Foreign Language Sites

Best practice when trading in a language you don't know...

[Jack_Hughes]

We have a successful ecommerce site in the UK. We believe that markets on the continent are not well served. We would like to sell more effectively by creating foreign language site(s).

Does anybody have any tips for this? My suspicion is that we could really foul it up if we are not careful. I don't want to have a site that everybody who visits falls of their chair laughing at the comical french/german etc.

I am concerned also about people emailing & phoning in french/german. We don't speak it so how can we communicate effectively with our potential customers?

[irnbru]

First tip would be to get the site professionally translated - if the custom is there then this will be worth it for the ROI.

As for answering in a foreign language, you should produce a FAQ which will answer most queries. If you do expect significant email/voice communication consider hiring a part-time native speaker on set days and make it clear that outside of those times (GMT,CET?) you'll handle them in English.

Learning the French/German for our translator is ill/gone home/quit might be advisable too!

[Ove]

Hi

Try this link and you will have some useful reading.
[webmasterworld.com...]

/Ove

[encyclo]

You might also want to read tedster's guide to producing a site in a language you don't know:

[webmasterworld.com...]

It's an excellent guide to the process involved.

[Jack_Hughes]

Hmmm...interesting. It certainly isn't going to be either cheap or easy. But, if we get it right I think it will be worthwhile.

Thanks everybody!