BRUSSELS MASTERCLASS: NOV 18
http://www.6minutes.be/NL/Artikel.aspx?ArtikelID=11756&RubriekID=46
OSLO TWO-DAY MASTERCLASS: NOV 10-11
http://www.iallenkelhet.no/kurs-med-gerry-mcgovern-i-november
FREE WEBINAR – DESIGNING NAVIGATION WITH TASK MANAGEMENT
Learn how to apply best-practices in web navigation to increase task completion. Thursday Nov 13 @ 10:00 AM US Eastern Time (EST), 15:00 (Dublin, London) and 16:00 Central European Time. Register here: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/287386288
COPENHAGEN: WEBSITES THAT SELL: DEC 10-11
http://www.intrateam.dk/Default.aspx?ID=3687
*****************************************************************
IS WEB CONTENT LOCALIZATION A RACE TO THE BOTTOM?
It often seems that the primary purpose of localization is to create unreadable English that is cheap to translate into unreadable German.
A great many organizations do not believe content has any real value. They see it is as a cost, a necessary evil. Thus, they want to produce content for the lowest possible cost.
This approach leads to awful websites that lose sales, infuriate customers and damage the brand and reputation of the organization. What senior managers in particular have failed to realize is that these days the first impression many customers get of an organization comes from its website. First impressions last.
Let’s say that the primary market of the organization is America. Whatever attention the American website gets, you can be pretty sure the Japanese or German versions will get much less.
A large European multinational once ran a workshop in Japan with a view to helping it do a better job on its Japanese website. During the workshop the team was shocked to find out that hardly any of the Japanese customers in the room were going to the Japanese website. Instead, they were going to the English version. Why?
“The English version at least has a chance of being up-to-date,” one Japanese gentleman stated. “And the quality of the Japanese is not very good.” I dealt with a Danish company once who I’m sure had a very good Danish-language website, but whose English-language version was awful.
I want to let you in on a secret: You don’t get brownie points for trying on the Web. Web customers are ruthlessly impatient, skeptical and cynical. They don’t look at your badly translated content and say: “Well, at least they tried. I think I’ll buy from them.”
Do you know what some organizations are doing in order to address the problem of having to have multiple-language websites? You won’t believe this unless you work for a large multinational. Pull up your chair. Take a deep breath.
What they’re doing is reducing the quality of the content of the primary language so that it’s cheaper to translate. Here’s the way a typical conversation goes:
“You can’t write it like that.”
“Why not?”
“Those words are not easily translatable. You have to use these words that are easy to translate.”
“But these are not the words that our customers use.”
“Doesn’t matter. You still have to use them. Saves money for the organization.”
You may have heard the old saying: “penny-wise, pound-foolish.” Well it truly, truly applies to how many organizations manage—mismanage—their content. Somebody please tell these people who run these content sweatshops that in a race to the bottom everyone ultimately loses.
Cheap, badly-written, awfully-translated content spends its toxic life circling the drain. But it never really flushes away. It just leaves a stain on your reputation and brand. And if you don’t believe that then you don’t believe in the power of the Web.
Gerry McGovern
mailto:gerry@gerrymcgovern.com
*****************************************************************
Comment on this post at our Giraffe Forum Blog
http://giraffeforum.com/wordpress/2008/11/02/is-web-content-localization-a-race-to-the-bottom/#respond
SUBSCRIBE TO NEW THINKING (It’s free!)
mailto:subscribe@gerrymcgovern.mailer1.net
*****************************************************************
PIONEER, BBC, TETRA PAK, IKEA AND ROLLS-ROYCE USE CUSTOMER CAREWORDS. SEE WHAT IT CAN DO FOR YOU
http://www.customercarewords.com/
*****************************************************************
RELATED LINKS
Content is critical
http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/nt/class/cm.htm
New Thinking Subject Classification
http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/nt/class/index.htm
*****************************************************************
NEW THINKING NEW THINKING NEW THINKING NEW THINKING
By Gerry McGovern – http://www.gerrymcgovern.com
*****************************************************************
November 03, 2008 - Volume 13 Number 42
*****************************************************************
You may quote freely from this issue once you give proper attribution. (A link to www.gerrymcgovern.com would be appreciated.)
Permission to re-publish an individual issue is given, once the
following conditions are met:
* Gerry McGovern is given proper recognition as author
* A link to Gerry McGovern's website is published with the
following text and URL:
Content management solutions: Gerry McGovern
http://www.gerrymcgovern.com
* The piece is not modified in any way
* Subscription details for New Thinking are provided
* Gerry McGovern is informed of the re-publication
mailto:gerry@gerrymcgovern.com
WEBSITE LINK FOR THIS ISSUE:
http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/nt/2008/nt-2008-11-03-localization.htm
*****************************************************************
RSS FEED
http://newsweaver.ie/gerrymcgovern/e_rss.aspx
*****************************************************************
HAVE YOU ENJOYED NEW THINKING?
If you have, I'd like to hear about it. (Constructive criticism is welcome too!) If you have a minute, please send a brief accolade (about 100 words), describing what you like about the publication. This may then be published on my website, or in other promotional material. Please also include your name, title and organization (if appropriate).
Thank you
Gerry McGovern
Please send accolades to:
mailto:gerry@gerrymcgovern.com
Also, you might pass the word on to someone else, and encourage them to subscribe.
*****************************************************************
PUBLICATION SCHEDULE
New Thinking is published every Monday, 48 weeks a year (two week break during summer and winter).
*****************************************************************
SUBSCRIBING TO NEW THINKING
http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/nt-sub.htm
UNSUBSCRIBING FROM NEW THINKING
http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/nt-sub.htm
TECHNICAL PROBLEMS
If you are having any technical problems, please email:
mailto:gerry@gerrymcgovern.com
*****************************************************************