Hiring a professional localization company is vital for your business expansion. Many sellers think that they’ll cut costs and minimize lead time by using machine translation or hiring translators from Fiverr. Both machine translations and Fiverr translators contribute considerably to the world of translations, but they won’t cut it for your Amazon listing. It’s crucial to go through localization.
Localization is the process of adapting your product and messaging to meet the cultural and linguistic norms of a specific country or region. While it may be tempting to cut corners and use machine translation or cheap translation services, doing so can lead to disastrous results.
In short, it’s great to use translators where word-for-word translation is necessary, like when translating a product manual or a financial document. But for your Amazon listing, where cultural nuances and context are necessary for conversion, word-for-word translations won’t do. You’ll need to take cultural and linguistic norms into consideration.
In this article, we’ll explore why hiring a professional localization company is vital for your business expansion, and how it can benefit your bottom line.
The Risks of DIY Localization
Some businesses may be tempted to DIY their localization, believing it to be a cost-effective solution. However, DIY localization can lead to a host of problems, including inaccuracies, cultural missteps, and lost revenue. Machine translation, while improving, still lacks the nuanced understanding and creativity of a human translator. It can miss idioms, cultural references, and humor, leading to confusion and even offense. Jana spoke about it previously in this article. In other words, machine translation still can’t replace the nuanced understanding and creativity of a human translator. Machine translation algorithms are programmed to translate word-for-word, meaning they don’t take into account the cultural and linguistic context of the text. As a result, important cultural references, idioms, and humor can be lost in translation.
On the other hand, cheap translation services may seem like an attractive option, but the quality of these services is often subpar. These translators may not be native speakers of the language they are translating to, and they may not have the necessary cultural knowledge to accurately adapt your messaging. Rushed translations can also lead to errors and inaccuracies, causing a negative impression with potential customers. Our translators believe that translators specialized in one field, say legal, medical, or financial, tend to be kind of “rigid,” and that native translators adapt more to the general public’s way of expressing themselves. Non-native speakers may not have the necessary cultural knowledge to accurately adapt your listing. Additionally, these translators may rush through the translation process, sacrificing quality for speed. Read this article and this article to learn more.
The Benefits of Hiring a Professional Localization Company
Hiring a professional localization company can help you avoid these pitfalls and achieve successful results. A reputable localization company will have a team of native speakers who are experts in the target language and culture, so your end result resonates better with your target audience.
Not only is it crucial for your agency to understand your target audience and how it communicates, but it’s important to find translators who understand Amazon. Remember, the platform has its own unique rules, algorithms, and best practices that can affect your listing’s performance. An experienced Amazon listing translator with an understanding of how the platform works can optimize your listing for these factors, ensuring that it ranks higher in search results and attracts more potential customers. For example, they can ensure that your product title includes relevant keywords and is written in a way that appeals to customers while also complying with Amazon’s guidelines. Would a Fiverr translator experienced in legal translations be able to do that?
Furthermore, a translator that’s experienced in Amazon can generate keywords in your target language, which is absolutely crucial for a well-performing listing. Each market deserves its own keyword research. The expression is different; so too are the keywords different. We’ve seen many listings where clients transpose US keywords into an English-speaking market, only to rank for a different item altogether, because the new market calls that product different things altogether.
Beyond avoiding costly mistakes, investing in professional localization services can also positively impact your bottom line. Well-localized content can increase brand awareness, boost engagement, and drive sales. By accurately conveying your messaging to your target audience, you can establish trust and credibility, which can lead to long-term customer loyalty.
The Cost of Cheap Translation Services
Are cheap translation services worth the cost? Think about the repercussions of a badly-translated Amazon listing.
Best case scenario – Amazon’s algorithms use customer reviews and sales data to determine the ranking of your product. Negative reviews and low sales can negatively impact your product’s visibility on Amazon, making it harder for customers to find it. This can result in a decrease in sales and revenue, affecting the overall success of your business on the platform.
Worse, it can lead to a poor customer experience, which can result in negative reviews and low sales. When customers are unable to understand the product descriptions, they are less likely to purchase the product. Imagine doing this in Germany, which has one of the highest rate of returns worldwide! Check out this article from AMZ One Step, which states, “If amazon detects your order of defect rate (ODR) to be higher than 1%, as a result of negative ratings and reviews, Amazon will revoke your selling privileges.” There goes all your inventory. It’ll be time to liquidate those products elsewhere, likely below cost.
Final Thoughts
Expanding your business to new markets can be a lucrative opportunity for growth, but localization is essential for success. The risks of DIY localization or using cheap translation services can lead to costly mistakes and lost revenue. Investing in a professional localization company can help you achieve accurate, culturally sensitive messaging that resonates with your target audience and drives sales.
Don’t let poor localization hold you back from realizing your business expansion goals. Consider partnering with a professional localization company to achieve successful results and establish a strong presence in your target market.
Have you used a non-native speaker to translate your listing? Submit it for a Free Listing Review and we’ll take a look at where you can improve!