So you have decided to sell your products /services in Italy and/or in France.

Now is the right moment because, according to the latest statistics, the number of Italian online shoppers continues to increase, which gives great opportunities for the future, if it is managed well. 

Many companies are unaware that, as part of an overseas development approach, it is very important to be seen by your future visitors, as a “local”. If you want that your approach give results and generate traffic…. You will need to develop a “local”… marketing approach: if you want to gain visibility in a foreign country, your communication must be adapted to the local culture through the use of keywords that may differ depending on the country.

Different countries = different languages

LOCALIZATION MAKES EFFECTIVE YOUR COMMUNICATION 

Resist the temptation to save money on this step by assigning your translations to a trainee or, worse, to an automatic translator: the consequences would cost you much more than if you had paid for professional services. Remember that the mere literal translation of a keyword in German or English to Italian or to French cannot be enough by itself -from a qualitative point of view- to ensure your visibility in the country you are going to present: to generate the expected traffic you must find the right keywords. As Italy or France don’t use the same keywords used in England or in Germany you will need to find, from the keywords of your language, the right corresponding words in that local language: this process is called “localization”.

Be “local” through localization

LOCALIZATION GENERATE QUALITY TRAFFIC 

Thanks to an appropriate localization work your text is not only translated: it is adapted to the local culture thus generates quality traffic. Keep in mind that nonsense and misprints are counterproductive for your conversion rate, that is why a communication process in a foreign language requires the real ocal expertise that only a qualified, native professional is able to provide.

The localization of your website is an essential step for your visibility and credibility. As your content is the first point of contact with your visitors, it also may be the first visual hurdle, the one that can discourage a potential buyer to continue his visit. 

To be credible and give you the chance of getting the expected conversion rate your website needs, starting from its home page, to look more Italian than Italian / more French than French. Why? Because a local interlocutor reassures. Imagine what happens when a potential client go on a foreign website whose products you want and are confronted, with a home page, of say a French content written haphazardly, riddled with spelling and syntax errors, as those obtained by using an automatic translator. Would he/she trust that website? Would he/she be inclined to read more? No, they will probably do not. This is precisely what you want to avoid with your website.

Your foreign website is your business card, it represents you; that is why it is very important to look after its whole content by adopting a local approach designed to the culture of the country in which you want to develop.

For more information about the effective adaptation in Italian and/or in French of your web content I invite you to contact me via the “contact” form.

Serafina LOGGIA is the author of this article, you can use the contents mentioning the source.