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In less than a year the Olympic flame will reach the UK attracting thousands of tourists from all over the world. The big boys are obviously ready to exploit this opportunity but smaller businesses don’t have to feel left out.

Here are our 8 tips on winning more international tourists over to our lovely Great Britain:

Step 1: Think and plan

Does your business sell limited or unlimited products/services? If you don’t have a threshold, then make sure your backend is ready for busy periods to avoid last minute panic. If otherwise, you will need to have contingency plans to ensure you don’t disappoint your customers.

Step 2: Russian, German, Japanese, Chinese…

You can decide based on past experience, industry reviews and local business links. If you are not sure, feel free to chat with us and we will check out which languages we see as having the best opportunities for your business.

Step 3: Customer segment

You will be the best person to know your customer demographics. You can therefore determine what overall tone your translation needs in order to grab the most attention.

Step 4: How much?

If you are certain of Steps 2 and 3, you can focus your budget and resources and initiate push marketing on the languages of your choice. Alternatively, cut down on the literature and translate into more languages to spread your marketing for wider customer segments.

Step 5: Get known through the web & iphone

Have your website translated only if you are ready. Depending on the size and complexity SanTranslate can translate up to 10 pages in less than a week. Once the pages are live, it can take weeks to crawl on major search engines. Don’t leave it to the last minute.

Tips: Make sure the site layout is android or iphone friendly. Japanese tourists in particular prefer surfing with their phones while they are on the go.

Step 6: Get known in target international directories

Most tourists don’t like searching through UK directories. They will either ask their UK friends for recommendations, or go to local reviews and search. The ones that are translated will obviously be more appealing.

Step 7: Get known through SNS

Everyone is doing this, but make sure you do it right! Good, original writing plus sharp marketing translation techniques are key in getting your news to travel fast! Don’t forget to monitor the results to allow you to make adjustments on the amount of effort or budget you expend going forward.

Step 8: Customer experience is most important

After all these efforts, the highest reward will be the glowing feedback you receive from your customers. Make sure they have handouts or audios if they are lost in translation. Even a thank you note will make them feel very welcome. Get them to subscribe or refer a friend to get your service known even more (don’t expect overnight results though!) Do remember, by giving a good service you will create a viral effect that will not just spread your name, but will give people yet another reason to visit Great Britain.

For further reading, Go to Visit Britain

At SanTranslate we can provide you translations and interpretations in every Language. Click SanTranslate.com or contact us at ask@santranslate.com

We have blogged about Google Translate before; its a nice tool but can we really use it in the course of business without any concern?

Of course, the words get translated, but only in the most literal and simplistic way. The real meaning and tone of the message are invariably lost! Sadly people are still trying to save on pennies by using the tool in business but do not realise how big the price actually is.

Take Malaysia for example. In April they invested their faith in Google Translate to translate a high-profile welcoming banner from Malay into Chinese to welcome Wen Jia Bao, the Premier of China. Unfortunately, the translation was full of grammar and syntax errors.

If that’s not enough, the banner was displayed at a podium near Mr Wen’s apartment. What an eyesore! Fortunately Mr Wen reassured everyone that it would not effect the China-Malaysia relationship but not everyone is taking it so lightly – many Malaysians feel embarrassed. Others were angry that the Government had used Google Translate instead of consulting a professional translation company.

If you print banners and don’t want to get cornered in making similar mistakes, visit SanTranslate.com. Securing our service is easy:

Step 1: Send the text for Translation

Step 2: Choose if you would like us to Typeset or if you would like to yourself

Step 3: We will check the final artwork and sign off

These simple measures can make avoid silly mistakes like this one!