Localisation Archives - AISA Digital

AI Translation: Expectations Vs. Reality

13 June 2019 Posted by Elite Asia AI translation, language, machine translation, technology No Comments

AI technology has drastically improved due to scientists enabling computer programs to ‘self-learn’. Hence, a computer can re-program its own code in order to function better at its task at hand. Which begs the question, is AI translation set to become another norm in our lives?

What is AI Translation?

Rather than using a human translator, an AI translation will automatically translate one language into another. As a result, allowing you to comprehend what someone is saying in another language and hold a conversation with them.

AI technology can read individual words in a number of languages. It finds the similarities between the different languages that exist between words. Thereafter, building a translation!

The Advantages of AI Translation

When people hear that AI translation tools exist, they tend to expect translation tools used in sci-fi programs. Such as Doctor Who and Star Trek, where you hear people talking in your native tongue. However, this is far from reality!

Instead, the main advantages of AI translator tools in comparison to human translators is that AI is both cheaper and quicker. Here are some of the other advantages of using AI to translate languages:

Quality in domain- and language-specific engines is enhanced
Incredibly quick, normally only takes a minute or so
Ideal for websites
AI tools will let you translate a large number of languages, whereas a human may only be able to translate one or two
Becoming more accurate

The Disadvantages of AI Translation

Although machine translation looks good on paper, there are a number of disadvantages:

Accuracy can be low in some industries. (You may not realise this as you may be unfamiliar with the language)
Mass localisation is poor, with some languages giving more accurate results than others
AI does not recognise the context something is said in, so can produce confusing results
A language mistake can be very costly i.e. a tattoo in another language

The Reality

Many people put a lot of faith into AI translation tools because they see them as a fast and low-cost way to translate a large volume of texts. This is very common in industries such as Finance, E-Commerce, Legal etc.. AI translation may prove to be a powerful tool to achieve massive localisation. However, the accuracy of the different languages is not yet standardised.

In Conclusion

If you need something translated from another language, you should weigh up the cost of a bad translation against the cost of using a human translator. A bad translation will not only cost your turnaround to be longer but it also costs more money to resolve the mistakes!

If you’re looking to localise an e-commerce website or a large-scale portal, then AI translation is wonderful. In fact, you can leverage on a domain- and language-specific translation machines and human post-editing to translate high volume contents to targeted languages.

This encourages the user to repeatedly visit your website and may even recommend it to friends.

How to Ensure Your E-Commerce Website Localisation is Ready?

20 May 2019 Posted by Elite Asia global, globalisation, international, internationalisation, localisation, localization, professional translation No Comments

Business is going global and e-commerce is booming. That means you’ll soon have to make sure that your e-commerce business is able to keep up with international demand. But, before you can do that, you’ll need to make sure your e-commerce website appeals to the international audience. This is done through e-commerce website localisation. In other words, you localise your website in order to make it more relevant to your local audiences.

Here are a few ways to go about it.

User Interface

It is easy to fall victim to the false idea that your user interface doesn’t impact user behaviour as long as it is designed well. The truth is that the design of your user interface can have an impact on how it is received among certain groups.

For instance, factors such as character choice, word length, shopping icons etc do tend to vary according to culture. So, you will have to start paying attention to these details and make the necessary changes.

Exchange Rates/Currency

Make sure you update prices to reflect current exchange rates and local pricing trends. There are also conversion norms that you’ll have to follow. Each country has its own norms, so take the time to research and study such topics.

For pricing elements such as VAT, make sure the necessary rules are built in for when they’re applicable.

Payment Processing

It is an established fact that online shoppers tend to prefer shopping in their home currency. So, to ensure your e-commerce website localisation is ready, make sure your shopping cart is capable of carrying out these conversions in real time. Also, pay attention to the payment processing solutions used in each market. There can be location-based preferences with regard to this as well.

Legalities

One of the harsh realities of doing business across the globe is to comply with regulatory policies and legal requirements. Now, the rules and laws vary from country to country. This is why you need to start focusing on these things and learn about them. This will prevent you from having to deal with regulatory or compliance issues in the future.

For instance, using copyrighted material for your local website can trigger legal problems. So, pay attention.

Conclusion

As business becomes more global, there is no doubt that your e-commerce website will soon have to adapt. The facts are in and the simple truth is people prefer to shop in their own language. They want businesses to truly cater to them in every way possible. This is where e-commerce website localisation steps in.

So, it’s time to adapt and catch up with the trend.

Get Your Global Business Ready For E-Commerce

18 June 2018 Posted by administrator analytics, communication, ecommerce, marketing, translation No Comments

If you’re looking to expand your global business, look no further than e-commerce. You see, e-commerce is the future. The numbers are in and they’re pretty clear. According to last year’s statistics from Statista, the global e-commerce market will likely grow by 246.15% as far as sales are concerned.

That means the global e-commerce industry, which was worth $1.3 trillion in 2014, will grow to be worth $4.5 trillion in 2021. That’s a massive amount of growth. So, it’s clear that your business’s future lies in e-commerce.

But, how do you go about doing it? Well, we’ve got a few strategies to help you out. Do note that this isn’t an exhaustive list of strategies. There’s a lot that goes into establishing an e-commerce business, but we’re just focusing on a few key steps.

Start Developing Your Social Networks

Social media is the holy grail of consistent traffic and leads. So, leverage your social media networks to build an audience. Start by claiming your name on all the major networks. Establish your territory and start building your brand.

Also, choose the social media platforms that work for you the best. It doesn’t always have to be on Facebook or Twitter. If you’re a brand that relies heavily on visuals, Instagram or even Pinterest can prove to be far more effective.

Prepare Your E-Mail Marketing Strategy

E-Mail is the most important part of e-commerce marketing. Time and again, it has proven to be the most effective marketing channel for e-commerce sites, often providing tremendous returns on investment.

Localize

Of course, let’s not forget localization. As a global brand, you need to make sure your site is localized for the markets you’re catering to. This firstly means translating the content into the local language while taking context into consideration.

Then come in the other aspects. This includes using high-definition images to highlight products because images are far more effective than words. You also need to provide prices in the local currency in order to improve the shopper’s experience. Make sure you establish customer service channels that cater specifically to local shoppers.

To put it simply, make sure you have done everything possible to create a comfortable experience for your international shoppers. Go local.

Use Analytics

Analytics will help you set up your e-commerce business effectively. With analytics, you can gain valuable insights about your visitors and customers. This is necessary considering the fact that you won’t be dealing with people in person anymore.

So, to truly be able to see your online customers, you need analytics to guide you.

Get Started!

So, there you have it – a few basic steps to help you get started with your global e-commerce endeavor. Remember, the idea is to make things as convenient as possible for your audiences across the globe. So, make sure you assess their needs and requirements. Then, use the insights to figure out the next step.

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