Each day, a million new users access the Internet for the first time. The multicultural nature of this phenomenon has relieved English of its ‘de facto language’ status on the Internet. Access by the user in their own native language has become an essential requirement for any e-commerce that wants to create a satisfactory connection with its potential customers.
In order to bring an e-commerce closer to a group of users that share a specific language, the most logical and appropriate thing to do is entrust the task of translation to a native professional. However, many brands and stores have opted for machine translations, despite the disadvantages and limitations of the end result.
Among the most serious consequences of machine translation for an e-commerce, you will find:
- False meanings that produce uncertainties in product descriptions and names.
- Dangerous errors in legal and safety-related texts.
- Mistrust of the brand due to poor quality content.
- A negative after-sales experience for users.
It could be said that machine translation makes a disadvantage of something which, in principle, should increase website traffic and international sales. You should also keep in mind the importance of translating content that is suitable for SEO, as this will engender user confidence.
Both content translation and localisation for e-commerce is an essential task that should be carried out by every brand that wants to grow. Data from the National Observatory of Telecommunications and the Information Society (ONTSI) states:
- In Spain, online purchasers exceed over 15 million users.
- China is the fastest growing market.
- The highest ranking goes to the United States.
- Japan accounts for 10% of purchases.
- The United States and Western Europe together represent 60% of online purchases.
Using machine translation for your e-commerce content that contains technical and legal texts and catalogues is not the right choice.
At BigTranslation we recommend the use of a translation carried out by native translators. Only a native speaker can translate and localise the text appropriately for the users of each language. Are you thinking about internationalising your e-commerce?
What languages would you like to translate into? Get your instant quote!
