What do U.S. Hispanic B2B customers experience when they interact with your brand? Do they get a stellar user experience, or merely a computerized invitation to "Press 2 to hear this menu in Spanish" and little else?
Tapping into the powerful, fast-growing U.S. Hispanic B2B market means providing a robust customer experience in their preferred language, which is often Spanish. And it doesn't have to be complicated or costly to do so.
Read on for tips to level up your Spanish-language customer journey.
The Beginnings of a Bad Trip
For many U.S. Hispanic business owners and consumers alike, the customer journey looks a lot like this:
- A computerized invitation to “Press 2 for Spanish”—followed by being directed to an English-speaking customer service person
- A Spanish-language website landing page—with little or no additional online Spanish-language content to support the experience
- Multiple products, user guides, and other materials available online in English—but not in Spanish
- An initial Spanish-language contact—followed by emails and other digital communications that aren’t in Spanish
Such interactions create an immediate disconnect between what the customer is clearly asking for and what you're willing to provide them. It sends the message that your brand doesn't care about them or their preferences, and you don't have what it takes to serve their needs.
But it doesn't have to be that way. If you differentiate yourself now with a great user experience at every step of the customer journey, you can make inroads into this under-tapped market and get a leg up on your competition.
The Power of the U.S. Hispanic B2B Market
Here’s why this powerful demographic matters to your company.
U.S. Hispanic-owned businesses are growing at more than twice the rate of U.S. businesses as a whole right now. And there are a number of reasons their owners might prefer to do business in Spanish:
- They’re fluent in Spanish, seeing it as an important way to connect future generations to the Hispanic culture.
- They may not be fluent in English, or they’re working with others who aren’t.
- They judge how well you understand their needs by how well you speak their language.
- When online, they may prefer to research in Spanish, then verify it in English to be sure they’re not missing out on promotions and other information,
What's the value of reaching this audience with a fully localised user experience? You're far more likely to improve revenue growth and build customer loyalty before your competitors do.
Creating a Great User Experience
So, what can you do to build a great online user experience in Spanish for U.S Hispanic business owners? Mirror what they want in the B2C realm. More specifically, keep these best practice guidelines in mind as you translate your content:
Use the Power of Parity
If your online experience is significantly different depending on language, it erodes the trust customers have in your brand. Give your users the same customer experience, no matter what language they speak.
Translate All Your Marketing Channels
B2B customers rely on the information you provide. And your content isn’t limited to your website’s home page. Offer great translated content in every channel—videos, audio, instructional PDFs, third-party payment systems, social media and more.
Be Mobile-Friendly
U.S. Hispanics typically spend 25% more time on their phones than the average U.S. consumer. To leverage this trend, make it easy to use your mobile site and apps in Spanish.
Build Brand Loyalty
Once they have an authentic, trusted, positive connection with your brand, U.S. Hispanics tend to very loyal. They become brand ambassadors who rely on, and offer, word-of-mouth recommendations. Find ways to foster that loyalty, such as engaging with them in Spanish on social media.
Give your users the same customer experience, no matter what language they speak.
The Bottom Line
The U.S. Hispanic B2B market is under-served right now, yet it has tremendous buying power. Make sure your brand is well positioned to reach these passionate, loyal customers for the long-term with great content in their preferred language.
Look for a translation partner that makes it simple and cost-effective to provide your entire origin website and other content channels in Spanish, and make diversity in customer experience your strong differentiator.
Last updated on April 12, 2018
