How to Translate Your FDI Website for International Markets

Dec 4

A keyboard with different languages for website translation

One of the biggest challenges our clients face in FDI or talent marketing is cost effectively translating their website for target markets overseas. The budget for such an undertaking can quickly balloon, making plugins like Microsoft or Google Translate attractive. But those are far from perfect and can lead to embarrassing mistakes if not reviewed by a native speaker from that foreign language.

Going the extra mile to make sure web content is translated AND localized builds credibility. When your website is available in the native languages of your target audience, it demonstrates your commitment to serving their needs, shows that you respect their culture, and that your organisation is committed to a long-term relationship in the foreign market you’re trying to reach.

How can a place marketing organisation like an EDO or IPA translate its website in a cost-effective, scalable way? We review three approaches below.

Enable Auto-Translation In Browser

This is the low-cost, low-effort solution that still enables someone to view your website in their native language. Through your CMS, you can enable your website to be auto-translated within browsers so that someone with a different language setting will be prompted to translate your website. It’s as easy as that.

This approach does run the risk of expressing that your organisation isn’t as dedicated to that person’s home market, so be considerate of that. However, the user has low expectations of a flawless translation experience. Mistakes are dismissed without brand erosion and the visitor still leaves with the gist of what you’re saying.

This is ideal for extremely budget-limited organisations with a straight-forward message. It’s also great for secondary and tertiary markets where the other options below aren’t possible due to resources of time and money. When targeting primary target markets, we recommend the below options instead.

Utilising Translation Software

Leveraging translation software is a game-changer to scale translations across markets. These advanced tools, powered by AI, provide rapid initial translations, significantly reducing time and labour costs.

However, their effectiveness hinges on a balanced approach. Use them for straight-forward, general content, while reserving human expertise for nuanced or culturally sensitive material. This synergy between technology and human insight not only scales up your translation efforts but also ensures accuracy and cultural relevance, crucial for engaging a diverse international audience.

It is important to recognize the limitations of software. These tools, while improving, can still struggle with nuances, idioms and cultural context, occasionally leading to misinterpretations or inaccuracies. Over-reliance on automated translations can result in content that feels impersonal or disconnected from the local culture. For this reason, we don’t advise the use of free translation plugins like Microsoft or Google Translate. They’re just not good enough to do the job right.

Instead, we recommend using tools that allow for a mix of machine and human input through custom editing. Tools like Weglot or WPML (WordPress users only) enable tweaking automated translations to better fit the local context and style. (Here are some other tools, courtesy of Weglot.) Using these as a starting point, then engaging in-market experts to proofread the translations, helps avoid the embarrassing mistakes and can keep costs down.

To keep it scalable, focus translation on the core content pages like taxes, workforce and industries, and pause the translation of high-volume pages like news and blogs that will be harder to maintain regularly. This method keeps the workload manageable while ensuring that the most vital information is accurately conveyed to your international audience.

Full Custom Translations

If the budget is there, the most complete option is a full custom translation of the website through a professional partner. Pricy, but there are strategic ways to manage costs effectively. First, clearly define your most crucial content—prioritize pages that directly contribute to your goals, like those mentioned above with software tools.

Utilizing a blend of in-house expertise and outsourced translation services for different content types can also reduce expenses. Even local colleges might be able to offer assistance from native speakers for a reduced rate or university credit (so long as it is proofread by a second set of eyes). Additionally, negotiate package deals or long-term contracts with translation agencies for better rates.

To go beyond the website, as you’re writing the English master version, for example, think about how certain headlines, subheadings and other content can be repurposed for other content. You might be able to get the website translated, but use the key messages for other marketing copy such as social posts or ads in the right context. Thinking with the end in mind about how all of this will be used can be a great way to consolidate expenses.

Also Keep This in Mind

Regardless of which option you use, there are two importnat points to keep in mind.

First, if you have a brand-heavy, creatively-worded website where translation isn’t as straight-forward, there’s a good chance that will negatively impact the user experience. It’ll be a long time before automated tools can pick up on witty wording and translate it appropriately. The more you try for differentiated messaging, the bigger the risk that it won’t translate as well.

Second, regardless of which option you use, be sure to set the protocol for content updates. What we often see is that a website is translated and one month later, website updates start to be made with little concern of those translations (or other plugins, for that matter). Any time there is a web update made, there should be a process for ensure that doesn’t negatively impact the translated versions.

What is the most optimal solution? In the age of AI, automated translation tools are getting better and better. Those with the option to custom edit are our preferred choice. This is typically the best balance of costs and long-term benefit, although if you have low-cost options (interns, students, etc.) for custom translations, that will still be better. And don’t forget to ensure the site is optimised for mobile, regardless of the original or translated version.