The Importance of Translations in Business
People often scrutinise labels and packaging when buying products. Some want to understand the instructions for using a particular product. In contrast, others want to learn whether the ingredients suit their dietary needs.
Data shows that 33% of female and 30% of male respondents prefer reading labels when buying packaged food. This shows that providing labels in the customer’s preferred language is a significant factor in their purchasing decision. Companies should show that they care about customers by making their labels and packaging accessible in their customer’s preferred language. This increases customer satisfaction and enhances market appeal, potentially leading to increased sales.
Providing expert translation services isn’t a mere courtesy but an essential element of effective marketing your business needs to consider. It broadens market appeal and increases customer satisfaction, which means more business. For instance, when Coca-Cola expanded its market to China, it didn’t just translate its brand name but also its product labels and marketing materials. This attention to detail and cultural sensitivity helped them establish a strong presence in the Chinese market.
Why Label Translations Matter
One of the best ways to grow your business is to connect with every potential audience regardless of location. Businesses often consider factors like profession, gender, age, and demand when identifying a target market, but they frequently overlook language.
Expanding your market internationally means comprehending the language differences and cultural nuances. What works in one country may not work in another because words and phrases carry different meanings. Therefore, reviewing every part of your marketing strategy before entering a new region is essential. This ensures you don’t unintentionally alienate potential customers and helps them understand your brand’s message.
Product labels and packaging are crucial to your business identity. Clear, detailed, and accurately translated product labels can significantly impact a customer’s purchasing decision. Here’s why else they matter.
Compliance With Regulations
Each country has its own set of rules and regulations dictating what needs to be on product labels. These regulations aren’t just suggestions; they’re the law.
For instance, if you’re a UK-based company owning a food business, you must enlist all ingredients on the product label, as highlighted by the European Union (EU).
The EU mentions that the information must be precise and not misleading. This isn’t any different for cosmetic products. All ingredients, usage instructions, and safety warnings must be available in the customer’s native language. This means you need to ensure that every piece of information on your label is translated accurately into the languages spoken in your target market.
Failure to comply with these regulations can result in hefty fines, product recalls and even bans from selling your product. Complying with these regulations saves you from unwanted scenarios. It makes customers feel you value their language and culture, strengthening your brand reputation.
Consumer Safety
Clear and accurate product label translations are necessary and essential for ensuring consumer safety. They empower individuals to make informed choices and use products responsibly, reducing the risk of adverse consequences.
Imagine a traveller from the United Kingdom buys a popular headache medicine while visiting another country. Due to poor translation on the packaging, the dosage instructions are unclear. This leads the traveller to take the wrong amount of medicine, resulting in adverse side effects that require medical attention. Accurate translations could have prevented this problem by providing clear and correct dosage instructions.
The same goes for chemical-based cleaning products. Accurate translations can minimise the likelihood of accidents and injuries.
Brand Image & Credibility
Say your customers stumbled upon your website or saw your product on a shelf, but something felt off. The text was riddled with spelling mistakes, awkward phrases, and a lack of meaning. What would be their first impression? It likely won’t be a good one.
This is where professional marketing translations come into play. When companies spend time and effort translating their content accurately, it sends a powerful message. It shows that they care about their brand reputation and customer experience, no matter where they are.
Professional translation isn’t about translating words from one language to another but upholding your brand’s image and credibility in a new market. It shows you’re committed to delivering quality and attention to detail, regardless of customer location.
Market Expansion
Going global can mean more return on investment, but only if you invest in quality marketing translation services. If your product labels and packaging are all in English, and you’re looking to sell your product in a country where English isn’t the primary language, you’ll be out of luck. Think about it: if someone can’t read what’s on the product, they will probably not buy it. But if you make it easy for them to understand, you increase their chances of trying it.
Enlisting all the ingredients, instructions, and nutritional facts in their native language allows you to reach out to millions of customers who might have overlooked your product otherwise.
Not only that, but they’re also more likely to trust what you’re selling because it feels familiar and understandable to them.
Competitive Advantage
If your product has well-translated labels and packaging in multiple languages, it automatically stands out in multilingual markets. Customers notice that you’ve taken the extra step to make your product accessible, which can make a big difference.
You’re showing your customers that you’re tuned in to their needs and ready to meet them wherever they are. Ultimately, that can decide what sets your product apart from the rest.
Cultural Sensitivity
Translation agencies consider cultural nuances to ensure your message resonates with the target audience. You can’t just directly translate a label from English to another language and expect it to hit the mark. Besides, what might be considered appealing in one culture could be completely different in another.
So, when you take the time to adapt your labels culturally, you make your product relatable to the people you’re trying to reach. That cultural sensitivity can go a long way in winning over hearts and minds.
