Localising your website: Content Management Systems
Recent advances in Content Management Systems (CMS) technology mean that it is now easier than ever to build and maintain a multilingual website. This allows multinational companies (like QuickSilver Translate!) to have a single, centralised web presence which individual customers can easily adjust to their own requirements. (Typically by clicking on a little flag at the top of a webpage).
Essential to achieving this is the involvement of a linguistic expert who is experienced in working with CMS. Optimised localisation of a website requires a blend of expertise and cutting-edge technology (as any other translation). But, in addition it demands someone who knows the ins and outs of different Content Management Systems.
If a company wants their website to be in three or more languages, then it is highly advisable to go to an Language Service Provider (LSP) with project managers who are experienced in this field.
There are a number of challenges which one only learns to master through experience and extensive training. Let’s look at one example among many:
Internal links
It is common for a multinational company to offer its website in a number of languages, not all of which use the Roman script. (Depending on which market you hope to expand into, offering information in Chinese, Urdu or Arabic can be very beneficial.) Suppose the English original had a click-through internal link on the phrase “our best-selling product”. How would you integrate that link into the Chinese version?
Translation Memory
Equally, it is important to use an optimised approach to exporting text from a CMS into a Translation Memory (TM). If you are unpracticed in this fiddly art, regularly updating your website (which improves SEO) can be slow and painstaking! Using a TM that is tailored to a specific client can have a considerable impact on cost and speed, as well consistency and overall quality. This is yet another reason to go to an LSP which specialises in website localisation.
