The world is now a truly global marketplace, with ecommerce forming the backbone of many businesses worldwide. Language service providers (LSP’s) now play a crucial role in supporting organisations in communicating to a wider audience and making it easier and quicker for potential customers to make a buying decision.
Language and localisation have significantly impacted consumer behaviour by enabling businesses to better connect with their target audiences in different regions and cultures. In today's blog, we look at this in practice.
Better Communication:
By localising products and services, businesses can communicate with their target audience in their native language, helping build trust, establish a deeper connection which in turn, helps to increase the chances of a purchase. For example, during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Nike launched a multilingual social media campaign called "Don't Tread on Me" that targeted football fans in different countries.
The campaign included social media posts and videos in multiple languages featuring local football stars and cultural references that resonated with native consumers. This had a direct impact for Nike by increasing brand awareness and engagement among football fans around the world by speaking their language and showcasing their heroes. By investing in language and localisation, businesses can gain a competitive advantage over their rivals by creating a more personalised and relevant customer experience. This can increase market share and profitability, especially in crowded markets.
Cultural Relevance:
By understanding the cultural nuances of a particular region or country, businesses can create marketing campaigns and products that resonate with local consumers. This is important because consumer preferences and behaviour vary widely between regions and cultures. For example, In India, McDonald's has introduced vegetarian options such as the McAloo Tikki burger and McVeggie burger, which have been well-received by local consumers. By catering to local tastes, McDonald's has built a strong brand presence in India and increased sales.
As most of the nation doesn't eat beef, it provides that additional layer of respect. Although this may not be a direct usage of language services, it's an important consideration that should be taken by all business operating in a global marketplace in order to increase trust and brand integrity. When companies localise their products and services, it demonstrates a commitment to the local market. It shows that they understand the needs and preferences of their target audience and ultimately increases sales.
Improved User Experience:
Localisation can also impact the user experience by making products and services easier to use and understand. This can help reduce customer frustration and increase satisfaction and loyalty, driving up repeat business. For our last example; Airbnb. The company has successfully localised its content and user interface to cater to users' needs in different countries. In China, Airbnb has a separate website and app fully localised in Simplified Chinese and offers payment options, such as Alipay and WeChat Pay, that are popular among Chinese consumers. By localising its platform, Airbnb has gained a foothold in the Chinese market and competed with established local players.
According to CSA Research, "up to 60% of non-native English speakers rarely or never buy from English-only websites, and 64% of buyers say they specifically value localised content." Highlighting the fact that localisation will grow your business. The scope for expansion rises every year, and its full steam ahead for businesses of all sizes. If your business or organisation needs nuanced localisation or a general language service solution, look no further than LanguageLine. Get in touch today.