Nobody knows for sure what the post-Brexit world will bring, though everyone has an opinion on the matter. Whatever the future holds, it will certainly be different from ‘business as usual.’ As such, many UK companies are turning to translation services to help maximize their chances of post-Brexit success. Let’s look at how.
Why do we need translation services?
Businesses need translation services in order to engage with customers overseas in their native languages. Translation services can also help businesses to reduce their supply chain and logistics costs, as well as to uncover new opportunities and partnerships abroad. Their value is higher than ever in this critical year for UK businesses.
What are the advantages of translation?
In the post-Brexit era, the main advantage of the translation will be that it can provide businesses with the ability to trade overseas, thus opening up new sources of revenue. For some companies, this will be a way to stay competitive. For others, it will likely be a way to stay afloat. And for others, it will be a way to forge new business partnerships.
The impact of Brexit on UK businesses has, of course, already been felt. The Harvard Business Review reports that Brexit-related uncertainty led to a 6.5% reduction in investment in the UK and an employment rate that was 1.5% lower in the two years following the referendum.
Using translation and localization services will enable UK companies to access global market opportunities, both during the transition period and beyond.
What is the difference between localization and translation?
Translation is the process of converting words from one language to another. A Spanish translator, for example, translate Spanish to English for their clients. Once they have converted the words from Spanish to English, the task is complete.
The localization definition is more complex. Localization involves adapting something to suit a specific local audience. That could mean a website, an app, a marketing brochure, a product or a whole host of other items. It goes well beyond marketing translation. Instead, it is about crafting materials that will, ultimately, feel as though they were originally produced for the target audience, prompting the same responses from that audience as from the original audience, despite linguistic and cultural differences.
Why is localization important?
In the context of Brexit, localization is important because it can enable British businesses to establish meaningful connections with international customer bases. Companies that take the time to optimize their translations to fit the cultural and social norms of their target foreign audiences will have a greater chance of success than those that don’t.
What is the best online translation service?
The best online translation service is one that can meet a business’s needs in a timely manner, providing high-quality translations and localization expertise. The ideal translation agency will be one that has both the linguistic expertise and the sector-specific knowledge to support a company’s efforts to engage with international markets. This will differ from company to company.
A business that needs an app translation and app localization, for example, may well find that their perfect translation agency is a different one from a company that needs a medical translation and interpretation service.
What the best translation companies will have in common, though, is a commitment to the quality of their translations and the quality of their customer service, as well as strict adherence to delivery deadlines.
Businesses looking for professional translation services can come across suitable translation agencies through word of mouth and by seeking out the best translation website online. Professional document translation services will provide native translators who can help British businesses by providing them with accurate, high-quality translations fit for their target audience(s).
Which languages will be most in-demand in the post-Brexit era?
UK businesses are in particular need of professional language services. According to Eurostat, the UK’s level of bilingualism is the lowest of any country in Europe. Just 34.6% of the UK population aged 25-64 reports that they know one or more foreign languages. This compares to an EU-28 average of 64.6%.
This means that translation companies will play a critical role in enabling UK businesses to achieve their full potential post-Brexit. The most sought-after languages, based on the UK’s current trading partners when ranked by the total trade (both imports and exports), will be German, Dutch, French, Mandarin, Spanish and Italian.
Translation for now and for the future
UK businesses seeking to use translation to their advantage in the post-Brexit world have a range of strategies at their disposal. Product translation can ensure that packaging and leaflets are in the right language (including support with any legal requirements regarding what needs to be on labels). Marketing translation can help businesses to connect with new audiences. Website translation can do the same, as well as serving to sell products to those audiences. Companies can even use app translation in order to provide app support to international customers.
With a mix of these strategies in place and the support of a decent translation and localization service, UK businesses can do all they need to maximize their chances of post-Brexit success.