When听preparing to take听a听software platform or application听into new markets,听companies tend to听focus听on localising听the听user interface (UX) and听the key pieces of听marketing material听such as听landing pages, social media ads听or听google ads.听These are key to听launching听international campaigns and听selling听licences听and听subscriptions.听
However, it is easy to forget that the new customers in听these听regions will require support and help in their听native听language,听especially at the beginning of the learning curve.听Truth听be told, software companies听that thrive globally听鈥 the Slacks and听HubSpots听of this听world 鈥撎齩ffer much more than just FAQs听as their product documentation.听From user manuals to knowledge听bases听and听e-learning courses, these companies produce, maintain and localise a听wide array of online and printable materials听to听help听their users听get听started,听learn new features, manage their accounts听and听preferences,听and search for topics of interest.听听
听shows that听having听a听knowledge management strategy in place听for customer service听will impact efficiency, customer satisfaction and revenue growth.听When you听combine this fact听with research from听听stating that听76% of听the听world听prefers听products听that come with听information in their own language,听the message is clear:听if you want to conquer new markets and get ahead of your competition, one of the best ways to do this is to enhance knowledge distribution and provide users with multilingual support documentation.听
What听is听support听documentation?听
- User guides听
- Help centres听听
- Manuals听
- Knowledge base articles听
- Technical documentation听
- FAQs听
- e-learning courses听
- Policies听
What users prefer听
Unless your users are extremely听tech-savvy and autodidactic,听they听turn to support documentation when听they听need to customise a specific setting听or figure听out how to use听a听complex听feature.听And just like you, they get听frustrated听if听they听can’t find the information听fast enough听or听can鈥檛 find any听help at all听in听a language they can easily understand.听听
Although听fewer听than 12% of the countries in the world听have听a听, English content dominates the web, and many companies publish their content only in English. Some of your clients or potential audience may be comfortable reading technical documentation in English, but there will always be some who feel left out.听
What languages should be catered for?听
A well-executed localisation strategy听is听driven by data, especially听when it comes to听figuring out听which languages to cover first.听Here are three听factors to take into consideration when making that听decision:听
? Existing user base
Analysing how your existing users are distributed by country is essential for determining the languages of your multilingual support documentation. If 25% of your customers are located in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, this should motivate you to publish your materials in the Scandinavian languages.听
? Support queries
Another source of data is your support queries. Where do they come from, and which topics are regularly raised by customers in specific regions? Match the topics raised with the articles in your support documentation to determine which ones to translate first into which language.听
? Website traffic
If all your support documentation is in English, you can run a听location report听in听Google Analytics听to听see听whether听your help pages are being read by people听in听non-English-speaking countries.听Shortlist听the听most听visited pages in each of your main markets听and start by translating those.听
What鈥檚 important听when听localising support documentation?听
Compared to software localisation, creating multilingual support documentation is a straightforward process. There鈥檚 no need to check that menus, buttons, dropdowns and other interactive elements work across a range of translated functions. However, the absence of an effective strategy can still have an impact, both on the cost and the speed of the product rollout.听
?锔徧齃everage previously translated content听
Support documents are technical and full of repetitions. A phrase like 鈥渆nter your username and password鈥 could be found hundreds of times across your help pages. If your language service provider works with translation memories, once you have translated this sentence once, you won鈥檛 need to do it again in the future.听
Translation memories help eliminate repeat costs but also reduce the volume of work for the translator, leading to faster project turnaround times. If you have never localised before, you will see the benefits of translation memories the moment you release new updates.听
? Agree on terminology听
Before you start translating support documents, make sure you and your language service provider are on the same page regarding terminology. Make a list of important words that are repeated throughout your documents and provide specific instructions on how you would like those specific terms translated. This guarantees that feature names and functionalities that are specific to your product are consistently localised across each language.听
?锔 Check visual elements听
Support documentation often听complements听text with visual elements听such as听screenshots, tables, graphics听and images. As you translate your content for new languages, it’s important to check听that听those visual elements are adapted as well. Images with embedded text need to be recreated,听and tables containing听units听of听measurement听such as currency or time听must be听converted to the听new regional听format.听
? Remember regional adaptation听
Technical documents that are translated into one language, such as Spanish or Swedish, can be used in multiple geographical regions where that language is spoken. Unless you want to invest in different regional versions, support your language services partner in making the translation as neutral as possible.
The听benefits听of multilingual听support听documentation听
? Customer satisfaction听
With the complexity and spread of data in software companies, it is taking longer for both employees and customers to find the information they search for. Well-curated knowledge repositories empower your support teams and accelerate their response times when answering queries by between 20% and 80%. If you are able to launch a multilingual knowledge management strategy, it can do听wonders in听the听retention听phase of the customer journey, helping听customers across different countries and languages听convert听from听being听regular users to promoters of听your product.听听
? Support costs听
When you听take听your products into new markets, your technical support听team听can quickly become a cost听centre. Localising your support documentation is a smart alternative to having an army of support agents. , it is possible to reduce support costs by听more than听25%. Every answer that your users find in your help centre or e-learning materials means one less email or call to your support desk.听听
? Increased sales听
Potential customers are used to searching for information before making a purchase. They want to know about the features and available integrations. Multilingual support documentation can make a difference to what they find and, in turn, swing their decision.听
This article was initially published in 2021 by Gonzalo Fernandez, a former Sandberg team member, and has since been revised with updated data.
