Why 2026 Is the Year of Global Communication

The Tipping Point: Silence is Not an Option

If the last decade was about “going digital,” 2026 is the year the world truly goes global. This isn’t a prediction; it’s a tipping point. We are standing at a unique crossroads where technology and humanity are finally learning to dance together, rather than compete. At INGCO International, as we prepare to celebrate our 20th anniversary, we see 2026 not just as a milestone for us, but as the year the entire world’s communication strategy is either made or broken.

Why 2026? Because the “old ways” of doing business across borders are officially obsolete. The global consumer has found their voice, and if you can’t speak their language, they will find a company that can. Silence is no longer an option.

Take this quick assessment to find out how you are doing!

Top 3 Global Communications Trends

→ Trend 1: AI Orchestration, Not Replacement

For years, the fear was that AI would replace the human translator, turning language services into a cheap commodity. In 2026, we’re witnessing a powerful pivot: the era of AI Orchestration. Technology handles the heavy lifting—the speed, the data, the instant draft—but it is the human “Wordologist” who provides the crucial, irreplaceable “cognitive respect” and cultural nuance.

In 2026, companies that rely solely on machine translation will find their lips “sealed” by cultural blunders, robotic delivery, and deeply embarrassed PR teams. The winners will be those who embrace a “Human-Led, Tech-Enabled” strategy, using AI as a sophisticated tool to amplify, not annihilate, the emotional connection of their message.

→ Trend 2: Language Inclusion is Non-Negotiable Equity

Language inclusion is no longer an aspirational goal; it is the bedrock of successful organizational strategy. In 2026, Language Inclusion is the new, non-negotiable frontier of equity. Consider it an operational necessity. Providing critical information in a consumer’s native language isn’t just a courtesy, it’s an act of respect that drives unprecedented loyalty.

Whether it’s a life-saving medical document, the fine print on a contract, or a localized eCommerce platform, the ability to speak to someone in their heart-language is the fastest, most effective way to build immediate and lasting trust. As we count down to our 20th year, we are seeing more businesses than ever realize that an “unsealed” communication strategy is the only way to unlock truly global revenue. If your communication strategy stops at the English-speaking office door, it’s not a strategy, it’s a limitation.

→ Trend 3: The Demand for “Loud and Clear” Authenticity

The digital landscape of 2026 is brutally crowded and noisy. To be heard, you don’t just need volume; you need authenticity. You can’t simply “translate” a successful American brand; you have to localize its spirit. This is why voice—the actual sound and tone of your brand—is seeing a massive surge. Localized marketing strategies, culturally sensitive captioning, and professional voiceover services that capture local dialect are paramount. Consumers want to hear a voice that sounds like theirs—literally and figuratively. If your voice is muffled, your brand is invisible.

20 Years of Talking the Talk

At INGCO International, our lips haven’t been sealed since 2006. We haven’t just been translating; we’ve been leading. We’ve spent two decades building the infrastructure, refining the 10-step “INGCO Way” quality process, and cultivating a global network of Wordologists to ensure you don’t just speak, but speak brilliantly.

2026 is the year to stop whispering and start talking to the world. Are you ready to join the conversation, or will you let your competitors steal the stage?

Is your global communication strategy ready for the future? Download our 2026 Global Readiness Checklist or schedule a consultation with our team to ensure your brand is heard “loud and clear” across every border.

Your marketing team has just produced a beautifully designed, first-class sell sheet to send to your customer base. It has the perfect images, the perfect captions, and the perfect message — all in English. The one thing you didn’t think about — your global audience. How many prospective customers will never see your message because you’ve failed to translate the content?

Global Brands Need to Speak Global Languages

Simply put, your business has sold its products and services effectively in the U.S. Now, you are expanding your geographic boundaries. However, none of your sales or marketing materials are ready for this global audience. Fully translated documents are not a nice-to-have; they are a must-have to expand globally. Ensuring a good customer experience is essential in today’s economic climate. Properly translated materials help achieve this goal. But, there is more to this work than meets the eye. First, what do we mean by “proper?”

Proper translation means:

• translating your documents accurately while addressing the nuances of each culture
• ensuring that brand integrity and voice are maintained throughout the document
• editing all embedded images with appropriate translation

Working with a company that can not only properly translate your copy and embedded images but also has experts on staff to recreate your documents (as initially designed) helps your brand reach new audiences and leads to new sources of revenue.

When you translate your business’ marketing documents, brand images, website and more, you enhance your company’s content strategy to:

1. broaden your global audience,
2. improve the customer experience, and
3. reduce the risks that stem from improperly or non-translated documents

Multilingual Translation Use Cases

Website Translation
Website translation and translation of other online content now represent a significant part of translation services for businesses. Regardless of your company size, there are many benefits of translating copy and embedded images on your website or in social media graphics into multiple languages. Engaging your global visitors with appropriate content opens new doors, keeps non-native visitors on your site longer, and improves SEO and your company’s brand awareness in these languages and countries.

You should also consider translating the following materials into languages other than your native language.

External Documentation

• PowerPoint presentation
• Marketing and advertising (social media graphics, website carousel images, emails, newsletters, videos, tradeshow signage, and displays)
• Brochures and pamphlets
• Thought leadership pieces (white papers, case studies, ebooks)
• Technical documents
• Press releases and other corporate communications
• Catalogs
• Other forms of graphics and visuals where you might use an image with embedded text
• Product descriptions and instructions
• Sales presentations

Internal Documentation

• Employee handbooks and benefits package
• Training manuals
• Internal presentations
• Operations manuals and diagrams
• Sales training materials and presentations

Preparing for Content Translation

Content translation involves taking your content and translating it sensitively and relevantly for a certain region, culture, or audience. This is known as localization. To ensure the best outcome, there are steps you should take prior to engaging a language services partner.

The following process outlines the primary steps to help you prepare your material.

1. Identify and research your target audience(s).
Understand what is expected of your business from prospects in your target regions. This is likely to differ from your domestic target audiences. Additionally, research the cultural nuances of these target audiences. Later in the process, this information ensures that translated content appears appropriately. It’s important to not make assumptions about a culture or language when translating content.

2. Prepare your content based on your research but with subsequent translation in mind.

Here are some points to consider:

• Why are your services a good fit for an audience in a different location?What’s different from your home country that you must keep in mind? How do you want to communicate these messages through visuals and text?
• How can you use your answers from question one to target localized areas, populations, or individual clients? Include these points in your marketing and document translation plans. For example, are there images you’ve selected that would be fine for some cultures but offensive to others? Are you using the appropriate currency symbols, date layouts, etc.?
• Once you start designing, remember that everything will eventually require translation. For this reason, you should leave sufficient white space in graphics for text layout adjustments in the target language (see graphics and text considerations below).
• Choose Unicode fonts that include special characters so the translator can use them when necessary.

The Translation Process

A professional language services company receives your files (in your native language). They will meet with you to ensure they understand your goals and then will get to work. A professional language services company ensures accurate and culturally relevant translations that will retain your original meaning and resonate with your target audience. Often, they will enhance your content by providing additional relevant cultural information to you during this process to improve your messages.

With presentations and any desktop publishing images with embedded content, the language services firm strips out the existing language replaces it with the targeted language, ensuring not just accurate translation, but in the case of images with embedded text, also physical “fit” within the image’s confines. This is particularly important when translating from English, which tends to be a more compact language than others.

Expertise in marketing collateral, desktop publishing and the target language/culture is essential to appropriately arranging content within the confines of the original layout. For example, in one language, one or two words may be all that’s needed to explain a concept, while in another, you’ll need five or more words. In the German language, for example, many nouns are joined to make a very long word! Also, don’t forget that your target language may read right to left and not left to right. This is why enlisting the help of a professional language services organization is critical.

Cultural nuances and translations also affect your document’s original layout or design. Remember that an image may need to be replaced with a more culturally appropriate one.

Why Use Professional Translation Companies?

Given the complex issues related to translating text and graphics while maintaining brand identity and voice, cultural sensitivity, layout and design, using a professional translation company with layout and design expertise makes so much sense. Professional language services companies stake their reputations on the proper translation of native documents. Finding a translation company that also has expertise in layout and design makes your projects run smoothly and more efficiently. These companies work with multilingual content projects every day and do it better and more cost-effectively than you might do by hiring contractors, advertising agencies or relying on bilingual employees.

Design Follows Translation

Due to the reasons cited above, a professional language services company knows that the translation comes first and then the design. They focus on quality translation and correct terminology for your particular business, as well as specific diacritical marks – paying special attention to how numbers and currency, for example, are displayed for the dialect. The company then returns the newly translated and designed file to the client for distribution.

File Formats and Page Layouts for the Translation Process – Working with Translation Experts

Page layouts and graphic design are the starting points for your digital images. Your graphics team has the page layout skills in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Canva and Adobe InDesign software to create your content. These file formats are universally accepted and accessible. However, your team must also remember that translating the embedded text in any image or graphic element is just as important as translating the document text. It’s a best practice to provide the original InDesign file, not a PDF or other non-design format. Your translation team will work within your original design file to embed translated copy. Providing the native graphic files for visuals in addition to your InDesign file is a bonus step you can take to shorten turnaround time.

Why Should Your Business Consider Multilingual Publishing?

You’ve already read how translating content from your native language into multiple languages can increase your global reach and brand awareness. Multilingual publishing capabilities will incrementally improve your brand reach and foster ongoing awareness in countries where you wish to do business, leading to increased leads and repeat customers.

Costs of Doing the Work Yourself

Of course, you can always bring the work in-house, but here are some things to consider:

• Time: How long will it take you to complete multilingual translations of documents yourself accurately
• Resources: Do you have the in-house resources to translate content into multiple languages?
• Budget: How much will it cost to hire in-house resources?
• Brand Embarrassment: Will you miss an essential nuance or concern because your cultural knowledge is incomplete – thereby causing damage to your brand? How do you know you’ve done it correctly?

When considering the potential ramifications of even one of these costs, you can’t risk not having translation done professionally and accurately.

Top Reasons to Hire a Professional Translation Service

1. Investing in a professional translation service sounds like a low-priority expense, but it’s a critical investment in your future. The professional translation team ensures that your message is heard and understood in every content piece, whether in print or online.
2. Increasing your global reach in a customer-friendly way builds your credibility and trust in your brand. An expert language service company will maintain this credibility with meticulous translations.
3. No sales mean no business. Targeting as many ideal customers as possible – in their native languages, sensitively, and in a nuanced, culturally appropriate way, will ultimately pay for itself. This is the purview of translation experts.
4. You and your team are already fully occupied creating your brand, marketing content, and services. A professional translation service will manage the finishing work on your digital and print documents because they understand the nuances of different languages and will meet with you to ensure they understand your industry, and your business goals and objectives.
5. Professional translations improve your turnaround time and speed to market. Because of their proficiency, professional translation service companies actually reduce costs versus doing it yourself. These companies have certified linguists that ensure accurate, efficient translations, plus layout and design experts to bring the newly translated material artfully into the output file.
6. A professional translation provider has the editing skills needed when checking the translated content. As the final task they do for you, a professional service ensures that there are no missing items, formatting errors, incorrect or missing hyperlinks, etc. The result is a perfectly re-created and culturally translated content piece. This allows you to concentrate on running your business.

A Great Investment for Your Business – With Added Benefits

Expertise
Multilingual digital document translation is a technical process requiring software training and design expertise. These professionals offer the best of both technical and layout skills as well as translation skills and language proficiency to provide a well-rounded service offering. They offer efficiency and timeliness in finalizing your documents, allowing you to focus on other business priorities. In business terms, this combined expertise optimizes your investment.

No compromise
A certified professional translator understands the ins and outs of both the technical processes/software and the human side of translation processes. Using a professional service ensures that you’re not compromising any sense of visual or written consistency, or formatting once the translation is complete.

Quality
A professional translation services company will double-check translation accuracy and formatting to ensure that their work has left no information untranslated or misinterpreted. The benefit of working with a professional translation service is quality. You cannot receive the same level of quality using search engines, Google Translate, native speakers, or friends who speak the language!

Translated Materials and Documentation Help Your Business Advance

You’ve spent years honing your brand and go-to-market strategy – now it’s time to expand your reach to engage potential customers geographically. A professional translation service ensures the customer experience in other languages and dialects is accurate – anything less may have negative implications for your business.
In a world where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are the day’s hot topics, your brand and content must be accessible to those who speak other languages. Engaging a professional translation services company is an investment that repays you in increased brand awareness, customer satisfaction, and long-term ROI.

INGCO International is your home for all your business document translation needs.
Translation work is complex if you want to get it right. Whether you need translation in one or multiple languages, you can trust INGCO’s dedicated team of expert human linguists (Wordologists^SM) to efficiently, and accurately translate and convey your message with the desired emotion that’s both culturally appropriate and on-brand.

We also work in every desktop publishing platform available – Adobe Creative Suite, WordPress, Canva, handwritten notes; you name it!

Global marketing is one of our specialties. We know that marketing and communications starts with a deep understanding of people – their culture, language, norms, and preferences. With that in mind, we’ve engaged some of the best and brightest translators and interpreters in the industry. Our linguistic specialists collectively speak 200+ languages and live in 60 countries across the globe, giving them first-hand experience, insights, and perspectives into the local markets you’re trying to reach.

Our linguists are the heart of the work we do, and they’re supported by innovative translation technology that helps them work efficiently and improves consistency across the work, ensuring timely and accurate translations every time. INGCO International is ISO-certified, so you’ll always receive the highest quality translations.

Ready to get started on seamless translations of your marketing content and documents? Contact us today. We’re looking forward to working with you on your global communication needs.

The world is connected more now than ever before, but are you truly reaching those you want to communicate with? Connecting with other people and cultures around the world has never been easier thanks to global translation services. If you are looking to expand your reach globally, you have come to the right place. Let’s talk about what global translation services are, when you might need them, why you might use translators, and how to get started!

Global Translation Services

Global translation services provide translations for documents, marketing and advertising, training materials and other forms of media that are read or written from one language to another. Translators who are fluent in multiple languages can provide professional translation and interpreting services that help your customers understand your products and services, while allowing you to focus on running your business.

Website Translation

People across the globe use the internet every day to do their jobs, research services, and buy products. If your website isn’t easily translated into the languages your customers use, you may be missing out on their business. Utilizing website translation is a critical marketing strategy that will help you tap into new global markets, engage with your customers, and increase your sales. Your company will have an advantage by clearly communicating with people around the world and making it easier for them to do business with you, building trust you’re your customers and setting you apart from your competition.

Localization Services

Localization services, also called “transcreation,” focuses on communicating to a specific linguistic and cultural audience based on their geographic location, culture, and language. If you are doing business internationally, professional localization services can ensure you reach your target audience accurately and in ways that resonate with them personally. Localization helps you consider the cultural nuances, communication preferences, and linguistic needs that those customers expect, and deliver messaging that aligns with their needs. Investing in localization will enhance your reputation as an inclusive, professional, and reputable organization that communicates effectively.

Marketing Collateral and Documents

Now is the time to consider your technical marketing strategy and what your marketing department is doing. Is your organization currently taking into consideration multiple languages, cultures, and audiences in your communication strategy? Global marketing tactics are critically important factors to enable connecting with others worldwide.

Some marketing tactics include:
• Voiceover, Transcription, and Subtitling
• Accessibility and Interpretation
• International SEO and Digital Marketing
• Multilingual Transcription

Marketing is not the only function you need to consider. You also need to include document translation. Just think about how many documents your company creates for employees, clients, and consumers. Have you run into issues where these documents would have been better understood if they were offered in other languages? Examples of these documents include product specifications, employee manuals, regulatory information, user guides, contracts, receipts, and more. Even if you use consultation or enrollment forms on your website, you can still increase your engagement by making these items more accessible to people who use a different language. That being said, document translation services are critical to any organization’s success.

Technical Translations Matter, too!

If you are translating documents such as manuals or guides, then you will want to ensure all technical aspects of the writing are specifically translated for accuracy. Consider your client’s or customer’s perspective as they try to resolve an issue with your product. Will they be able to solve the problem if they don’t understand the language used in your materials? In business to business technical specifications, the same rule applies. An engineer at one company must be able to clearly understand the details to be able to complete a project. Again, accessibility and interpretation is key, and language translation services are the way to do just that.

How Global Translation Services Improves Relationships with Customers

Consumers are more likely to remain loyal to you and continue to put their trust in your business when they can clearly understand your brand. They want to know they are being heard and taken care of. When you go the extra mile to have their unique cultural and linguistic needs incorporated in your services and products, consumers can feel confident in their experience with your business.

Why Should I Hire a Professional Translation Service?

The need for professional translation and interpreting services is more important than ever as we use technology to connect across the globe. A professional translation services give you a way to engage with customers from different cultures, while freeing you up to focus on your business priorities. Their expertise and the review provided by these professionals will ensure that your project is is accurate and has taken into account all necessary cultural nuances related to the specific industry, material, and subject matter. When looking for a professional translation service, be careful with automated translations. Ask questions and make sure you are getting a human translation to ensure you receive quality results and for that extra personalized touch.

You may even want to check out American Translators Association to review the resources, they offer to help with your search. A good starting point is their list of corporate members that are recognized professional translators and interpreters. The American Translators Association has established quality standards of competence and ethics that members are required to comply with.

INGCO International Can Help

INGCO International is here for all your global interpreting and translation needs. Why struggle with navigating these technical processes on your own when you can have an expert do it for you, accurately and quickly? We are a leading provider of translation services and will provide you with access to our Wordologists, professional translators who can work in any preferred language you might need. INGCO International helps you expand your global presence and impact while delivering all of your translation needs. Contact us to get started today!

As a business owner, it is important to understand the transformative power of communication. When you communicate effectively with your clients, regardless of the languages they speak, you open up opportunities for growth and success. Do you sell your products or services across the world? Have you customized your marketing material to cater your messaging to each local market? To deliver an effective communication strategy, you may need to use a different language, change your advertising strategy, or reposition your product or service to meet the needs of the culture where you’re operating. Transformative communication can help you do that and more!

Writing marketing materials that are easy to understand makes it easier for your clients to do business with you. Using transformative communication, you can reposition your product or service to address the unique cultural and linguistic needs of a given culture or population. We help our clients with this through transcreation, a means of strategically positioning your product or service within the cultural context of your target consumers.

What are the Various Types of Communication?

There are three types of communication:

• transactional
• informational
• transformative

Each type of communication is suited for different purposes. Transactional communication is best for completing tasks and exchanging information, such as ordering a product from a company. Informational communication is also used to exchange facts and data, but it also provides context, aids in decision making, and serves as the foundation for relationships. If you want to establish deep, long-lasting relationships that support business strategies and growth, transformative communication is most effective. It helps people understand the value and creates an emotional connection that influences behavior.

What is Transformative Communication?

Transformative communication is the ability to change or adapt your communication style to fit the needs of your audience. It’s not only about using their preferred language – though that is key to delivering equitable communications – but transformative communication considers the cultural context and nuances that resonate with your target audience. It helps your customers connect with your product or service, identify with your mission, and understand how they can benefit from your business in meaningful ways. When you do this effectively, you create space for dialogue and a greater emotional connection.

How Can Transformative Communication Help My Business?

You open up new opportunities to reach global audiences when you leverage transformative communication. It helps you build trust with clients and customers by communicating with empathy and respect. When your message creates an emotional connection, you will transform your client relationships.

Achieve Transformational Communication

There are three key steps to transform the way you communicate with your stakeholders:

• Understand your audience – Who are they? Where do they live? What languages do they speak? Why do they care about your message?
• Adapt your communication approach – How do they prefer to receive information? Are there cultural nuances that you need to consider that differ from your native language?
• Create space for dialogue – How can they connect with your business? How can you make it easier for them to engage, ask questions, or purchase your product? What gaps exist today and how you can bridge them to create a positive customer experience?

Each of these considerations will help you refine your transformative communication strategy and better connect with those you’re trying to reach in meaningful and culturally relevant ways. Let’s take a closer look at each step.

1. Understand Your Audience

Understanding your audience is about more than knowing what language they speak, you also need to account for their lifestyles, socioeconomic factors, access to information, technological proficiency, and more. Before you put pen to paper, evaluate your target audience, make note of their demographic details, and ensure your messaging and approach aligns with their needs and preferences.

2. Adapt Your Communication Approach

To adapt your communication approach, use language that resonates with people of other cultures. Be sensitive to words that may have a different meaning in their language. As you build your plan, select communication channels your audience can easily access and engage in ways that make sense for them personally. By adapting your communication approach, you demonstrate that you care about who they are and how they engage with your company. You give them access to information about your products and services that resonate with them, which potentially increases the likelihood that they will purchase your products or recommend you to someone in their network.

3. Create Space for Dialogue

You can create a space for dialogue by giving your audience the opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings. Make it easy for them to ask questions, get answers, and share feedback. When they, be sure to listen and respond in respectful, positive ways. If you have the opportunity to talk with customers, offer support, find commonalities, and seek personal connection. Not only will you build trust, but you’ll gather useful feedback to improve your business and you’ll help your customers feel heard, leading to a better experience with your company.

Create a Transformative Communication Strategy

To truly transform your communications, you need to:

• Clearly define your mission statement
• Create a comprehensive plan
• Develop measurable goals for each step of your plan

Mission statements provide a guiding light for your business. It helps keep you focused on your goals, informs your business decisions, and helps others connect with your work.

Before you start developing transformative communications, you need a clear plan that lays out the steps needed to achieve your mission. A comprehensive plan incorporates details about your audience, strategic channels and timing, and a thoughtful approach to implementation that supports your goals and meets the needs of your audiences.

Measurable goals help keep your plan on track. Use your goals to measure progress along the way and pivot when necessary. As you monitor your plan’s performance, you can make adjustments to ensure alignment with your mission. Transformative communication will help others understand where you’re going, how you’ll get there, and how they can support you along the way.

With these three keys in mind, you can successfully create meaningful connections with your audience. It can help you to build lasting relationships with customers by understanding their needs and creating connections on an emotional level that will help accelerate your business growth by helping others better connect with what you have to offer

At INGCO International, we have communication experts that can help you transform how you speak to the world in 200+ languages. We understand cultural nuance and the importance of connecting with people wherever in the world they are. If you’d like help to develop a transformative communication strategy, please visit our website or contact us today!

As the world becomes more connected through globalization and digital platforms, advertising revenue has been steadily increasing in recent years. That is, until March 2020 when the pandemic changed consumer spending habits almost overnight. But it seems consumers are ready to return to their carts, and companies should be taking notice.

Is your company optimizing your marketing dollars to make the most of current consumer spending trends? Since only 20% of the world speaks English – and only a fraction of those are native English speakers – you may be missing out on key audiences or limiting your growth potential if you’re not considering global audiences in your marketing and advertising plans.

Use these four tips to create an inclusive plan that connects with people personally through accurate translation and thoughtful localization.

Do your research

Many companies have invested in market research, but it’s probably time for a refresher. If you’re refining your messaging or expanding into new markets, take a close look at your audiences, especially as the way people consume information and purchase products has changed throughout the pandemic. 

Consider the people you’re trying to reach. Where do they live? What languages do they speak? Does your current messaging resonate, both culturally and linguistically? How do they prefer to receive advertising messages? To answer these questions, you may need to facilitate focus groups, interviews, or surveys. 

If this feels like a big undertaking, let us know! We have helped companies across the globe develop and implement localized marketing plans, and our team is staffed with experts who have a deep understanding of cultural nuances and preferences. Not only can we provide you with expertise on global audiences, but we’ll manage the legwork if additional research is needed.

Localize your strategy

With your updated market research, you’re ready to start thinking strategy. Make a plan for each individual market with messaging, tactics, and timing that make sense for those who fit in your demographic. During this phase, evaluate each message and piece of collateral to determine your translation or interpreting needs. 

Before you go all-in, consider piloting your plan in select markets or testing your ads to find what resonates most strongly. Monitor your ad performance and adjust your strategy as needed.

Translate your messaging

As you roll out your plan, it should be a seamless experience for your consumers. Translate messaging accurately and consistently at every consumer touchpoint to make it easy for them to understand and engage with your product or service. Be sure to consider website translation, as 40% of internet users said they won’t purchase from a site that’s not in their native language, as well as both digital and print materials.

Keep in mind that translation, subtitles and voiceover, and desktop publishing require a bit of lead time, so build those timelines in your plan. We can provide you with a quote for timing and cost in a matter of minutes.

Engage the experts

Revamping your marketing strategy to account for cultural complexities and localized preferences may feel overwhelming, but we can provide end-to-end support. From understanding your audience and creating a plan to translating your messages and implementing in local markets, we’ve got you covered. Visit our website to learn about the full suite of services we offer and let us know how we can help you make the most of your advertising budget in 2022.

Today, we invite you to meet Andy MacGregor, who manages the Sales Team at INGCO International. Andy is originally from Portsmouth, United Kingdom, but he’s a true citizen of the world, having lived in seven countries across four continents. Six years ago, he moved to Minnesota. His love of travel and the many cultures and languages that make up our global community compelled him to join INGCO in September 2020.

While Andy speaks a little French, Georgian, and Spanish, he’s in awe of our multilingual staff members and linguists and loves connecting with customers and potential clients to share how expert language services can help them truly engage with their global audiences.

“Interpretation and translation services can really level up a business and help them engage with their non-English speaking customers, colleagues and community,” Andy explains. “Language can bring us together, but it also has the power to divide. Providing people with equal access to information gives everyone a fair chance to show who they can be, to make a difference, and to engage with their community. I feel I can help redress these imbalances by doing what I do at INGCO. I love being a part of a team where I can make a little difference each day by connecting organizations with our excellent services.”

Andy is also a bit of a foodie and enjoys sampling cuisine from cultures and locations across the world, and he loves giving back to the community. Recently, Andy combined these passions to support a  project with local Minnesota foodbank Second Harvest Heartland in which INGCO helped translate a series of recipe cards into a variety of languages and help people make affordable, delicious and nutritious meals to feed their family. “The food we put into our bodies is so important,” he shares, “And it can be confusing to know what to do with new ingredients, especially if you’re from a different culture, so it was incredibly satisfying to help make a difference with this project.”

When he’s not at work, Andy’s your classic tea-drinking, soccer-loving Brit. He’s also an expert hide-and-seeker and fort-builder thanks to his two daughters, Eva 3, and Kiera 1. This avid traveler’s favorite trip was to Machu Picchu in Peru, where the sun rising over the old ruins created an indelible impression. Andy would also love to see the Himalayas up close.

Andy loves linking up with new and old friends and hearing great stories, so feel free to reach out to Andy to connect about INGCO International, travel, or soccer. Heck, the first cup of tea is on him.

Did you know that 1.8 billion people purchased goods online in 2018 alone? That same year, global e-retail sales reached $2.8 trillion. If there was ever a time to launch in a new market, it’s now. Yet it takes more than translation to adapt your website for new audiences—it requires localization.

Localization is the processing of adapting a website to the local language, culture, and customs of the target market. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Research, Research, Research

As with any project, you need to start by doing research. Before you decide to launch in a market, here are a few questions to ask:

• How much demand is there?
• Will it be profitable?
• Which language(s) will you need?
• Are there any legal restrictions?   

By understanding the market and its challenges, you’ll be better prepared to start the localization process.

Step 2: Localize Your Website

After you’ve done your research, it’s time to begin localizing. Depending on the market, that may include changing the website’s:

• Url structure
• Format for dates, numbers, and currencies
• Payment platform
• Data collection and privacy policy
• Design elements such as images, graphics, and colors

While this may sound like a daunting task, a localization company can help you out. In addition to adapting the technical aspects of your website, they’ll translate the content, optimize it for SEO, and launch any digital marketing campaigns.

Step 3: Translate the Content and Optimize for SEO

Next, your localization company will assemble a team to translate your website. The linguists working on your project will:

•  Adapt your messaging to ensure it’s culturally appropriate.
• Conduct keyword research to optimize the content for International SEO.
• Translate content pages, meta data (title tags, meta descriptions, and keywords), pop up notifications, customer portals, and other aspects of the website.

Once the initial translation is complete, another linguist will perform a quality assurance check before the content is uploaded to the website.

Step 4: Perform LQA and Localization Testing

Finally, your localization company will perform language quality assurance (LQA) and localization testing. Linguists will review the content for errors and determine whether the translation is appropriate for the context of the website. Team members will also check for technical issues, test functionality and links, and evaluate the content layout.

Step 5: Launch the Website and Digital Marketing Campaigns

Your new website is ready to launch. It’s time to celebrate, right? Not quite. While localized content and SEO will drive traffic, you still need to develop localized marketing campaigns to get the most from your website. That may include:

• Translating Pay-per-Click (PPC) ads
• Developing a unique content marketing strategy
• Link building

Case Study: Justin’s Nut Butter Website

Now that you know a little more about the localization process, let’s take a look at a real project.

Justin’s, an American brand of nut butters, wanted to expand into foreign markets. Yet products such as peanut butter aren’t as well known outside of the U.S. To tackle this challenge, we needed to not only translate the website content but also determine how to increase demand for Justin’s product.

For the French Canadian website, we:

• Translated certain sections of the website via an API connector.
• Ensured the variety of butters (peanut, almond, etc.) were accurately translated.
• Worked with Justin’s marketing team to create new examples of how to consume the product, e.g., developing recipes to make peanut-based sauces.

The result? A culturally-relevant website that boosted Justin’s popularity in Canada!

Localization with INGCO International

At INGCO International, we can take your localization project from concept to completion. We specialize in corporate translation, international SEO, and digital marketing to help you bring your vision to life.

Ready to launch in a new market? Contact us today!

The positive effects of being multilingual are widely known. Studies have shown that knowing multiple languages can aid in things like a person’s memory and their ability to problem solve. What about in the business world? Can a multilingual business experience similar benefits to a multilingual person? The short answer is yes.

Language is becoming an essential tool in business growth and development. In today’s digital age, marketing your company globally can be easily done (thanks internet). However, bringing your company across continents requires some behind the scenes work.

Over 50% of websites today use English only. There are billions of people online everyday and of those people about 73% are non English speakers. This means half of the internet is inaccessible for those of us that don’t speak English. This also means that a good chunk of the population cannot easily interact with English only sites. For example, Chinese content on the web. There is an extreme lack in Chinese accessible sites even though China operates one of the largest markets across the globe. Chinese is gradually becoming one of the most targeted languages on the web today, however demands are still not met.

The lack of language accessibility on the internet creates a huge disparity between web content and  the web content needed. This is a great opportunity for business owners. Creating an accessible platform across continents can be as easy as globalizing your website. Companies can start with simple document translation, multi-language mini sites, language toggles, or marketing localization.

In a large companies that already are multilingual, 50% or more of their customers are coming from languages other than english. Advertising to 5, or 15 other languages will help you gain an understanding of your target market and global success of your product.  In the United States alone ⅕ of the population is non-native English speakers. Most likely this community is searching, tweeting, scrolling and posting in their native languages creating a huge loss for English only sites even within the United States.

We live in an online world and search is a huge part of the online community. We have become researchers using the devices at the tip of our fingertips- our phones. Whether we want to know where to get Thai food for dinner or the best refrigerator on market, we turn to the internet for the answer. Search engines will automatically pull the top results making it extremely easy for the user. By adjusting your business’s snippets, keyword’s, mobile compatibility and geo-targeting, you’re creating a more accessible global business and have a higher chance of landing in the top results.

Customer Support is another major factor when expanding your business. Now that your company has been found, multilingual communication is key. The majority of online customer service desks offer one primary language or a number to call for over the phone interpretation. Today, everything is digital, consumers want to find answers fast and efficiently through digital forms like chats, emails and forums. When these on demand services aren’t multilingual it drives customers away.

There’s no question that the digital age has created extreme growth and extreme challenges in the business world.  But for those willing to expand across continents, devices, and languages the web is an unprecedented territory. Translation and localizations services are a great way to take your business into the digital multilingual and INGCO is here to help. Contact us today.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Happy Friday, everyone! And welcome to another Fact or Fiction Friday.

Today’s trivia question is: The Finnish language has three of the world’s longest palindromic words (Refresher: A palindrome is a word, phrase, number, or other sequence of characters which reads the same backward or forward.) Fact? Or Fiction?

Drum roll, please… This one is :

The Finnish language does indeed have three of the world’s longest palindromic words. They are (in no particular order):

1) ‘saippuakivikauppias’ – a soapstone seller,
2) ‘saippuakuppinippukauppias’ – a soapstone trader
3) ‘solutomaattimittaamotulos’ – the result from a measurement laboratory for tomatoes.

See you next week for another Fact or Fiction Friday!

Happy Friday, everyone! Today’s trivia question is: In English, the Rice Crispies slogan is ‘snap, crackle and pop‘.  In German, Rice Crispies go ‘Knisper! Knasper! Knusper!’ Fact? or Fiction?

In English, the Rice Crispies slogan is ‘snap, crackle and pop’.  In German, Rice Crispies go ‘Knisper! Knasper! Knusper!’ Fact? or Fiction?

This one is a…

In Germany, Rice Crispies don’t go ‘snap, crackle and pop’ they go ‘knisper, knasper, knusper.’ In France, they go ‘Cric! Crac! Croc!’ And in Spain, they go ‘Cris! Cras! Cros!’

Tune in next week for another Fact or Fiction Friday!