Today, in the era of globalisation and technology developments, it is easier than ever before for business owners to successfully approach international markets through their digital presence. Nevertheless, it is important to bear in mind that international expansion is a complicated process which requires a ton of research, careful planning and precise execution, even today.

Nowadays, a growing number of UK start-ups, SMEs, as well larger, more established in their home markets organisations decide to expand internationally. Business owners see the true potential which lies in foreign markets and do their best in order to approach new, potential customers.

In today’s world, having a website for your business simply isn’t enough any longer. A business must do their very best in order to approach potential clients from an individual, localised angle. Here are 3 tips which can help you in implementing just that.

Translate

Studies show, that 55% of the internet’s content is in English, but only about 25% of its users come from countries where English is the first language. Accessing the non-English speaking markets will potentially allow you to more than double your audience and growth. A great way of ensuring that your website is translated professionally, is working with a translation agency specialising in business translations. Although this is something that will have to be incorporated within your budget, the long term effects can be truly remarkable. A 2014 survey by common sense advisory suggest that 75% of respondents are more likely to make a purchase if information about the service or product is available in their native language. As you can see, the potential benefits coming from working with a professional translation agency can be truly great.

Localise

Although language translations are extremely important, you should take this even a step further and also localise your website completely. Aside from the language, there are many differences which are quite prominent when it comes to international markets. An example of this could be currency used in a particular country or the way in which a person perceives a marketing message. A number of factors can influence this, including political, social or religious aspects and all of those simply must be taken into consideration when approaching new, foreign markets. When translating your website, it’s strongly advised to enquire about localisation services with the translation agency you’re working with.

International SEO

In some competitive markets, a strong digital presence can give businesses an edge over their competitors. A well-rounded, planned and executed multilingual SEO strategy can be a truly great benefit for any company. It is important to remember that the search engines are now becoming incredibly intelligent and do their best in order to imitate human behaviours. Translating your content into your new market’s local language will allow you to target potential customers through search engines organically, as such pages will display higher in the result’s page in that particular country.

As you can see, approaching new, foreign markets through your digital efforts can be very rewarding. Nevertheless, the times when just having a website was enough, are long gone. Nowadays, foreign customers expect the companies to go an extra mile in order to approach them from an individual and tailored angle. Translating or localising your website and other digital channels is a great place to start. This is true not only for approaching customers abroad, but can also be true on your home ground. In any multicultural city, anyone from a private dentist in London to a start-up businesses and already established, larger corporations can take a full advantage of their potential clients, only when all of the above boxes are ticked.