You communicate through all your senses, but when it comes to online services, you communicate using visual cues and the power of the written word.
Do not underestimate the power of that written word.
Especially if your website is bilingual.
Nothing is worse than a bilingual website that doesn’t speak the language of the locals. Nothing is worse than a bilingual website that is built on Google Translate.
Broken links are forgivable, but broken language? Never.
Many people resort to Google Translate for the very simple reason that it’s accessible 24/7 and is FREE!
That said — Google translate is good when you want to translate a snippet here or there on the web for your benefit, but not for your website. Definitely not for your customers.
Hire a native speaker who is at least almost as fluent in English.
Why?
When the native speaker of the second language is not as fluent in English, it doesn’t work in your best interest.
The meaning is lost in translation.
Trust is built by delivering on your customer expectations. Use the right language, the right words, and your audience will accept you. They will listen to you. Your customers will trust you.
Langauge written in its native fluency will help you gain the trust of your customers.
Once you build that trust, your customers will be more receptive to your messages and your call-to-action triggers.