The pandemic has only made the internet a more valuable sales and marketing channel. The right language strategy is crucial if you want to be found online.
Interview: Rosi Dorudi
Published in the Austrian magazine Das Österreichische Exportjahrbuch 2021
There are various requirements that a website needs to meet. In addition to design and usability, it first of all needs to be found. It comes as no surprise then that the right keywords in the right language have a key role to play here. For Anita Wilson and Klaus Fleischmann, CEOs of translation agency eurocom, striking the perfect balance between global SEO and usability is the most important criteria for successful online marketing.
The coronavirus pandemic has given digital product marketing a huge boost. How did this boom affect your business?
Wilson: We mainly felt the impact of it when it came to redesigns and translations of our clients' online presence. The focus here was on more than just the specific topic of "online shops". Back in April 2020, many companies had already started to carry out a general overhaul of their online presence. Companies have long since recognized the need to invest in digital marketing to secure their future. Never before have we supported as many website relaunch projects as we have during the pandemic. Since we work primarily for big industrial companies, our projects are increasingly incorporating content marketing and global SEO alongside traditional website translation.
What advice do you give to your clients in this respect?
Fleischmann: SEO is all about getting users to the website. Being found is the top priority. A website may as well not exist if nobody searches for it or, in other words, global SEO keywords aren't taken into account.
Wilson: Optimizing an online presence starts with planning and implementing source elements. We use these to develop a customized SEO strategy for the various markets and requirements together with the client. The fact that we specialize in many different languages allows us to offer a broader range of services in comparison with digital agencies, including content marketing consultancy services and blog post topics. This is particularly beneficial to large, export-oriented companies that are looking to commission a complete package.
How many languages do clients want their online shops translated into?
Fleischmann: We mainly support companies in the DACH region. Here we translate into all EU languages of relevance to the European market. Having said that, we also have clients who have content translated into 40 languages because East Asia represents an attractive market for them, for instance.
Wilson: In order to stand out from the competition, it's crucial that content in the online sector and for online shops is first of all available in a user's native language. Statistics show that 55 percent of customers will only purchase from a website if they can access it in their mother tongue. During translation, it's vital not to forget about the finer details such as the respective currency and other units of measure either.
Fleischmann: This kind of localization is even more important when it comes to B2B. Studies show that 84 percent of buyers will only make a purchase if the online shop is available in their local language.
Has the boost to digitalization provided by the coronavirus had an impact on new business areas from your perspective?
Fleischmann: We've seen a big push toward cloud technology and the outsourcing of technical services. Traditional companies in particular – mechanical engineers, car companies, and the like – who previously saw cloud technology as a taboo topic, have come to recognize just how indispensable it is. Efforts are underway to connect and automate all areas – and we're using our know-how to provide support here.
Wilson: The outsourcing aspect in the sense of managed services has grown considerably. On top of that, the importance of terminology management and global SEO is proving to be a source of fresh challenges for companies. Here too, we're on hand to provide targeted support to our clients. Our "Language Managed Services" make it possible to completely outsource specific language issues to us. The client benefits from our global network, which allows us to take on complex projects for not only one market, but many different markets.
Thank you for talking to us.
Any questions? Get in touch. We would be happy to advise you.
