Singapore, Singapore (PRWEB) November 03, 2011

As companies stride forth to expand into international markets, the first forays are often fraught with difficulties in languages and translations.

Yet, the importance of using the right language to communicate cannot be dismissed lightly. Nicholas Goh, CEO of Verztec Consulting Pte Ltd, explains and shares why it is both important and necessary to offer a native language experience for companies making international strides.

Peregruzka the word that could have re-ignited the cold war between the US and Russia.

In 2009, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presented a red button on a base engraved with the words Reset and Peregruzka to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. It was to signal a commitment to improve relations between the two countries. However, Peregruzka means over-charged in Russian, a far cry from what Clinton wanted relations to be. The word she needed was PereZAgruzka. Had Clinton not been smart on her feet reacting to the potentially-fatal situation with her charismatic charm and gregarious personality, relations may not be as rosy between these two countries now.

When messages get lost in translation, companies may not face such dire international consequences. But it is potentially fatal business-wise.

Yet, that doesnt mean sticking to the safest route of bulldozing your way into new markets with the most common language English.

Perennial Problem #1: Sticking to the Universal

In a recent survey conducted by global business service company TransPerfect that polled more than 200 executives and shoppers from the United States, France, Germany, Sweden, Japan and other nations, more than 50% of shoppers would terminate their shopping if they did not comprehend the language used on the websites. Alternatively, the will also resort to using manual or browser-based translations, which will decrease the experience of the customers.

Alarmingly the same survey revealed that only 19% of corporate executives view proper translations as a priority and 64% were unsure whether doing so would be beneficial for the company. Contrasting this to a European Commission survey published in May 2011, 42% of the polled population indicated that they would not buy products outside their own language.

Evidently, huge losses in potential revenues are being incurred by many companies.

Language can be considered the most crucial means for putting across a point. And communicating with customers in the right language definitely has its benefits for any company: it promotes understanding of the customer benefits; connects the shopper with the company; and companies can express fully and correctly what they have to offer.

To sweeten the deal further, 9 out of 10 European shoppers surveyed prefer to visit a website in their native language, and 63% of shoppers polled by TransPerfect expressed increased inclination to purchase if they found the website to be in their native language.

Perennial Problem #2: Economising with the Basic

Equally important is the correct translation and usage of the language. Often companies turn to browser-based applications or hire personnel trained in the foreign language to do translations. However, it is always best to entrust key information, such as Websites, Press Releases, Advertising Slogans, Product Information, White Papers and Archived Records, in the hands of a native speaker working as a professional translator. Not doing so has its pitfalls.

In the 1990s, the famous and wildly-successful Got Milk? campaign initiated by the US Dairy Association took the US by storm, increasing awareness and consumption of cows milk tremendously. However, when attempting to venture into its neighbouring market of Mexico, the translation turned out to be Are you lactating? Not surprisingly, it did not sit very well with the Mexicans and the advertising campaign was not very successful, to say the least.

With regional dialects, colloquial speech and specific cultural innuendoes still to be taken into account, companies are starting to scratch the surface of what it takes to provide an effective native language experience for its target audience. All these simply emphasise the necessity to have proper and effective translations when one is targeting customers overseas.

Providing the Local Experience

In order to provide the native language experience and reap the benefits of it, there are a few things that must be taken into account.