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Adding a Language Translator

Did you know that over 65% of Internet users speak a language other than English? The Web is a global marketplace, so it's important to make your site as accessible as possible. Even if your company is based in the Midwestern part of the United States, you may be attracting visitors from China, Russia, Italy, France, or Japan. Providing visitors with the option of translating your text into their native language is one way to make sure everyone who visits your Web site feels welcome.

Even if you don't think you have a lot of international visitors on your site, just two or three additional sales can make this extra effort well worth your time. If your site is simply relying on Google AdSense to generate revenue, translation services are a necessity since you can't afford to lose any visitors.

Contrary to popular belief, making your Web site ready for an international audience doesn't have to be a difficult process. There are several computer-generated translation services that should prove sufficient for most basic online transactions. For example:

• Google Translate provides translations for languages such as Spanish, German, Italian, French, Arabic, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, and Korean. Since Google is a well-known brand among the majority of Internet users, this service is a great choice for any Web site in need of language translation options.
• AltaVista Babelfish is an easy-to-use translation service offering Web site developers the option of including computer-generated translation text in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese. It is even possible to follow links on translated Web pages or translate framed pages.
• WorldLingo provides a translation service giving users the option to work with French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Russian, Dutch, Greek, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese text. However, the site's advertisements can be somewhat intrusive.

Although it is possible for visitors to translate your site by visiting these services on their own, adding the option of translating text directly from your Web site is a valuable time-saving convenience. Experts have determined that people have very short attention spans when they are online. If they can't find what they need quickly, they'll simply click on another site and take their business elsewhere. To be successful in the world of e-commerce, you must be able to anticipate the needs of your visitors while working to make their online experience as hassle-free as possible.

For additional information, read Digital Inspiration's Add Language Translation to Your Web Site. This step-by-step tutorial provides simple instructions for adding the HTML code necessary to provide your visitors with a free translation of your text using the previously mentioned services.

If you're looking for language translation tools to add to your blog or MySpace profile, check out the options available from Widgetbox. Even if you don't know any HTML, it's easy to use these widgets to enhance your online presence.

Checking the Accuracy of a Translation

Once you've added a language translator to your Web site, you may wish to randomly check the accuracy of selected pages. The Language Dictionaries section of the yourDictionary Web site contains links to a number of translation resources that you can use to compare the difference between sentences or paragraphs within a page.

Remember, computer-generated translations are seldom perfect. Text that is highly technical in nature is often very difficult for a machine to accurately interpret. Slang, pop-culture references, and highly informal writing can also present a challenge.

If a large portion of your Web site is made of text that is difficult to interpret via a computer-generated translation, hiring a professional translator may be a wise investment. The American Translators Association offers an online directory that you can use to quickly locate a translator with the skills you need.

As an alternative, you may also want to consider working with a firm that specializes in bilingual Web site development. This newly emerging field helps companies understand how their sites are viewed by members of various minority groups.

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