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One question that business looking to expand internationally often ask is whether they should translate their website into various languages or have a single central website in English for all their international customers.

A single website in English works best if the majority of your customers are native English speakers. However, you will need to think about which type of English you want to use. Will your customers tend to prefer UK, US or Australian English? This will have an impact on the spelling, grammar, vocabulary and style choices. It is also best to avoid cultural references that are specific to a certain country, as they might confuse your audience.

However, if you are mainly targeting people in non-English-speaking countries, it makes sense to get your website pages and keywords professionally translated by a native speaker. Indeed, research shows that 75% of consumers prefer to buy products in their native language. It may also be useful to brainstorm cultural differences between your current English-speaking market and the new market you are trying to reach to avoid any faux pas. You should make sure that the colours, the images and the branding you use are culturally appropriate and reflect the local environment (climate, architecture, etc.). 

Once you have made the decision to translate your website, you have two options available to you. You can keep your current website and add a button to change the language. This lowers your costs and still provides you with a unique URL you can provide to your customers. However, you may struggle with SEO for this new market. You can also get a relevant domain name in the target language and register this with the appropriate country suffix (for example, in France your website should end with ‘.fr’). In this instance, your translated site will rank higher on search engines and customers will find it easier to use and buy from.

So, to summarise, you can:

•  keep your current website in English but 'internationalise' it by removing any specific cultural references
• translate your existing website into another language (or several other languages) to allow your target customers to read the information in their native language(s)
• create a new website for the new market(s) to which you are expanding, with a relevant domain name and suffix for that language and culture.

• A central website in English will work well for customers with a native level of English
• If you need to add many different languages to your website, then it will be more cost-effective to keep the same URL and provide the option to read the text in the different languages
• If you are mainly targeting a specific country, then the most efficient option will be to create a new website completely tailored to this new market

Interpreting and translation are closely related, yet they are rarely performed by the same people. Interpreters work with spoken language, transferring the meaning of an oral text (such as a speech) from one language to another, as opposed to translators, who transfer the meaning of a written text from one language into another.

However, within these categories, there are also different types of translators and interpreters. Here are some of the most commonly terms used to describe them.

Accredited translator

A translator who has received accreditation from a professional association, such as the Chartered Institute of Linguists.

Certified translator 

As there is no official certification program for translators in the UK, there is no such thing a certified translator per se. Only translators who are accredited with the two main professional translation associations in the UK (Chartered Institute of Linguists and Institute of Translation and Interpreting) may produce a certificate of translation to accompany the translation of official documents.

Certified court interpreter

A person who has passed an examination to assess competency to interpret during court proceedings, usually the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI) in the UK.

Chartered Linguist

A practitioner who is committed to maintaining high professional standards, continually developing professional language skills and specialist knowledge, awarded this status as a badge of quality and confidence by the Chartered Institute of Linguists.

Conference interpreter

An interpreter trained, knowledgeable and experienced in conference interpretation (oral translation of a speech during a conference or convention).

Conference translator

A person who translates written text intended for use during a conference, or generated during a conference (such as conference proceedings, etc.).

Consecutive interpreter

An interpreter who listens while the speaker speaks and then interprets while the speaker pauses, either for a specific person or for the entire room.

Legal interpreter

Highly skilled interpreter with an extensive knowledge of comparative law who interprets at continuing legal education seminars, bar association conventions, etc.

Legal translator

A translator with an extensive knowledge of comparative law who specialises in international legal documents such as contracts, licenses, franchises and legislation.

Literary translator

A translator who specialises in the translation of fiction, such as novels and poetry.

Medical interpreter

A highly skilled interpreter with knowledge of medical procedures and specialities, who interprets during medical conventions, continuing medical education seminars, medical equipment demonstrations, teaching of new surgical procedures, etc. 

Medical translator

A translator who specialises in the translation of medical texts, such as research, medical devices, medical equipment manuals, books, patents, etc.

Simultaneous interpreter

A person who translates speech orally into another language at the same time and at the same rate of speech as the speaker.

Sworn translator

In some countries, such as France, a sworn translator is a certified translator accredited to translate court documents.

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