The Internet reaches a worldwide audience, but how far can your website copy actually go? For international appeal your site's content needs to be in the language of your target audience. The Big Idea For the sake of illustration let's look at Spanish online users. Recent studies undertaken for the Spanish Research Association by Nielsen NetRatings shows 14.3 million people in Spain are online. In Mexico 12.25 million people are online (source: ITU, Dec. 2003) and within the US there are around 26 million Hispanics online. From these figures we can estimate that there are 72 million Spanish-speaking users online. If you were able to add these 72,000,000 people to your on-line audience it would make for compelling marketing and the cost per target would be relatively insignificant. Accurate translation Whether your website succeeds or fails depends entirely on the quality of the translation. An inaccurate translation can mean the difference between establishing credibility or creating a negative impression. An accurate translation conveys respect and delivers the impact of a first-class service. Beyond the accuracy of translation the benefits of your product need to be articulated in a meaningful way. This requires a higher level of communication - and this is where the challenge lies - translating your entire sales message keeping the meaning in tact and in a style your audience will relate to. Translation services To achieve the very best translation of your important material you need to use a translation service and of course one with an established reputation. If you require a multilingual website for global impact, a translation service should be able to provide translations which are both industry and language specific. Choosing a translation company You need to feel that the company you choose is working as part of your team - and transparency is the key to long standing relationships and building confidence in the company you choose. It is essential that you chose a translation that is on to of their game. A company with experienced translators should use the latest Translation Memory Tools and by organising teams they should be able to provide you with consistent quality translations at competitive prices. A truly professional business translation service must offer not just a solid translation service but be able to offer advice and assistance on the latest technical and localisation issues. You should be provided with a dedicated project manager and technical advisors all able to support you fully all the way. Feeding a translation company with your product details is a good way to make sure every concept is thoroughly understood and that your copy accurately captures the full meaning of your message. That is when your copy can effectively reach a worldwide audience which is the essence of every business strategy.<