| The great thing about online businesses is that | | | | site is to have a native speaker write the site for |
| you have the opportunity to reach more | | | | you. It's simply better if you avoid trying to add in |
| customers than you can in a traditional physical | | | | other languages too because you don't want any |
| store. But with that extended reach, you need to | | | | international customers to feel 'left out' because |
| remember that you also need to create your site | | | | their language isn't used. |
| with international visitors in mind. There are many | | | | Not Have a Translation Page |
| things you should never do on your website when | | | | When you don't have a way for your page to be |
| you are trying to bring in international business. | | | | translated for your customers, this can spell |
| Here are four of the biggest mistakes you could | | | | problems for your business. True, there are |
| make when dealing with your global customer | | | | websites that profess to be able to translate |
| base. | | | | pages for you, but they're not always reliable. |
| Use Clichés and Slang | | | | What you will want to do is create a simple |
| When it comes to getting lost in translation, | | | | English website and then hire a translator to |
| clichés and slang are the two things that | | | | translate it into the languages that you want your |
| you need to avoid. While you might think that you | | | | site in. That way, you can have customers click |
| are being clever on your website, these phrases | | | | onto a new link to get the site in their native |
| can often be interpreted as disrespectful and | | | | language. When you don't offer this, it can look as |
| even crass to some international visitors. Your | | | | though you're simply not interested in helping your |
| website should contain plain and simple English that | | | | non-English speaking contingent. |
| will be simple to translate and to understand. Your | | | | Forget about Currency Exchange Rates |
| sentences should be short and filled with basic | | | | Of course, if you are selling anything, you need to |
| words, but still rich with descriptions of your | | | | be able to price things as the customers will be |
| business and your products. | | | | paying for them. Have a currency exchange |
| If you are writing your own website content, you | | | | calculator built into your shopping cart experience |
| will want to go back to reread what you have | | | | so that you can easily help your customers. That |
| written down to be sure that everything is easy | | | | way, you can get the money in the currency you |
| to read in a literal sense. For example, if it's not | | | | wish to be paid in and your customers have a |
| actually 'raining cats and dogs,' don't say that it is. | | | | clear idea as to how much they will be spending. |
| Have a few people read your site before you | | | | You might also want to have a currency |
| post it up on the internet to be sure you are | | | | exchange calculator on the pages with your |
| being as clear as possible. | | | | products if you don't have the prices clearly |
| Use Other Languages Improperly | | | | adjusted. |
| The next mistake that many people make with | | | | When you are trying to woo international |
| their international website is to try to use a few | | | | customers, you need to make sure you have |
| languages from various cultures they cater to - | | | | everything they need for the transaction to go |
| but this can be disastrous. If you haven't taken | | | | smoothly and respectfully. |
| the time to be fluent in the foreign language, you | | | | Scott Oliver offers free video coaching to help |
| should not be using it on your site. The only way | | | | you build a profitable home business FAST. |
| that you should use a foreign language on your | | | | |