Do you need to use translation services to sell your products overseas?

One impact of globalisation is that companies can more easily sell their wares overseas these days. If you list a book for sale on Amazon’s UK site, for example, you also have the option to include the listing in their German, Spanish, Italian and French marketplaces. This easier access to international buyers raises the question of professional translation services and at what point a business needs to engage them. 

Selling products overseas

The need for professional translation services will largely depend on what you are selling and where. In the Amazon example cited above, all you need to do is check the boxes for the other marketplaces and Amazon does the rest – so you don’t have to worry about translating anything. However, if you plan to sell your products overseas in other ways, you may well need help from a professional translator. 

Note that human translation is essential here if you want your company to have the maximum chance of success – relying on machine translation and ending up with poorly worded, grammatically ridiculous copy is not a good plan! 

What sort of translation services will you need?

Again, the answer depends on what you are selling. There are strict regulations in place for food products, for example, in order to comply with health and safety legislation. As such, you will likely need to use professional packaging and label translation services, to ensure that your goods comply with local requirements. Toys are another example of the need to adhere to strict labelling requirements for health and safety reasons. You may also need to translate instruction booklets and health and safety information, as well as the product packaging. 

Then there’s the marketing side of things. Selling products in any country usually requires a well-planned, sustained marketing initiative. Flawless marketing translation is therefore essential, so that your website and company brochures can promote your goods to new audiences. 

In this day and age, it’s also well worth giving some thought to social media translation services. From brand engagement to customer service, social media accounts play a key role in many modern companies’ marketing strategies. If you sell products overseas, this may well be how you connect with many of those who buy them. Customer surveys and market research will also require careful translation if your company wants these to be carried out effectively in new marketplaces.  

Depending on the scale of your operations, financial translation may also come into play. Will you have to submit company documents to the financial authorities in the countries that you sell goods in? If so, representatives of those authorities will no doubt want to read the information in their native language, regardless of what your own first language may be. 

Ready to translate? 

Selling products overseas is a time-consuming venture, but one that can ultimately be very profitable. To make sure you go about it the right way, contact Tomedes today.