How to get a thriving e-commerce business through quality Japanese translation. Overview. Let’s begin with a small piece of information. We know that Japan has cultural and ethnic homogeneity. But do you know - almost 99% of Japan has Japanese as their mother tongue - making it linguistically homogeneous too? Before we elaborate on why this is important, let’s understand the importance of localization and Japanese translation for your e-commerce business. When you adapt to a certain local audience, your business automatically molds itself to facilitate culturally different expectations. The local audience then starts relating to your business, thereby helping you create a positive brand image in the target country. Japan is the third-largest economy in the world and with over $150 billion invested in its e-commerce market, there is a lot of potential to bank upon. What’s more? It is expected to grow tremendously until the year 2021 with the annual growth rate of approximately 6%. The only problem? The Japanese language has varied characters and levels of politeness, making it difficult for amateurs to navigate through their culture. Simplifying the nuances of the Japanese language. The language is known for its complexity. With three different groups of Kanji, Hiragana and Katakana characters and each with its own meaning and application, it becomes difficult for businesses to set the tone and style for their brand image. Hence, Japanese e-commerce translation and localization requires a certain level of skill and expertise. To ensure that your business sounds exactly like you want it to, we recommend you look for translation agencies that understand how to produce intelligent, witty and culturally appropriate content. Use Japanese e-commerce app translation to grow your digital presence.
One thing everyone knows about Japan - technology is their forte. Mobiles and tablets account for 50% of all transactions, making their online browsing preferences clear. What should you do? Localize your mobile app and strengthen your mobile marketing strategy. Also make sure the mobile shopping experience of your users remains the same, regardless of the language they’re viewing it in. Impress users with translated reviews and feedback. Word of mouth is the most effective promotion there is. Especially if that word of mouth comes in a person’s mother tongue, simple, relatable and easy to understand. In Japan (like in most other countries) user-generated content like reviews, feedback and product blogs have immense importance. It persuades consumers to buy the products in case the review is positive and informative. Not only will this influence buyers’ preference, but will also help you procure consumer engagement and product insights. Translate your marketing and customer support. Whenever a customer buys a new product, they realize there is an off-chance that it might not be suitable for their needs or it may come in a damaged/broken condition. In such a case, it becomes mandatory for them to communicate with the company’s customer service. When this service comes in the form of local, linguistically similar group of people – the interaction becomes easier. A lot of customers prefer going for companies with excellent customer service as it ensures that the customer’s needs and requirements will be taken care of. Optimizing your website to facilitate the algorithm of more than one search engine is a great localisation strategy. In Japan, 19% of the population uses yahoo as their prime search engine. Hence, in order to fully capitalise on Japan’s e-commerce industry, opt for various SEO strategies. Here are some examples – Make a list of keywords in the ’targeted language’ before your content creators work on the promotional articles, make sure your global website is not identical to your original website and optimize your global website to improve the quality of user experiences. Wrapping up. Translation has always been a medium of social and cultural transmission. It facilitates global interaction and sympathetic communication. Going for Japanese e-commerce translation not only signifies the effort of your business to blend in with their culture and community but also implies that you wish to connect with their ideas. Your business also appears more native and empathetic, adding to your brand image and sales revenue. To conclude, we recommend you strictly scrutinize the translation needs of your e-commerce business, choose a creative and efficient translation agency and calculate the impact of such localization to create a thriving e-commerce business in Japan.
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What is Web Localization? A study by Distimo showed that localized apps generated more than 26% of revenue from each region/country added by web localization. Localization is the process of adapting your website or application to work with other languages. So web application means customizing your website to work with other languages. It's important to note that localization is different from internalization. Many people get these terms mixed up. Internationalization is focused on designing a product (your website or application) in a way that facilitates global expansion. It's concerned with things like app design, app development, and coding. Whereas localization is concerned with language, time formats, date formats, currency, symbols, images, colors, etc. Also Read: How To Localize Your Website For China Why is it ImportantIf you're considering marketing your products or services to an international market without proper preparation, the result could be disastrous. Failure to plan properly for internationalization by localizing your website and application has led both big and small businesses off the global market. Here are 3 reasons why localizing your website is important 1. It's Necessary for Growth Businesses thrive off growth, in terms of revenue and size. Once your growth rate starts depleting or becomes stagnant in your local market, targeting foreign markets is the next step to take. 2. It Can Give You a Competitive Advantage If your competitors don't have a localized website, making yours localized can give you a competitive advantage over them by setting you apart from your competitors. In the same vein, if your competitors have a localized website and you don't they'll move ahead of you. Also Read: Beginners Guide to Website Translation for Latin America 3. It can Increase your Conversion Rate Your conversation rates can increase significantly if your website is already getting visitors from foreign users and you take advantage of it and localize your site. Studies show that:
Examples of Web LocalizationHere are some brands that got web localization right. 1. Coca-Cola Source: Coca-Cola Home Page Our favorite brand Coca-Cola knows how to implement a localization strategy. Their website is available in over 118 countries and 45 different languages. 2. Nike 3 Things to Consider Before Localizing your Website/ App
When localizing your web app, you should focus on the most commonly spoken languages on the internet first.
According to this graph, the top 5 most commonly spoken languages are:
These 5 languages account for about 63% of languages spoken on the internet. And you should make them your priority when localizing your app. 2. Use a Certified Translator While machine translators like Google translate are useful tools for translating documents, they should not be your translator for your web app. If you're not sure why you can read more about why relying on machine translators is a bad idea. Using a certified and trusted translator saves you from unavoidable pitfalls that come with using machine translators. And these pitfalls can lead to a poor translation that will make your users question your app's integrity. Also Read: 6 Reasons Why Mobile App Localization Matters For Global Success 3. Watch Out for Cultural Differences Using signs, symbols, and icons can be tricky in the world of web localization. That means a friendly hello in one culture, could mean something offensive in another culture. Having a certified and trusted translator go through all your texts, images, videos, etc. can save you from any cultural backlash hidden in your app. If you want to succeed in global markets- make sure you localize you content! And finally optimize your website for local keywords. People can’t appreciate your translated website if they can’t find it when they do a google search in their language. They say if you want the world to hear you, communicate in English. Consistent with that reality, most books in the world are in English. But out of the 7.8 Billion people that make the world's population, only about two billion speak English. These figures clearly show that about 5.8 Billion readers are missing out. As an authors and publishers, you can choose to exploit this massive potential by breaking the language barrier using book translation services. Also Read: Common App Localization Mistakes Authors and publishers will have their books translated for a variety of reasons, the principal one being the need to increase sales. Additionally, the world has come of age, and more people are now accepting and embracing international authors. In the UK, for instance, translated literary fiction books drive sales better than those originally published in English. If you look around, you will realize that international authors such as Elena Ferrante, Karl Ove Knausgaard, and Haruki Murakami are the names topping the bestseller book racks in the UK. In 2015, translated fiction represented a record 7% of the total sales, evidently punching way above its weight, of a meager 3.5% of the overall literary fiction. That figure has since risen by a further 5.5%. Book translation is vital if you are looking to break into the international book market. Any author who translates his or her book to other native languages automatically gains more audience. David Vann is one such author. Referred to as one of the most accomplished authors in the US, Vann has had his work translated into almost 20 target languages. Surprisingly David Vann has sold more copies of his books internationally than locally. Below are the reasons why book translation will increase your sales as an author:
1. Exposure to a larger Audience Your book is likely to reach more readers than it previously did when translated into one or two more target languages. More readers can access it, and that automatically translates to increased sales. Due to differences in culture, your idea may resonate better with foreign readers than with the locals. People are also known to connect better with information in their natal tongue, and consequently have a positive impact on their decision to purchase a product. The book Harry Porter has so far been translated into 80 languages and sold over 500 million copies listing top 10 on Wikipedia bestselling books. The book would not have been so popular had the author not authorized the translation. Also Read: Flawless App Localization - The Secret to TikTok’s Global Success 2. Less Competition Rolling ahead of your competition will often mean differentiating your product. As we already established, books are more likely to be published in English than any other language. Well, most authors will leave it at that, not bothering to translate. Book translation will help you maintain a strategic distance from swarmed racks, and you will consequently acquire more visibility. Translated books have a high chance of performing better in a foreign market since they capture the attention of readers who are fascinated by the idea of accessing works by an international author. Publishing in a less jam-packed market will also mean you get to sell more books as your readers get more options. 3. Advancement in Technology Breaking into the international book market in the past was a challenge. An independent author was required to have a costly network of resources. Head ways in innovations have made the world a global village, interfacing individuals wherever they are at a click of a button. Authors and readers are presently utilizing technology to bridge the distance gap that was initially there. You too can now exploit the international book market, since technology will enable you to engage with readers all over the world, even in the comfort of your home. Innovation has also achieved the most recent trends in the book business; the rise of digital books. Production of e-books does not involve printing, allowing the author to wipe out a large proportion of overheads. He will, therefore, have the option to net more than he would with print books. This reduction in production cost, eventually trickles down to his readers, creating a win-win situation for both parties. Undoubtedly, this is bound to increase his book sales. It is an incredible feeling to hold a translated version of your book and get paid for its worlds away from home. Like David Vann, you could be the next author who sells more copies of his book overseas than home, thanks to book translation. Translating your book to the target languages not an easy task you have to pay very close attention to the target languages and context and importantly accuracy. To avoid all this blunder and focus on your next book project, you need a professional book translation service who takes care of all details from accuracy to context matching and uses professional translator for translation projects. To know more click here Being able to speak both Spanish and English is not the same as translating from Spanish to English correctly. Besides, Spanish translation is not an easy assignment, and as such, mistakes can be made, which can lead to severe problems.
So, it is good to be aware of some possible blunders and correct them; this is part of moving from being a novice translator to an expert. This article will focus on some blunders to avoid when translating from Spanish to English. The following Spanish translation blunders should be avoided to keep your writing excellent, accurate, and top-class. Inputting the comma between the subject and verb. Several times, Spanish writers place a comma between a long subject phrase and its verb. If this is transferred to English translation, the reader would be confused, and the message can be lost. For example, any Spanish to English translator who copies Spanish punctuation is seeking the wrath of the assessor. Related Article: Challenges of translation from English to Urdu Love for the use of “The” As a translator, you should know that Spanish makes use of this definite article more than English. So, you might find yourself using “the” more times than is needed. Thoroughly proofread your translation and see if the sentences make sense without ‘the’ in them to avoid this mistake. Wrong Capitalization Capitalization rules in Spanish are different from the rules in the English language. There is less Capitalization in Spanish. The following are a few examples; the names of people (Adam Abril), names of places (Madrid), and names of organizations (El Pais) are capitalized in both. However, the following are not capitalized in Spanish; days of the week (martes), months of the year (marzo, febrero), languages (aleman), and nationality (argentino). Hence, when to capitalize letters in Spanish is not the same as the English language. You Maybe Interested: Flawless App Localization - The Secret to TikTok’s Global Success Singular or Plural? The word "people" in the English language refers to a collective noun that should always be used with verbs in the 3rd person plural. “People are kind-hearted”. However, for Spanish translation, “people” which means “la gente” is singular. Does this sound strange? Yes at first, but once you get a grip on it, you would be the best translator without any troubles. Writing “Consist in” Often time, translators write "consistir en" as the Spanish translation for "consist in." It is so easy to translate that the translator writes "consist in" and then put more attention on other difficult parts of the phrase. However, the right expression should be "consists of" This is one of the most common mistakes new translators make. Therefore, it should be noted that when translating from Spanish to English, emphasis should be on the overall sentence and not on each word. If you translate individual words that are not minding grammatical and syntactic forms of the target language, you will confuse your readers. So, translating from Spanish to English and vice versa requires a thorough knowledge of grammar rules and conventions of both languages. Does your business have an app that works well in your local market? If you have a successful app that receives downloads and positive reviews, it's time to think about app localization. App localization is the process of adapting the interface & functionality of a mobile application to suit a foreign language market. It takes linguistic, cultural, and technical differences into consideration so the app feels native to international users. Having your app available in your local marketplace is great, but it also means that you are missing out on millions of potential users in international markets. Here are five top benefits of mobile app localization for your business.
Depending on the countries you choose to localize your app for, the possibilities are almost endless. You can translate and publish your app on global app stores in a few weeks. Most countries don’t require you to register or comply with local laws. In many cases, international markets can become much larger than in your home market. You get access to millions of users with smartphones and an internet connection. Based on the features and audience for your app, you can pick a few international markets to expand into. 2. Guaranteed ROI Investing in localization achieves a positive ROI. The localization process can seem costly at first, especially when you have to work with professional translators for locals in the target country. But localize your app well and you will see ROI guaranteed. Once you start the localization process, things get easier every time you expand to a new country. The ROI on localization can be seen very fast. You can make your money back in a few months if you optimize your listing and advertise in the local language. Related Article: Flawless App Localization - The Secret to TikTok’s Global Success 3. Unlimited Sales Potential ccording to the study, the favorite gaming app Pokemon Go grossed $440 million in the first 80 days. Investing in a strong localization strategy, Nintendo was able to achieve almost unlimited global sales. They should study every new market and make sure that all the text, numbers, symbols, and images are localized to their target audience. You may not be in the same business as Nintendo, but for most industries, the opportunity is out there. Once you localize your app, you can publish on the store in different countries and do app store optimization (ASO). 4. Get a Competitive Edge The basic action that users take is to download their mobile app. If your app does not meet customer expectations, it will not last long. 90% of users remove apps as soon as they are downloaded. Only 16% of them give the app a second turn. What does this mean? Investing in mobile app localization is perfect and creates the best customer experience for your target market, giving you a competitive advantage. If a customer downloads your app and sees that it isn’t available in their language, they will delete it immediately Localizing your app improves customer engagement and retention. This gives you an edge over monolingual competitors 5. Good visibility Localizing your app's text, images and descriptions will give you amazing visibility in the App Store and Google Play Store. Both have sections for writing your description in different languages. You can even list the languages the app is available in.
A perfect strategy to make your app visible to more people will support more downloads. Even if you are on a fixed budget, you need some elements of app localization to get in front of the right customers. Conclusion Expand your reach worldwide! Although English is the most widely considered and widely spoken language in the world today, not everyone understands it. And if you are a business owner or service provider who needs to reach global audiences, language can become a barrier if you do not localize your mobile application. This can put your business at risk, limit your services to a specific area, and most importantly deprive you of opportunities to increase revenue. If you want to take your app global, check out our mobile app localization services. The Japanese language is arguably one of the most difficult and complex languages to translate. Translating from Japanese to English could be interesting and, at the same time, challenging for average translators due to its grammatical structure and unique sentence formation. Also, Japanese translation could be a daunting task because of the presence of some words that are almost very difficult to find their English equivalent. Besides, others could be based on the context and syntax of the words to be translated. However, the following are some challenges encountered while translating from Japanese to English. Related Article: Flawless App Localization - The Secret to TikTok’s Global Success The Kanji is a complex writing style to comprehend Kanji is one of the primary writing styles in Japan, and this writing style is composed of complex characters that translate into concepts. So, rather than making phrases and words, Kanji uses different strokes that indicate their meaning according to their placement within the sentence. In Kanji, there are over 2,000 characters frequently used, and some other occasionally used characters. So, it often advisable that a native is involved in Japanese translation. Singular and plural nouns appear the same. Plural nouns are usually not distinguishable, and therefore, Japanese translators must depend on the context of the sentence. Japanese to English translation does not make one ascertain whether a word is meant to be plural or singular, and this makes it challenging. Also, there are no clear plural nouns, so the way of counting changes from time to time, even with adjectives and pronouns. The use of tenses There are two tenses in the Japanese language, the past and non-past. When talking about the present or the future, translators would make use of the non-present. Therefore, one could be confused when translating to English, which has three distinguishable and clear tenses; past, present, and future tenses. Subjects and verbs are placed differently. In the English language, the subject and the verb appear towards the beginning of the sentence, whereas, in Japanese translation, the subject is frequently understood and not stated. This means that anyone who is reading through the text must base their understanding of the context. Also, the verb appears at the concluding part of the sentence. Some Japanese Words can’t be translated There are several words and phrases used in Japanese that do not have corresponding English words, thereby making it difficult to translate from Japanese to English. Now the challenge is presenting something that makes sense in English without losing the original Japanese meaning.
Cultural nuances pose a challenge. It is often advisable that translators pay attention to cultural nuances to ensure that the translation correct and the right context are presented. This is usually true in Japanese translation because translators must break down sentences into smaller units to truly represent the cultural nuances. For instance, in the Japanese language, politeness and formality are usually expressed, and it is something that the translator must capture while translating from Japanese to English. So, a good understanding of both the English and Japanese languages would make translators produce an excellent translation. Learn more about Japanese translation services here |