Welcome to the third installment of Medialocate’s new “Quick Tips” series. “Quick Tips” answers questions we often hear from our customers.
If you’ve had these same questions about translating your website, marketing materials, product labeling, software interfaces, or just about anything you need in other languages, we hope you’ll find these quick tips useful, and come back for more.
By the way, these answers are from our quick-reading guide, “Cut Costs, Not Corners (With Localization),” packed with 50+ ways to localize efficiently. Get your free guide here!
Quick Tip #3 – Localizing Your Website For Global Profits
Question: “We’re seriously considering localizing our website, and perhaps other materials and media. How can we cut costs doing it?”
Answers: First off, we at Medialocate always advise cutting costs, but NOT cutting corners.
Now, to answer your question, “How can we cut costs doing it?”…
Let’s take “The Written Word.” We recommend that where text in your documentation is concerned, always remember the Three Cs: Clear, Concise and Consistent!
1. Clear
- Write clearly. Convoluted, confusing sentences could result in a mistranslation. Ensure your audience receives your message clearly and correctly.
- Leave all slang and jargon in the lunch room.
- Catchy phrases in one language could lead to confusion – or worse – in another.
2. Concise
- Eliminate excess words and complex sentences.
- Avoid those $10 words. By starting with easily understood words in one language, they’re more likely to be understood in another language.
- Use the “KIS” factor: Keep It Simple!
3. Consistent
- Instructions should be consistent. Use the same words for the same actions.
- Re-use these sentences throughout all the content to be localized: documentation, online help, software, the Web.
- This is not a literary masterpiece; it’s a roadmap to success with your product.
- Keep your folder structure the same. Always keep in mind that changes = extra costs.
Remember, when you localize correctly, with the right language service provider, for every dollar you spend in global preparation, you may save up to $10 later.
PS: These “Quick Tips” are just a few you’ll find in our guide, “Cut Costs, Not Corners (With Localization).” Download your free PDF guide here!
Have more questions about “Localizing Your Website For Global Profits?”
Call us at 1-800-776-0857.
