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Website Localization

You need:

• A multilingual website that is linguistically and visually appropriate for your target audience
• The ability to manage multilingual updates centrally, yet allow local input
• Efficient localization turnaround enabling fast time-to-market schedules
• For certain content, a value proposal for high-volume, control-authored translation

Solution: McElroy website localization services

McElroy Translation works with your product team to ensure the final product is culturally appropriate to the target market while reinforcing your carefully crafted branding. Our localization experts consider a range of elements in addition to translation, such as the internationalization of standard elements.

Website internationalization includes: text expansion/contraction within navigation graphics, developer questions regarding the extent of separation of coding and content, management of alt image and metadata text, recreation of Flash or other animated elements, and how graphic content and placement affect SEO (search engine optimization).

In addition, idiomatic expressions commonly found even in business language will be “transcreated,” meaning they will be changed in the process of translating them to terms that are meaningful to the target audience. U.S. English examples of idiomatic expressions: as a rule, make a request, red tape, sure thing, spin on a dime, and, of course, sports terms.

McElroy also offers expertise and experience in managing the technology, local market knowledge, and infrastructure necessary to deliver your localized website consistently and effectively. We provide localization of text and visual content combined with site-design expertise. We are able to perform functionality testing, maintain version control, leverage prior translations, and work with your content-management system to ensure consistency.

Research shows that translating your website has key benefits such as:

• Significantly greater market exposure
• Product/service awareness and recognition
• Customer retention; all of which translate into profit.

Call support for existing customers is reduced

When considering website localization, the most obvious return on investment comes from the cost savings associated with reduced support center calls from existing clients. The more product information provided in the user's native language, the less likely the user will feel the need to call the support center. Some companies average as much as $25 a call to provide information that could have easily been located on the website. A nonnative English user will feel more comfortable accessing the information from the website if they know it is provided in a high-quality version of their own language.

New and potential customers are more likely to find you

When a nonnative English speaker is searching for your product on the web, "Security Appliance" for instance, the user may type in some of the keywords in his or her own language. If your website is English only, you are likely to be missed by these searches. Since web searching is no longer predominantly in English, a large chunk of your global market will never find you and do business with you. Read how one company has grown their business through reaching out to the first generation Hispanic population in the United States.

Marketing to the U.S. Hispanics Website

THE CHALLENGE
Founded in 1922, Williamson-Dickie is a global supplier of workwear, and, in more recent years, the company has expanded to outerwear, denim and children's apparel. In 2004, the company announced plans to launch a major Hispanic marketing initiative to gain market share and solidify brand loyalty with the millions of hardworking Hispanics in the U.S. Williamson-Dickie's first step was to translate the marketing materials on their website into Spanish. Localization has been ongoing, and a guaranteed turnaround time is essential.

THE SOLUTION
Localization of text and graphics are completed within a five business day turnaround to ensure Dickie's current offerings and marketing materials are posted to their website, meeting critical deadlines for market objectives. Graphics are recreated in Spanish using Macromedia Fireworks, mirroring the source files to maintain the familiar brand identity. Links and rollovers are tested prior to delivery, guaranteeing their functionality and correctness.

From McElroy's twelve-year veteran Translation Manager, "Selection of translators and editors for this project was fun. Of course the first cut was for excellent linguists. Beyond that, though, we had to ascertain who was "hip" enough for this client's material. We selected a team of four linguists: one each for lead translator and editor, who can exchange roles as needed, and a backup for each, all of whom are familiar with the project. To date this has enabled us to meet all deadlines with the same small pool of linguists."

THE BENEFIT
Williamson-Dickie partners with McElroy Translation for this Spanish localization to enable Dickie's to further extend their reach into the U.S. Hispanic market. Double-digit growth expectations resulting from this effort were met early, with some categories far outstripping original estimations.