As the CEO of a translation agency based in Australia, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is for businesses to adapt to diverse markets. Recently, our team completed an ambitious project: translating a large Australian online shop from English to Tagalog, the primary language of the Philippines.
The results were not just a feather in our cap for our client but also a testament to how machine translation, when combined with expert oversight, can open doors to new opportunities.
The neural machine translation market is growing and is set to continue expanding at an even more rapid pace. A significant portion of this demand comes from the e-commerce sector.
This industry serves as a major growth driver for the machine translation market, as the expansion of e-commerce creates a strong need for multilingual versions of company websites, marketplaces, and product descriptions in as many languages as possible.
Expanding the Customer Base
No matter how good a product or service is, customers appreciate being cared for. They should be able to visit a website and easily find the information they’re looking for. Do you remember the memes about poorly translated product descriptions on AliExpress? Those translations were often just a collection of random words, sometimes resulting in hilariously nonsensical combinations.
Even today, some platforms haven’t resolved their language-related issues. For example, you might select Tagalog in the language dropdown, but the interface often remains in English. For a Tagalog speaker, navigating such a site without a translator can be challenging. While many Filipinos are proficient in English, a significant number — particularly those from older generations — are deterred from making purchases on such marketplaces because of these language barriers.
This isn’t surprising. A CSA Research study of 3,000 shoppers across ten countries revealed that 60% of consumers rarely or never buy from websites that are available only in English.
What conclusion can we draw from this? If you want to expand your customer base, simply creating an English version of your website isn’t enough. You need to adapt to the realities of each specific region and invest in translation and localization to truly connect with your audience.
Savings on Professional Translations
Traditional translation methods that rely on professional translators can be costly, especially when you need to translate large amounts of content into multiple languages. This is where machine translation offers a cost-effective solution.
AI-powered machine translation systems provide high-quality translations at a fraction of the cost of professional translators. This allows businesses to translate their websites, product descriptions, or marketing materials into several languages without breaking the bank.
With machine translation, there’s no need for long-term contracts with translation agencies or the hassle of searching for skilled translators for every new project. This makes it an especially attractive option for small and medium-sized businesses looking to manage costs efficiently.
Use of Machine Translation for Site Localization
Here are several areas to use machine translation, when translating a web-site:
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Website Interface Translation
Section titles, product categories, delivery options, payment methods, return policies, terms of service, and data processing policies—this information must be translated into the user’s language to avoid confusion or misunderstandings.
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Product Description Translation and Adaptation
When localizing product descriptions, it’s not enough to simply translate the text. The content must also be adapted to the cultural and linguistic nuances of the target market. Machine translation can speed up this process significantly, but for optimal results, consider the following:
- Ensure that the machine translation tool supports the specific terminology of your industry.
- Conduct post-editing to fix errors and improve sentence structure.
- Account for cultural differences to make the content relatable and appealing to local buyers. For example, preferences in communication style, vocabulary, and even color symbolism can play a critical role.
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Translation of Reviews and Ratings
Positive customer reviews can be automatically translated to make them accessible to a broader audience. However, post-editing may be necessary to ensure the meaning and tone of the original reviews are preserved.
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Multilingual Customer Support
Machine translation can also be utilized to automatically translate customer inquiries and responses. This allows customer support teams to handle requests in multiple languages, reducing the need to hire additional multilingual staff.
Additionally, chatbots and virtual assistants with built-in machine translation functionality can provide quick answers to frequently asked questions, minimizing wait times for users and improving customer satisfaction.
Recommendations for Implementing Machine Translation
If you decide to implement machine translation on your website, follow these steps for effective execution:
- Determine target languages. Research your target markets to identify which languages your content should be translated into.
- Select the right tool. Compare machine translation platforms to find one that best meets your specific needs. For instance, some tools perform better when translating from English to Tagalog than others.
- Test before scaling. Before fully rolling out machine translation, test it on a small sample of content to evaluate quality and ROI.
- Organize post-editing. Hire editors or train your team to review and refine machine-generated translations.
Conclusion
A translated website attracts more customers. People value businesses that cater to their needs, and multilingual website versions demonstrate that care. Machine translation is a cost-effective alternative to human translation, making it particularly valuable for small and medium-sized enterprises.
However, it’s essential to address potential challenges such as terminology inconsistencies, cultural nuances, and the need for post-editing. With the right tools and a thoughtful implementation strategy, these obstacles can be effectively managed, enabling businesses to connect with new audiences and achieve greater success in global markets.
