Is it worth the investment to make our web site available in Spanish?

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By Jennifer Manocchio

There are two key considerations that will help determine if it is beneficial to translate your web site into Spanish or another language.  First, what is the market potential?  If you could potentially increase your market share, the cost associated with translating your web site could be worth the investment.

Considering the growth of the Hispanic population in the United States – 15.1% of the U.S. population is Hispanic according to the U.S. Census Bureau – there could be an excellent opportunity to increase your market share.  However, this does not mean the entire U.S. Hispanic population is Spanish-speaking by any means.

The second consideration is branding.  If you are sensitive to the Spanish-speaking community, will that create credibility for your brand among that target audience?  The long-term branding benefits might even outweigh any short-term financial investment.

However, regardless of why you do it, how you do it is equally important.  It is imperative you use professional translation services that can pick up the subtleties of the language and culture.  If you do not show respect and sensitivity, it could have a negative effect on your sales and brand.

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