Blog · Professional services
Writing a listing that sells in two languages
Translated copy reads translated. Write it twice instead.
The Spanish half of most listings I read was written in English first. You can tell in one sentence.
Write twice, do not translate once
The two versions do not have to say the same thing in the same order. They have to sell the same product to two people who think in different languages. The Spanish runs fifteen to twenty-five per cent longer, so a headline that just fits in English will break in Spanish — which is why every width in this site is measured against the Spanish.
And leave the brackets visible
If you use a template, leave the placeholders in square brackets until you replace them. Half the dead listings on the internet still say the business name in brackets.
Businesses mentioned
Discover the businesses and organizations referenced in this story. Each one opens its page in the directory.
