Posted on 03/21/2006 by Kevin McNally
Statistics show an estimated 10 million U.S. Hispanics are online, a number that is expected to grow by double digits annually for the next several years. Eye-opening data indeed, but those figures should come as no surprise since according to the US Census Bureau an estimated 40 million native Spanish speaking individuals currently live in this country, a figure that is expected to increase to 50 million by the year 2010.
Additional data indicates that Hispanics own nearly one-half of all minority-owned businesses, generating $200 million in sales annually and that one in three Hispanic households have and use the Internet. The numbers tell the tale and increasingly are growing harder to ignore, with response to this fast-moving development starting to gain momentum.
Several large service-oriented corporations have for some time provided Spanish translation websites for their constantly growing numbers of Hispanic clients. Nearly two years ago, Southwest Airlines became the first major airline to offer a Spanish-language website, followed shortly thereafter by other major players within the consumer industry, including Verizon Wireless and Home Depot. Government organizations, medical facilities, retailers and even the Girl Scouts have added Spanish versions to their websites, underscoring the very real fact that diversity is vital to E-commerce and E-marketing.
Driven by this expanding Hispanic market (and other non-English speaking sectors, including a rising Asian population) the transformation of web-based economy will continue on the fast-track, ultimately making it imperative for businesses of all sizes to consider making their websites at the very least, bilingual.
Although the present and future market for other-than-English-language websites is vast, still less than 1 % of all US websites are offered in Spanish, and the percentages are even smaller for other languages.
So what's holding a majority of companies back from offering Spanish counterparts to their sites? Some may not have yet recognized the number of advantages a bilingual site generates. Others may think the cost associated with translation will be prohibitive.
In short, the advantages are many, while the cost can be minimal - and well worth the price if additional traffic is brought to your site.
A second language version of a website will not only bring additional potential customers your way, it will also get you increased exposure in search engines, providing for more flexibility with your "pay per click" marketing. Google and Yahoo have had Spanish language search engines in place for some time, targeted toward a Spanish-speaking audience living in the US.
You will also have the ability to obtain an entirely new sector for innovative market ideas and products when you go bilingual. The appeal factor of product lines can be vastly different among different cultural groups, opening up fresh territories for your business.
Translating a website into another language is an art unto itself, with content at the focus of attention. Consistency rules when it comes to disseminating information. If an English language site encompasses several pages of content, then its Spanish-speaking counterpart should offer the same amount of information. Website translation is an investment in a company's present and future, so it's probably wiser to go the entire distance and offer a comprehensive website in Spanish, as opposed to a cut-rate version that may only provide a home page or price list in Spanish.
Despite the burgeoning popularity of other-language websites, adding this feature to your business won't get you a desired number of "hits" if you have a weak "link." By placing a link to your Spanish-language site in a highly visible spot on your US home page, you will generate more traffic in a shorter amount of time, thereby expediting a return on the investment made in creating a bi or multi lingual site.
By integrating Spanish into its Internet marketing, a business will, without question, increase customers and sales. The size and importance of an emerging and constantly growing Hispanic audience cannot be ignored. Business owners who recognize the value of providing culturally diverse websites will reap benefits in many ways.
Add a Second Language (and Value) to Your Website
To some businesses, it is an emerging trend, to others a commercial necessity - whatever "language" you attach to it, the growing market for Spanish-speaking websites cannot be denied.Statistics show an estimated 10 million U.S. Hispanics are online, a number that is expected to grow by double digits annually for the next several years. Eye-opening data indeed, but those figures should come as no surprise since according to the US Census Bureau an estimated 40 million native Spanish speaking individuals currently live in this country, a figure that is expected to increase to 50 million by the year 2010.
Additional data indicates that Hispanics own nearly one-half of all minority-owned businesses, generating $200 million in sales annually and that one in three Hispanic households have and use the Internet. The numbers tell the tale and increasingly are growing harder to ignore, with response to this fast-moving development starting to gain momentum.
Several large service-oriented corporations have for some time provided Spanish translation websites for their constantly growing numbers of Hispanic clients. Nearly two years ago, Southwest Airlines became the first major airline to offer a Spanish-language website, followed shortly thereafter by other major players within the consumer industry, including Verizon Wireless and Home Depot. Government organizations, medical facilities, retailers and even the Girl Scouts have added Spanish versions to their websites, underscoring the very real fact that diversity is vital to E-commerce and E-marketing.
Driven by this expanding Hispanic market (and other non-English speaking sectors, including a rising Asian population) the transformation of web-based economy will continue on the fast-track, ultimately making it imperative for businesses of all sizes to consider making their websites at the very least, bilingual.
Although the present and future market for other-than-English-language websites is vast, still less than 1 % of all US websites are offered in Spanish, and the percentages are even smaller for other languages.
So what's holding a majority of companies back from offering Spanish counterparts to their sites? Some may not have yet recognized the number of advantages a bilingual site generates. Others may think the cost associated with translation will be prohibitive.
In short, the advantages are many, while the cost can be minimal - and well worth the price if additional traffic is brought to your site.
A second language version of a website will not only bring additional potential customers your way, it will also get you increased exposure in search engines, providing for more flexibility with your "pay per click" marketing. Google and Yahoo have had Spanish language search engines in place for some time, targeted toward a Spanish-speaking audience living in the US.
You will also have the ability to obtain an entirely new sector for innovative market ideas and products when you go bilingual. The appeal factor of product lines can be vastly different among different cultural groups, opening up fresh territories for your business.
Translating a website into another language is an art unto itself, with content at the focus of attention. Consistency rules when it comes to disseminating information. If an English language site encompasses several pages of content, then its Spanish-speaking counterpart should offer the same amount of information. Website translation is an investment in a company's present and future, so it's probably wiser to go the entire distance and offer a comprehensive website in Spanish, as opposed to a cut-rate version that may only provide a home page or price list in Spanish.
Despite the burgeoning popularity of other-language websites, adding this feature to your business won't get you a desired number of "hits" if you have a weak "link." By placing a link to your Spanish-language site in a highly visible spot on your US home page, you will generate more traffic in a shorter amount of time, thereby expediting a return on the investment made in creating a bi or multi lingual site.
By integrating Spanish into its Internet marketing, a business will, without question, increase customers and sales. The size and importance of an emerging and constantly growing Hispanic audience cannot be ignored. Business owners who recognize the value of providing culturally diverse websites will reap benefits in many ways.