Website Translation Services

What is website translation?

Website translation is the act of taking web pages in one language and rewriting them in another. As the web’s global reach continues to grow, this is becoming increasingly important. Though some web browsers offer to automatically translate web pages for users, these machine translations are far from accurate. Often riddled with mistakes and mistranslations, automatically translated web pages are extremely unlikely to connect with international readers. All of our translators are native speakers of the languages they work with, meaning page translation is guaranteed to be not just accurate, but localised.

Sometimes, changing the language of a web page’s text can have a knock-on effect on its design. Perhaps most obviously, there are languages that read from right to left instead of left to right. To localise these pages, images and buttons may need to be rearranged. Then, there’s the matter of text expansion and contraction. Some languages are wordier than others. Translating a web page from English to German can result in as much as a 35% expansion, as German words and phrases can be longer than their English equivalents. On the other hand, translating from English into Mandarin can often result in contraction. These changes can again have a big impact on a website’s overall design, and will likely necessitate tweaks or major changes. The team at London Translations can account for any of these situations.

Website localisation can sometimes go further than language. Different pictures, symbols and colours will have different connotations around the world. A good example of this is the colour white. In Western society, white is seen as the colour of purity and innocence. But in other cultures, particularly in Asia, white is associated with death and mourning. As native speakers, all London Translations translators are well-versed in the cultures of different countries, meaning they can also collaborate with our design team (or yours) on reworking any elements of your website that will not have the same meaning when read abroad.

If you want your website to be accessible to users who don’t speak your language, the answer is yes. Studies show that consumers respond far better to brands that speak their own languages, even if they can read a website in their second language. Website translation is useful both for companies expanding into one new international territory, and for those launching a bid for international dominance. With London Translations, you can translate your website into as many languages as you need to at the moment, and then return at a later date for more as you continue to grow.

Our professional website translation services are far more likely to attract global customers than stilted machine translations from online tools like Google Translate, or built-in browser translators. Give your international customers the websites they deserve by contacting London Translations today.