How Localisation Service Companies Help You Expand Your Business Internationally

In everyday life, we often do not realize how many of the products that we use actually come from global companies. If you take a look around you or think about your daily routine, it might surprise you to see how much of the electronic goods, food, furniture, luxury articles, clothes etc. is produced by international enterprises. Thinking one step further and considering more abstract products/services, such as insurance policies, internetbased services, transport/logistics, etc. provided by foreign companies that we need each and every day, most of us certainly will not even be able to imagine what our lives would look like if there were no global businesses.

In this article, we will look at some of the challenges in international business expansion that those companies typically encounter and show you how localisation service providers can help them.

 

Different reasons for companies to go global

If you asked people randomly why they think businesses actually go international, the majority would reply that they simply expect more profit. However, when you ask entrepreneurs, you will soon learn that the reality is more complex and that there are many more reasons. Companies look for international business opportunities for many other reasons, for example when their domestic markets are saturated, their products are currently not popular on their home market, they are offered tax advantages abroad, they want to secure their spot on newly developing markets, try to branch out into new fields and many, many more. It is therefore fair to say that in most cases, there is much more strategy behind global expansion and that increased profit is usually just part of the overall business objective.

Challenges in global expansion

A company might well be an expert in its domestic business environment, but will still need a lot of help once it steps into foreign markets. Not only the legal aspects (tax, registration formalities, product regulation compliance, etc.), but also the different linguistic and cultural conditions are usually totally different and have a massive impact on the success – or failure – of international expansion. Common problems in the cultural/linguistic area may include the following:

– Brand and product names might have unfavourable connotations or meanings in other linguistic settings and make a product look ridiculous or even cause feelings of disgrace among foreign audiences

– When it comes to PR and advertising, many companies come to understand too late that successful product and/or service promotions always need to consider the local consumer culture and that a campaign cannot simply be transplanted 1:1 from one setting into another

– Translation is certainly one of the most important issues in international business development, but finding a GOOD translation provider can often be a real problem

Though these and many other challenges exist, it would be foolish to overlook the actual chances of international expansion. Each and every year offers new chances, and certainly also 2023 can be a great business year.

 

International expansion advice, best practices and the role of localisation service providers

Clearly, the challenges of global business expansion are immense and can seem overwhelming, but a high-quality localisation service provider can take away much of the stress. Let us have a look at some of the things that localisation service firms can do for companies that plan to go global:

– High-quality translation: Material that is usually translated includes all sorts of marketing collateral, product information, staff training material, shipping information, email templates and much more

– Transcreation services: In marketing, transcreation is often essential to actually reach your audience and leave a good impression

– Turnkey solutions for multimedia campaigns, including voice over, subtitling and other services

– Website localisation: Your website plays a central role in your expansion efforts; good localisation service providers are well acquainted with the various aspects of website translation and know how to guarantee quality in website localisation

– Preparation at the back end: Before you start your operations abroad, translation service companies can arrange interpretation sessions with prospective partners, translate business contractsetc. to guarantee a smooth start

– Design: Many campaigns need to be re-designed so that they will suit local aesthetic preferences and fit into the local cultural setting

elionetwork, your one-stop provider for localisation services in Singapore, has two decades of experience and has helped countless businesses overcome challenges and obstacles of global expansion. We are excited to learn about your international expansion plans, so please contact our friendly team now!