The instant you create a business entity online, it could very well be considered global, because anyone around the world with internet access can find you and evaluate your product or service. But not everyone reads English.

According to Ethnologue, there are 6,909 living world languages. In Europe alone you’ll find 230 living languages. There are 2,058 living languages in Africa and nine living languages in the Middle East.

Clearly you can’t translate and localize your website for all of them. But before you decide to launch into Europe and simply translate into French, Italian, German and Spanish, evaluate which audience is key, which languages would best help you capture this group and how far you need to drill down in your language choices to make an impact in the market. When you establish your website in an international environment, the content, the language it is presented in, and its “look and feel” will have an impact on its success. The challenge is determining how “localized” you should make your site.

Brand messages are often lost with a bad translation or mistranslation. The failure to connect emotionally with your audience might not be indicative of the market’s true potential. Before you push off from shore, here are some important cultural and linguistic points Global Language Solutions suggests you evaluate:

Your color choices matter. Why? Because color has different meanings throughout the world, and you should always conduct research before presenting products in new markets. For example, the color red signifies happiness in China, but danger in Japan and the U.S. In addition, white is the color of death in China and Japan, but the color of purity (and often used in weddings) in the U.S.

Superstitions and offenses can stop you cold in your marketing tracks. Superstitions are believed to influence chance, either positively or negatively. For example, the devil, or using words and images related to the devil, should be avoided in Latin American countries.

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