Language Translation Blog

Spanish Website Translation - Should I Offer Both?

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As the Hispanic population in the United States continues to increase, more companies are asking themselves - "Should we translate our website into Spanish?"  Of course, it depends on each business and who your target market is.  But, it's starting to be a necessity, especially if you have a larger business.

I ran across two different reports with some interesting facts:

• 51% of online Hispanics in the US prefer to be offered Spanish-language websites.
• 23% of online Hispanics MUST have Spanish online (because of their poor English skills).
• In 2008, there are an estimated 23 million Hispanics online in the US at least one time per month.  (About 11.4% of all internet users in the US.)
• 28% of Spanish-preferring Hispanics are more likely to trust companies who have Spanish-language websites.

Here is another quote from the same Forrester Research article: "English-language sites are currently under-serving 7.1 million online Hispanics," said Forrester Research data researcher Tamara Barber.  "If companies are serious about reaching this growing audience, they need to offer Spanish-language sites."

OK, so should YOU offer both Spanish and English on your website?  Here are a few questions or ideas to consider:

• Do you have a large Hispanic population in your immediate area?
• Is your product or service local, regional or national?  (If you are a plumber in a small town where very few Hispanics live, then Spanish will likely not be worth the investment.)
• Is your product or service something Hispanics would likely use?
• Do you have any Spanish-speaking people on staff who can assist in communicating with the potential Spanish clients who might call or E-mail?
• Would the ROI of translating your website into Spanish exceed the cost?

For many companies, it would not make sense to translate into Spanish.  They don't have any Spanish-speaking staff.  Or, they are too small to realize the potential benefits.  But there are a lot of companies who, if done correctly, could become a market leader for their product or service because they made the extra effort to reach out to the Hispanic market by having Spanish on their website.

How do you begin?  Well, if it makes sense to translate your website into Spanish, here is what we need to know for a website translation project: 

• What is the URL to be translated?
• Are there certain pages or attachments which would NOT be translated?  (You can always translate your entire website in sections.)
• What format are the files in - HTML, ASP, PHP, Flash, etc.?
• In addition to translating the text, should we also edit the graphics and finalize the layout and design of the translated website and graphics?  Or, should we only do the translation and you will finalize the layout and design?
• Is there a certain timeframe for completing the translation project?

Those are the basic questions we will need to know before we could begin considering your website.  If you have any questions about website translation, please feel free to contact me for more information along with a free translation quote.

Sources:
Forrester Report - Half of Online Hispanics Prefer Spanish-Language Websites.
E-Marketer - The US Hispanic Online Populations