In the long term – and more and more likely in the short term – translating your marketing and customer communication material into Chinese could save your business. The world is changing rapidly, and English to Chinese document translation will be a major factor in the future health of western businesses.

The Facts

Right now, about 1.3 billion people claim some variation of Chinese as their native tongue. In a world of 7 billion people, 1.3 billion is a huge chunk. In fact, China itself is the second largest economy in the entire world, despite its reputation as a “closed” or even “poor” country.

The reality is that China is opening up more and more to international commerce. The Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008 were a testament to China’s newfound commitment to be a global citizen. Already, about 20,000 American businesses sell their products in China, and that number is growing (your business needs to add itself to that list soon!).

Through effective translation you can open the lines of communication to a massive emerging market. With website translation and marketing localisation, your message will be tailored to that market – Chinese customers will feel right at home with you.

The Trend

Experts say that the world is evening out. Globalisation has provoked a spread of modern technology and access to affluence that is already making sweeping changes in every continent. More and more, purchasing power is directly proportional to population. Soon there will cease to be a spending gap between nations. When that happens, China, with one fifth of the global population, will all of a sudden become one fifth of the global market. Absolutely not a demographic to be ignored. English to Chinese and Chinese to English translation are about to become very important.

Even if your company does not, and has no intention of doing business overseas, English to Chinese translation will bring a surge of new customers to your doorstep. Chinese immigration to North America is as strong as it has ever been. Chinese is the third most spoken language in the United States, and over 3% of Canada’s population speaks Chinese.

English to Chinese translation is an investment in your business that will pay off in the short term and the long term.