Then you can choose to have your website translated. When you have a successful Dutch website and are ready for the next step, then expanding to an international market is a logical choice. By offering the website in another language, you can also appeal to other markets and attract many new visitors and thus potential customers. In most cases, English is the best language to start with. Internationally, you can reach a large audience with it, making this a good first step. At a later stage, you can always opt for a third or fourth language. What should you consider when you want to have your website translated into English, and how do you approach it? Read all about it in this article.
Which domain do you choose
When you have your website translated, you need to decide under which domain you will host it. You can choose to host an English version under your Dutch .nl top-level domain. This is really not optimal for results on Google. A new, local domain name creates more trust. Hosting multiple language versions under an international top-level domain like .com is also a good choice. If you want to attract more visitors organically via Google, it is important to find out what your potential international customers are searching for. You can do this through keyword research. There are many (paid) tools available online for this. If you want to optimize your website, it is essential to know what the most important keywords are. Additionally, it is important to inform Google in which languages the content of the website is available and possibly for which regions that content is intended.
Advantage of translating an existing website
The advantage of translating an already existing website is that you do not have to reinvent the wheel. There is no need to come up with a completely new website; the content is already there. You can use this to make the translated website as optimal as possible. Moreover, you already know which content performs best in the Dutch version. Keep in mind that with the translated site, you will be addressing a new market. You cannot simply assume that the content will be valued in the same way as the original.
Hire a translation agency
When you choose to have your website translated, it is essential to have this done by a professional translation agency such as Interlingo Translation Agency English. A translation from Dutch to English is very precise, and therefore it is not wise to leave the translation to a standard translation machine. The text may be translated, but that often does not result in a well-flowing text. Professional translators not only have an excellent sense of language and the necessary linguistic knowledge, but they also imbue the translation with the right feeling and cultural nuance. Translating a text involves more than just literally translating words. Sentence structure, nuances in the language, and even humor must be conveyed properly. The text must come across in English just as well as in Dutch, so that a native speaker reads it as an original text and not as disjointed sentences that have been translated without coherence. Therefore, a professional translation agency certainly adds value to your website and is worth the investment.
Be consistent
English is English, you might think. But there is indeed a difference between, for example, British English and American English. It is therefore good to think about which market you specifically want to reach and to make a choice in that regard. Whatever choice you make, the most important thing is to remain consistent and not to mix both variants. That creates confusion and does not come across as professional. Of course, it is also possible to offer both a British English and an American English version on your site. This way, you can reach both markets.
Onepager
Is there urgency behind the translated version of your website? Then you can choose to first develop an English one-page website. A one-pager is a website where you can find all information clearly on one page. This can be a temporary solution while the full website still needs to be translated. The advantage of this one-pager is the speed with which you can be online. If you need a translated website in the short term, a one-pager may be an option.
