Businesses have realized the need for translation of their software for years now. It has become particularly evident for establishing a wider database and increasing the number of potential buyers and users from foreign markets. This is also important to practice to stand out among your competitors. Many companies and software developers still overlook the need for software translation. This approach can make you miss out on a lot of potential of getting accessible, making more business, and generating more revenue. It is important to translate your software for better reach. Moreover, the software as a product becomes popular relatively fast so opting for translation can pave the way to a plethora of global opportunities. However, there are businesses and software developers who still find it expensive, and an additional and unnecessary practice.
Ignoring the importance of software translation can have significant repercussions for businesses aiming to expand globally. Here’s how:
Loss of market opportunities
Not opting for software translation services can limit your market opportunities. There is limited reach where only the people proficient in the given language can understand and use your software. This provides no room for the people who can be potential users of your software but cannot use it due to language problems. Likewise, with the limited reach comes reduced market share, and you don’t get to play and compete in the global market as you are confined to a single region only. It limits your potential customer base. Your competitors, meanwhile, may work on software translation and can surely enjoy a significant advantage while capturing a huge market share.
Damaged & compromised brand
When you don’t collaborate for the translation services and do not initiate the process of catering to foreign and diverse audiences, it reflects your lack of commitment, tarnishing your company’s image. It presents you as a business that is not very serious about the future and the achievements that you can make by making your software available in different languages. Moreover, if potential customers find that your software is in a language that they don’t understand, they might form a negative opinion, leading to a bad reputation. They might not consider you even as a brand due to not practicing long-term goals. This also puts questions on your brand’s credibility.
Ineffective marketing
Language barriers also lead to ineffective and poor marketing. If you do not opt for the marketing material translated in a multilingual format or translate it with the in-house team and come up with a poor and below-average translation, it can hinder your ability to connect with the potential target audiences. Hence, it is extremely evident to be considerate of such factors which can push you behind by not working on the translation. The competition in the global market has become fierce and it demands you to be fast and keep up with everything that can help you to be part of the game.
Moreover, you might also miss the opportunities that you could have been offered after tailoring your message according to specific cultural nuances of different target regions.
Legal and compliance issues
Legal and compliance issues are bound to occur when you plan to move forward without getting your product translated. There are regulatory requirements and accessibility laws that are different in different regions. Also, the relevant authorities demand the translated text in the official language of the region before they allow the distribution and enable the use of software in their region. So lack of translation may lead to compliance issues in the countries where people are using your software even though it is not in their preferred language. The language requirements can particularly get tough for industries such as healthcare and finance, as there is no room for errors in these businesses and regulatory requirements are more strict than others.
Moreover, there could be accessibility laws in some regions holding you accountable for failing to provide the translation for users who have visual impairments or hearing problems. Many countries demand accessibility factors to be considered for target audiences with disabilities.
Competitive disadvantage & no collaboration
Lastly, you fail to get any competitive edge. You stay behind in the race for not addressing and overcoming the language barriers. The competitors make most of this edge and can grab opportunities coming your way. The customer;’s loyalties also change. Not only this, but there are fewer collaborations with foreign businesses, individuals, and companies. No one prefers software that comes in one language that too in a digital age where software developers and companies start getting their products translated into multiple languages right from the start of the software development. Naturally, there is less revenue due to the inability to reach global audiences. It can limit your potential revenue drastically. Therefore, it is important that you collaborate with a local translation company right away who have native speakers in your desired language pair.
Conclusion
Software translation has become imperative to survive in the global market. Businesses who skip the process may have to face certain consequences, making them stay behind. They have to struggle with a lack of opportunities, strengthening their brand identity, ineffective marketing, legal and compliance issues, and a lack of collaborations.
