The hospitality industry thrives on diversity, cultural exchange, and personalized experiences. As more and more businesses expand globally, hospitality companies are increasingly looking to expand their operations globally. Unlike other industries like healthcare, government, or non-profits, you have the opportunity to test new markets easily simply with website translation. This means attracting new customers to your business can be easy and requires little global integration.
Venturing into international markets comes with its own set of challenges. One crucial aspect of global expansion is website translation and localization. We’re taking you through how to go global with your travel or hospitality company using marketing techniques and smart website translation.
Choosing a Strategy
The travel and hospitality category can be tricky to define because it encompasses a few different types of businesses. From hotels to cruise lines to airlines, each company may have to take a unique approach to globalization. For the most part, though, attracting new customers to your business will require possibly some local responsiveness and little to no global integration.
Since the nature of travel and hospitality brands means getting people to come to you, it's not crucial to set up shop in a new region. Rather, you just need to be able to reach a market through marketing and translation. This is called an international strategy. You don't need to change or customize your product or service for each new market, as everyone should look forward to the same experience regardless of where they live. You do have to find a balance between customization and standardization, as new customers may expect a certain level of cultural adaptation.
If you want to open new locations in different countries, you can consider a transnational strategy. This is more typical of a restaurant or other hospitality business that would not necessarily attract international customers. You are ideally drawing new customers to you, meaning you don't have to go to your customers. A transnational marketing strategy empowers hospitality companies to navigate the complexities of the global marketplace successfully.
Why You Need Website Translation
Among other marketing endeavors, website translation and localization is a crucial aspect of globalization. Without it, your international customers or new markets may not be able to find you. Did you know that 72.1% of consumers spend most or all of their time on websites in their own language? Additionally, 72.4% said they are more likely to make a purchase if the information is in their own language. This should tell you that if you're looking to find success in a multilingual market, you need to be speaking that language.
So, what else can you gain from website translation?
1. Increased Reach and Customer Engagement
By translating and localizing your website, you can effectively engage with a global audience, expanding your customer base and driving revenue growth. Localized websites establish a sense of trust and credibility among international customers, increasing their likelihood of making a purchase or booking.
If you're looking to engage in secondary markets, translation can help you test the waters. For instance, if you are considering targeting U.S. Hispanic in the USA, you may also find success with French Canadian in Canada. Going further, you can try localizing the translations. So, if you have Spanish for Mexico, you can try Spanish for Colombia.
2. Enhanced User Experience
Localization improves user experience by providing content that is relevant, familiar, and resonates with local customers. Users are more likely to spend time on a website that addresses their specific needs and preferences, resulting in higher conversion rates and customer satisfaction.
3. Competitive Advantage
In a highly competitive hospitality industry, global expansion through website translation and localization gives your company a competitive edge. By tailoring your offerings to specific markets, you can differentiate your brand and outshine competitors who fail to address the needs of diverse customer segments.
4. Brand Consistency
Website translation and localization help maintain brand consistency across different markets. By delivering a consistent brand experience, you can reinforce your brand's values, positioning, and reputation globally.
Localization: Adapting to Local Cultures
Website localization goes beyond translation and focuses on adapting the website content to suit the cultural nuances and preferences of the target audience. It involves adjusting various elements such as images, colors, currencies, dates, and units of measurement to resonate with local customs and expectations. Localization ensures that the website feels native to the users and provides a seamless user experience.
Additionally, localizing your website involves optimizing it for local search engines, considering multilingual SEO practices specific to each target market. This improves your website's visibility in search results and enhances your online presence in foreign markets.
The Benefits of Going Global
The decision to expand globally is driven by several factors. Firstly, global expansion allows hospitality companies to tap into new markets and reach a broader customer base. By diversifying their geographical presence, companies can reduce their dependency on specific markets and mitigate the risks associated with regional economic fluctuations. This is particularly lucrative when there are low barriers of entry to test the market. In that case, all that you need to do is translate your website.
Secondly, international expansion presents an opportunity to leverage cultural differences and offer unique experiences that resonate with diverse audiences. This benefits your brand and promotes recognition, increasing the company's competitive advantage in the industry.
Go Global Now… And Get One Language for FREE
Working with MotionPoint is the right choice for any hospitality company looking to go global. With the various aspects of your website, from payment portals to product information to legal disclaimers, MotionPoint can ensure all your content is localized at any scale. As a restaurant, hotel, travel agency, resort, etc., you need to make all your potential customers feel welcome and acknowledged
By including website translation and localization in your global strategy, your new market will be able to access your business with ease. Working with MotionPoint means getting industry-leading technology and beyond words service that will make translating your e-commerce website a breeze.
For a limited time, take advantage of our BOGO offer! If you want to test out a new, foreign market like Mexican Spanish, we’ll translate and localize for another language for free. For instance, why not try out Spanish for South American markets? Drop us a line today.
Last updated on July 12, 2023
