that can help provide you with insight on linguistic and cultural factors you need to account for?
This will help you paint a picture of who you are trying to reach. Knowing the language, possible dialects and cultural factors gets you a huge step closer to your goal.
Information Is Power – Your “What”
Translation of documents and localization of your website is not an “all or nothing” process. For some, translation of all your materials at the same time, into multiple languages isn’t financially feasible. And that is ok – what you need to do is prioritize and come up with a plan.
Identify your most important information + target language – Figure out which flyers, documents, advertisements, and areas of your website are most critical for clients to access – and translate them first into your target language.
Budget for future translation projects – Identify future “rounds” of materials for translation and set benchmarks for future translation projects. At this point, consider adding additional target languages.
Create a process for accountability – Establish and maintain a timeline for these future projects, set alerts to review and discuss your benchmarks. Share your plan with a translation company that can follow up with you on future projects – helping to keep the ball rolling in the right direction.
Keep your ear to the ground – As your business and community continue to evolve, be aware that you might need to pivot. Important new documents and programs coming up? Be sure you have them translated to “match” your other important documents. Is your community experiencing rapid growth of a new population? Make sure your materials reflect that, too – it might be time to consider translating into a new target language or dialect.
Linguistic Equity – The “Why”
Translating your important documents and website are not only beneficial for your business (generating revenue + producing market growth) and your clients (who receive a new product or service) – BUT you are also building bridges in your community by helping to close the linguistic equity gap, one project at a time. It’s a win-win-WIN situation.
Professional Translation Services – The “How”
Partnering with a professional translation company will make this once-overwhelming task feel effortless – because we collaborate with professional translators, graphic designers, and interpreters that will address all your current needs, and help you plan for tomorrow. At UNO Translations + Communications, we can:
Translate + design your print materials into 250+ languages.
Localize your website, so non-English speaking clients can find important information about your business online.
Provide on-demand, over the phone interpretation, for when you have a client come in during business hours – and you two don’t speak the same language.
Provide project management support – ensuring your projects are completed on time and on budget.
Support your future goals, by checking in on your needs and assisting with future projects – to keep your organization moving towards its language equity goals.
Let us help you develop a plan for translation and localization. Contact us to expand your business reach in your community today – with just a click of a mouse!
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