Toque em uma audiência global

Ao procurar ajuda on-line, você muitas vezes se deparar com novas ferramentas revolucionárias ou "hacks", como os chamamos agora, que prometem impulsionar a receita dez vezes e torná-lo rico imundo. Infelizmente, 99% destes são promessas vazias de empresas que estão usando nossa ingenuidade para fazer algum lucro arrumado para si. Eles costumam ir um pouco algo como: "Faça um milhão de dólares em 3 meses, pagando apenas US $ 100 para o nosso eBook". Assim você parte com seus $ 100 e faz tudo literalmente pelo livro, mas nada acontece. Você pode ter caído para esta armadilha já, mas não se sinta mal se você tem porque acontece com o melhor de nós.

Translating your website to multiple languages is only a small piece of an otherwise very large puzzle when it comes to localizing your content and globalizing your business. Picking the right translation type can make or break the process and a professional translation should always be used when possible. But there are circumstances that allow you to apply a combination of each translation type to give you the best localization outcome and boost your aspirations of hitting a global audience. Read on to learn where and when you should use each type of translation and how you can tie them all together to effectively localize your website. 1. Machine Translations Low risk content By virtue of the fact that they don’t account for any human element, machine translations alway carry the threat of contextual errors that can be disastrous for your translated content. True as this may be, there's still room for a machine translation on certain areas of your site. Pages that attract low levels of traffic are a good starting point, as risk levels are minimal if something is translated out of context. Short on time If you’re in a hurry to localize your website, machine translation can be a viable option to give you a functional but temporary short term fix. For example, if you have a heavy promotional period coming up and need your content translated immediately, you could complete the initial translation using a machine and then fix it up later with a professional. The machine translation most likely won't be at the standard you need, but it's better to at least have some form of translated content available than none at all if you're expecting high volumes of international traffic. Generic content Certain types of content don't need any context or a human touch. Anything from single words to generic product specs can be translated by a machine with little or no impact on the quality of the content. If the content doesn't affect the user experience or customer journey, then it's worth testing a machine translation on it to save time and money. 2. D.I.Y. Translations Brand experts The obvious answer to this is to use your own professional translators, but not every business is lucky enough to have those tools at hand. As with machine translation, doing it yourself is risky when you don’t have the proper resources in-house, but that doesn’t mean it should be avoided altogether. Utilizing people that can speak the language can be enough when they possess in-depth knowledge of your product or brand, even if they don’t have professional translation credentials. As long as they can convey clear content that’s consistent with your brand message, it will make up for some of the missing pizzazz that a professional translator brings. Of course a professional always gets the job done quicker and more effectively, but if you don’t have the budget this is definitely worth looking at. Tweaking translations D.I.Y. can also be applied when you’ve initially used a machine translation and need to tweak the content and add context. It’s important to remember that D.I.Y. without in-house professionals will seldom provide the desired outcome at the first time of asking, so you’ll need to be patient and manage your expectations in line with the resources at your disposal. However, if you find that the translated content isn't reaching the levels you need or is impacting the customer journey in any way, you should enlist the help of a professional translator. 3. Professional Translation All-encompassing Professional translation is an all-encompassing process and helps to drive more quality traffic and increase conversions. If you’ve got the budget, there’s no reason you should skimp on paying for a translation that keeps your content brand-aligned and won't confuse your customers. Where the other types of translation leave room for error and potential content disasters, a professional translation removes these risks and allows you to concentrate on everything else that comes with website localization. For your customers Giving your customers a voice and harnessing user generated content are fantastic ways to grow your business. Getting your customers to provide positive feedback, leave reviews or write testimonials are better than any ad campaigns you could run. A professional translation is an absolute must here, as misquoting or misrepresenting what your customer has actually said would inevitably end in disaster. Not only that, you'd harm your chances of getting additional user generated content in the future. Conversion focused content Using a professional translator on conversion-focused pages such as checkout and payment is crucial. People should understand what payment options are available to ensure they go through with the purchase and are also given accurate information. You should also use a professional translation on blogs or any copy that’s designed to drive conversions, as this directly affects the customer journey and impacts on the purchasing decision they make. A sloppy user experience will result in lower conversions as people will be unlikely to buy from a site they deem unprofessional. Tying them all together Creating a workflow that incorporates every type of translation can be tricky to manage and organize. Most business don't have the in-house facilities available to do this seamlessly and it can be both time consuming and frustrating to keep it all together. That’s where a localization platform like Localizer comes in and turns a heavy workload into a cakewalk. Localizer provides the tools for you to translate your content using all three types of translation, while streamlining the localization process into a single, easy-to-use workflow. Localizer also allows you to add team members to your profile, so that multiple people can work on the same project; or a number of projects at any one time. You can even translate your entire website with Localizer in three simple clicks.

Localizer's fantastic Automated Tasks feature allows you to set up specific translation rules that make sure all new content added to your site is instantly translated exactly in the way you want.     Go to the Phrases tab in your Localizer account, then select Untranslated Phrases from the dropdown menu. Hit the Advanced link on the right and the Set Up Automated Task button will appear. Set up your translation filters, then click the Set Up Automated Tasks button. On the popup screen, pick the type of translation you want or if you want to ignore all phrases for this filter. Name your task and hit the Enable Automation button. That wasn’t so hard at all now, was it? If you want to see or delete any tasks you’ve got set up, you can quickly and easily check them out by clicking on the Automated Tasks option under the Menu button. If you haven't started translating yet, check out the different types of translation you can use or take a look at our three click translation guide. Not using Localizer yet? Start a 7 day free trial or book a demo now!

Translating your website with Localizer is extremely easy and you don't need to be an I.T. guru to do it. But before you go all gung ho and start translating your content, you need to understand the types of translation at your disposal. Not all translations are equal and it’s important that you can tell the difference between them before deciding which one you need. Below is a quick overview of each one. 1. D.I.Y. Translation We give you the tools and your in-house experts use them. Pros No cost of translation on the platform as you’re doing it all yourself Good for translating small pieces of content Cons Slowest form of translation (we can do it faster, I assure you!) You need experts in-house to do it properly Additional man hours will most likely result in spending more than if you opted for another translation type 2. Machine Translation Provides a straight translation of your content from one language to the other. Pros Translates your content instantly The cheapest translation option available outside of D.I.Y. Good to use if you’re in a hurry Cons Direct nature of translation sometimes results in confusing content Lack of human input means no context is accounted for 3. Professional Translation Provides a translation from a professional translator and accounts for more than just a straight translation. Pros The best translation available Gives you access to over 18,000 professional translators Provides context to your content to keep it relevant Search engine friendly No chance of confusing your visitors Cons None - this is the best quality translation you can get Conclusion We always recommend using a professional translation when you can as this gives you the best possible outcome and makes sure you reap the full benefits of localizing your website. If you’re not sure what your budget allows, check out our pricing plans for a better idea of what we can offer. You can always contact us for customized plans and pricing, so don’t be shy! Already picked out a translation? Take a look at our post on how to translate your content in three clicks. Not using Localizer yet? Start a 7 day free trial or book a demo now!

Translating your website in-house is a pretty arduous task if you don’t have the right tools or expertise. But as luck would have it, Localizer is here to make your life easier by streamlining the translation process from start to finish. No more long lead times to get the job done; Localizer gives you everything at your fingertips so you can translate your entire website in just three clicks.   Tick the box beside the content you want to translate from your Phrases tab, or set up additional filters. Select the type of translation you want. Order your translation. Voila! The only thing left for you to do is put your feet up and watch your newly-translated content appear on your website. I know what you’re thinking: it can’t be that easy, can it? Yes, it certainly can. Localizer does the hard work so you don’t have to. Not using Localizer yet? Start a 7 day free trial or book a demo now!

We know that globalizing your business is time consuming and sometimes life simply gets in the way of jobs that need to be done. That’s why we’ve made the Localizer integration process super simple, so you can get on with taking over the world. All you need to do is copy and paste a single line of code into your website theme and Localizer will start indexing your content each time someone visits one of your web pages. Best of all, you have the option to send it straight to your developer or do it yourself, because we’ve got a set of handy integration guides for you here. Can’t find the integration guide you need for your website? No problem, you can contact us via live chat 24 hours a day during weekdays.   Log into your Localizer account, hit the Menu button on the top right and select the Integration option. Copy the Localizer Javascript code or click Send to Developer if you need your developer to do it. Log into the Admin section of your website. Locate the core Theme files for the Header or Footer of your site (preferably Header). Find the tag and paste the Localizer Javascript code directly above this, then save your changes. That’s all there is to it, your website is ready for translation and we’re betting it took you less than five minutes to get sorted! Wondering where to go from here? Check out the types of translation you can choose from, or head over to our three click translation guide for an overview on how to start translating your content. Not using Localizer yet? Start a 7 day free trial or book a demo now!  

Software as a Service, or Saas, is one of the fastest-growing commodities in the online space. Salesforce defines SaaS as “a way of delivering applications over the internet – as a service”. SaaS removes the need for businesses to download and maintain software by simply accessing the service they need over the internet. From a traditional sense, companies have had to build and manage their own I.T. network to do business online and the majority of the time, this comes with a hefty price tag. SaaS removes the need for internal systems and saves businesses both time and money by providing cloud-based, instant services. Even if you already have your own I.T. infrastructure, it won’t cater for all of your needs, which is where SaaS comes in. Without bragging too much, Localizer is a great example of a quality SaaS platform as we provide all the translation and localization expertise you could ask for, accessible anywhere you have a device connected to the web. If you’re thinking of integrating SaaS into your business model, here's why it's a good idea: 1. Cheaper Entry Costs SaaS is generally a subscription-based model where you can sign up for a period of time with set costs, giving greater clarity of your total expenses from the outset. When you enlist the services of a SaaS platform, you get everything you need without having to shell out on expensive upgrades or new hardware. The SaaS platform manages everything for you, making for a more streamlined process that involves less manpower while saving you time and money. The readymade expertise also means you get the desired result much faster than if you handled everything internally. 2. Carefree Upgrades Upgrading and maintaining services can be time consuming and painful. Using SaaS, you’ve got no responsibility to upgrade the service or keep your information secure. The only thing you need to do is agree on reasonable terms of service that the SaaS provider should adhere to and let them worry about the rest. If there’s any new hardware, software or patches that need to be added then it’s the domain of the SaaS provider to look after these. You're paying for the service so that you don't have to worry about any of these things. 3. Simple Integration All good SaaS platforms have the ability to integrate seamlessly with your existing website and should be able to adapt easily to the way your business operates. They’re also customizable so that you use only the features that you need. SaaS platforms will help your business grow and be scalable enough to handle the extra work that growth brings. There should be no breakdown of service as traffic and demands on the platform increase. 4. High Adoption Rates Salesforce indicate that SaaS platforms have high adoption rates, because the software is readily available on web browsers that people use every day. The level of comfort associated with familiar browsers reduces the learning curve of anyone using a SaaS platform as it works in these browsers, making people more open to using it. This is really important as there’s not much point investing money in a SaaS platform if nobody in your business is willing or able to use it. Internally, usually only one or two people have expertise in certain areas but because a SaaS platform provides the expertise, you can share the workload by assigning multiple people with login credentials to use it. 5. Fast Deployment and Decisions Spending money on outsourced products or services can often be met with skepticism as to whether it actually works or not. The good news is that most SaaS platforms offer a trial period to test out their software and get a better understanding if it suits your needs. Not only that, SaaS initiatives can be rolled out much quicker than internal efforts, so you can see the benefits almost immediately. You'll also usually get the option to book an online demo, where a representative will take you through how the product works and reduce the learning curve even further if you decide to use it. 6. Only Pay What You Want Once you’ve footed the bill for the initial entry costs, you’re then in complete control of what you spend and when you spend it. The subscription-based model means you’ve got a clear monthly or yearly forecast of what you’re going to spend on the platform. As your business grows, the features you need will change and you can add or remove them according to your requirements. Every SaaS platform will have a pricing structure for each new feature and will invariably be cheaper than running it in-house. If something isn’t working for you then you can just remove the feature, but spending money on something in-house means you’re stuck with it, regardless of whether it works or not. 7. Work Anywhere or Any Time Business is changing and companies now need the ability to work fluidly at any time or place. Customers are more demanding than ever and reaching a global audience means you need to be switched on at all times. Using a SaaS platform gives you the ability to log in and work from anywhere, at any time, by simply having a device with an internet connection. Tending to customer complaints, answering queries or even doing some customer research are all possible because SaaS platforms fly high in the cloud. Many SaaS platforms are also optimized for mobile or have a mobile app, so you don’t even need a laptop to get your work done.   Final Word SaaS is a really effective way to add value to your business and save time and money all in one fell swoop; and it's only going to continue growing as more businesses begin to understand the benefits it brings. IDC predicts that by the end of 2019, the SaaS market will hit almost $113bn at an annual growth rate of 19.3% and that cloud software will account for $1 of every $4.59 spent on software. Jump on the SaaS train now by trying Localizer for free!

Executar um negócio on-line no mercado de hoje é um trabalho duro. Quase todos os negócios está no mesmo barco e não há muito wiggle quarto para obter a sua cabeça acima do parapeito. Para fazer mais vendas, você tem que ser visto; E para ser visto, você tem que se destacar da multidão. Então, como fazer todas as empresas grandes e globais fazê-lo? Vou lhe dar uma dica, está no nome. Eles se destacam como empresas globais, porque eles são apenas isso: global. Pense em empresas Apple, Microsoft e Samsung - eles estão absolutamente em toda parte. Mas para maximizar o seu potencial de venda com um público global, você precisa colocar em algum trabalho de solo:

In previous posts, we looked at why you should localize your website and also some of the key things you need to consider in order to successfully do it. The beauty of Localizer is that it comes in and simplifies the entire process for you, and even automates the localization of all your future content. Below, we've taken some considerations of the localization process and show you how Localizer can address each of them for you: 1. Translate to as Many Languages as You Want Once you’ve done your background research and identified the languages that you want to translate your site to, it becomes as easy as picking them in the Localizer dashboard and clicking a button. Localizer allows you to add as many languages as you want, which can be translated by selecting your content and enabling the Localizer platform to index it. Once each page has been visited at least once by a user, the content will be visible in your dashboard. Also in your dashboard you’ll find customized analytics, which will display items such as total page views, number of translations completed for each language and total credits in your account. These analytics can help you determine how a particular language is performing or converting on your site and figure out if the type of translation you're using is suitable. 2. Get the Translation Quality Your Content Needs Knowing your content and the type of translation you need is key to rolling out a successful localization. Localizer provides you with access to over 18,000 professional translators who will be in constant contact to make sure your translations are perfect for your target audience. Our translators will localize each piece of content that you assign to them so that it's consistent with your overall brand message and carries the right context and tone of voice. You don’t need to worry about timing either, because professional translations are incredibly fast and typically take only about two hours. If you’re not worried about context, Localizer offers a machine translation option. Here, you can select your entire site or specific pieces of content to be translated and do so instantly by simply clicking a button. There's no human input here and the result would be similar to that of Google Translate, so we only recommend this for content that isn’t of a sensitive nature. Both of these translation options can be used across as many languages as you want. 3. Use Localizer as a Standalone Platform as a Supplement for Your Own Experts Most businesses aren’t lucky enough to have their own in-house localization experts and the features above are geared towards those businesses. Our platform provides all the knowledge and expertise you need and it’s right at your fingertips. However, if you’re fortunate enough to possess your own localization expertise, then Localizer can also be of service to you. Our “Team” function will allow you to add as many people to your account as you wish and give them access to either administration or translation privileges across one or more of your languages. That means you can assign the right localization tasks to the right people and manage it seamlessly in-house, or else let Localizer take them off your hands and streamline each task with minimal fuss. We do recommend using our resources though, as they’re both economical and time-friendly, and we also provide 24 hour support during weekdays. 4. Customize Your Site to Improve User Experience (UX) The UX is a crucial part of any website and being able to customize it to the preferences of each visitor is another feature offered by Localizer. You’re given the ability to change the CSS of your site to match the language or location of your visitor. For example, if you have French-speaking visitors on your site you may choose to customize the font color to a familiar blue. Localizer also offers dynamic number and currency conversion, whereby the currency on your site will change to match the local currency of the end user, as will basket value for eCommerce sites. If you need to edit the length and format of a sentence or paragraph then you have the freedom to this as well. Bearing in mind that word length changes across languages, there is the possibility that post structures may be altered after localization. Therefore, it is imperative that you have the ability to fix these discrepancies to allow for a more visually-appealing UX. 5. Manage Localization on an Ongoing Basis There are already quite a few things you need to watch out for when localizing your site. When you finish the initial process, you face what can be a daunting prospect of continually managing it for all future content. Localizer has got you covered here, too. With our “Automated Tasks” function, you have the option of setting up a number of translations based on rules specified by you. This means if you own a blog, you can set up a rule to translate any new posts or content added to this blog. You can also set up rules to ignore certain pieces of content and stop them from being translated. This is particularly useful if you have a company slogan that you don’t want to translate, or are talking about something that is almost universally understood across languages (e.g. most people would understand Facebook, regardless of what language they speak). If something changes or you need a task to be removed, you can do this also. Otherwise, Localizer does all the work so you don’t have to.   Final Word There are many things to consider when localizing your site and Localizer has the ability to cover all major bases. Even if you have the resources within your business to complete and sustain the process, Localizer has functions and features that can make the process even better for you. Not only that, if you do require assistance at any point, Localizer provides 24 hour support to help ensure your localization reaps maximum reward for your efforts.

It’s possible that your business has, up to now, overlooked the value of localizing your website and maybe even missed out on key growth opportunities in doing so. But don’t feel bad if you’re guilty of this, because you’ve joined a long list of others that have fallen into the same trap at some point. There are many reasons for this, but one that frequently pops up is a general lack of understanding around the concept of localization and the potential benefits it can offer your business. We’re all aware of free tools like Google Translate, which are far from perfect but do offer translation services at their most basic level. Localization is a far more in-depth and specialized process. It’s not just translating your content; it’s adapting and tailoring it to whatever your target audience needs, while adding a context and human tone that a straight translation just doesn’t offer. But why does this matter to your business? Let’s find out:   Avoid Being Misunderstood As we discussed in a previous post, leaving your content in the hands of a machine translation service is a risky maneuver. Machine translations don’t account for the context of your post or add any tone of voice, they take your content and stick it into another language, regardless of any other factors. These issues won’t impact too much on low priority pages, but are absolutely crucial when you’re trying to convey your brand message or present your business to new markets. The direct nature of a machine translation runs the risk of creating confusing content that your customers will struggle to understand. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes – would you really purchase something from a site that is littered with grammatical errors and looks generally unprofessional? If you answered “no” (we hope you did), then you understand the negative sales impact this will have on your business. Losing sales in the short term ultimately means losing customers in the long term, as you can imagine people are unlikely to return to your website if they’ve had a poor experience. Retaining your customers can also have a potentially massive impact on your profits – Rosetta Stone indicate that improving customer retention rates by just 5% gives your business the potential to increase profits from 25% to 80%. Without proper localization of your site, you run the risk of being misrepresented by your content and misunderstood by your customers, both of which will impact negatively on your retention rates. To steal a catchphrase from Mindjumpers: “Content might be the King, Queen, Prince and Court Jester, but Context is the Crown.”   Expand Your Audience There are over 7,000 languages spoken around the globe and your monolingual site is only catering for the people who speak that language. Straight off the bat, you’re missing out on literally an entire world of potential customers and sales. Take English, for example: It’s the third most common language on the planet, accounting for roughly 360 million people (about 5.6% of the global population). That might seem like a large target market, but you’re ignoring the 955 million Mandarin speakers and 405 million Spanish speakers who make up the top two most common languages. That’s over 1.3 billion people you’re bypassing through having a monolingual site and that figure only rises if you count the remaining top ten languages. Still not convinced? A post by Chief Marketer stated that your website will have the ability to speak to 80% of all internet users by serving it in just 11 languages. Out of the 7,000+ we spoke of earlier, that’s a pretty worthwhile and very achievable figure. This isn’t an exact science, of course, as a percentage of your visitors might speak other languages or use machine translation services to decipher your content. Even if this is the case, over half of those visitors may be lost as potential conversions. A survey by the Common Sense Advisory showed that 55% of consumers said they would only buy products from websites that provided them with information in their own language. In other words, even if you’re getting high volumes of traffic from around the world, over half of them will not reach the end of the conversion funnel if you don’t serve your content in their native tongue. That’s a lot of missed opportunities by anyone’s standards.   Enhance the Customer Journey As technology develops and becomes faster, the patience of those using it wears thinner. People expect to see what they want instantly and seldom stick around if they can’t find it. You’re asking for trouble if your site has issues like slow loading times, a complicated sitemap or a lack of information in the right places. If your content is relevant, easy to find and is served in the customer’s language then you’ve got a much better chance of making a conversion and offering a positive customer journey. The localization process serves to encourage longer, more frequent visits which will result in an increase in your conversions over the long term. A study by Forrester Research showed that 95% of Chinese online consumers indicated greater comfort levels with websites that were displayed in their own language. As we mentioned earlier, Mandarin is the top spoken language in the world and it would be a poor business decision to pass up on an opportunity to enhance the experience of 955 million potential customers. You can take this a step further by focusing on things like background color, font types, images or anything else that can be tweaked to further localize your site. Machine translations are incapable of coining colloquial phrases or customizing landing page images that your customers can identify with, thus inhibiting the localization process and overall customer journey. Final Word If you’ve read this far, we’re guessing that website localization is a relatively untapped resource in your business arsenal. It’s a topic that requires a certain degree of self-learning, but is an infinitely rewarding move if you can execute it in the right way. If you're hoping to globalize your business, localizing your site is a must. To learn more about how to localize your site, check out our post on the 5 Key Considerations for Successful Website Localization.