Web Localization as an Essential Factor in the Internationalisation of Companies: An Approximation of Spanish SMEs

Abstract

Constant changes in the economic environment, where globalisation and the development of the knowledge economy act as drivers, are systematically pushing companies towards the challenge of accessing external markets. Web localization constitutes a new field of study and professional intervention. From the translation perspective, localization equates to the website being adjusted to the typological, discursive and genre conventions of the target culture, adapting that website to a different language and culture. This entails much more than simply translating the content of the pages. The content of a webpage is made up of text, images and other multimedia elements, all of which have to be translated and subjected to cultural adaptation. The user must never notice that the site was originally created in another language. In addition, commercial and business translation have certain particularities which must be studied and borne in mind so as to achieve the desired communication goals.

Internet Presence and Multilingual Dissemination in Corporate Websites

“…Concerning multilingual dissemination of corporate information, only 10.3% of the SMEs analyzed had their website translated into at least one language. Despite the numerous studies outlining (Ahlfors and Fang, 2017;Cermak and Smutny, 2017;Chhibber and Chadha, 2020;Clavijo-Olmos, 2018;Gutiérrez-Artacho and Olvera-Lobo, 2017a;Singh et al, 2012), the findings reveal there is a generalized lack of awareness of the benefits of offering a website adapted to several languages and cultures. To this end, the national government has recently developed a plan for strengthening Spanish SMEs in a global, digital, innovative and changing environment which includes among its action lines improving information on services and resources available to foster internationalization (Secretaría General de Industria y de la Pequeña y Mediana Empresa, 2020).…”

“…From a theoretical point of view, this article contributes to existing literature on website translation as a tool to foster SME internationalization. While prior research has highlighted the importance of websites as promotion and commercialization tools (Alcaide et al, 2013;Kotler and Armstrong, 2007;Osakwe et al, 2016;Peris-Ortiz et al, 2014) as well as their role in the internationalization process (Ahlfors and Fang, 2017;Cermak and Smutny, 2017;Chhibber and Chadha, 2020;Clavijo-Olmos, 2018;Gutiérrez-Artacho and Olvera-Lobo, 2017a;Singh et al, 2012), this study offers a detailed overview of the internet presence of healthcare SMEs in southern Spain, presenting a considerable expansion of the sample in similar research (Sandoval and Saadi, 2015), and taking into account healthcare, one of the most important and growing economic sectors in Spain.…”

“…To this end, having their corporate websites translated into different languages helps SMEs to create a friendly environment, generate engagement, develop a strong branding strategy, and increase their competitive strength (Chhibber & Chadha, 2020;Clavijo-Olmos, 2018;Olvera-Lobo & Castillo-Rodríguez, 2018). In addition, website localization−the cultural adaptation of the content and language of a website for a specific locale−contribute to the internationalization of SMEs, overcoming the linguistic and cultural barriers of internet users from different socio-cultural and linguistic contexts, thus improving SME competitiveness in a globalized environment (Cermak & Smutny, 2017;Gutiérrez-Artacho & Olvera-Lobo, 2017a;Zhu, 2016).…”

Web localization: The Spanish SMEs as case of study

“…The continuous transformation in the economic environment, where the acceleration of the globalization process and development of the knowledge economy are driving forces is systematically pushing businesses towards the challenge that entering foreign markets poses [26]. This study arises from this reality, and the fact that the translation and localization of websites contributes to the internationalization of SMEs, closing the gap between Internet users from different socio-cultural and linguistic contexts.…”

“Infeliz” or “Triste”: A Paradigm for Mixed Methods Exploration of Outcome Measures Adaptation Across Language Variants

“…The specialization of Spanish into several Latin American regional variants was a prolonged and complex process for various reasons such as contact with indigenous languages, regional differences in Spanish dialects among the arriving Spaniards, and, in some cases, notably Argentina and Uruguay (Lipski, 2014 ), mass immigration in the twentieth century from various countries further affecting the use of Spanish language. These factors generated linguistic changes significant enough to be termed “language varieties” by linguists and are strong enough to be represented in language-coding schemes for information management, such as library organization and/or software development (Penix-Tadsen, 2016 ; Gutiérrez-Artacho and Olvera-Lobo, 2017 ). Despite these coding systems, and recognition of language variation by linguists, we could not find literature addressing the intricacies of within-language varieties in the adaptation of mental health questionnaire measures.…”