Effective customer communication is one of the cornerstones of a successful company in the maritime industry. If you serve international customers or partner with foreign freight forwarders, any gap in communication is bound to cause confusion or misunderstandings, either directly or indirectly hurting your business. By speaking the same language, you build an instant connection and set the ground for productive discussions.
Maritime legal and technical documents
Maritime translations can be challenging; words, phrases and acronyms must be correctly interpreted first in the original language and then accurately translated to the target language. Suffice to say, unless the translator is familiar with the maritime terminology and a proficient linguist, the translated document is bound to have errors. Misinterpretation of the original legal text can cast a doubt on your intentions, while blatant mistakes in safety manuals or environmental reports can reflect poorly on your business practices.
By engaging a professional translation agency offering business translations for the shipping industry, you can avert this risk and convey your company and its practices authentically.
Maritime business website
Your website is your online identity – visited by potential clients and partners, and a major touch point for B2B communications. A multilingual site is helpful in communicating your services, values and expertise to a global audience. If you publish news and share marine notices, alerts or FAQs on your website, making it easily comprehensible to a larger audience will assume even more importance.
Imagine a scenario where heavy congestion at a busy port has held up the shipment at the terminal, or you are in the midst of responding to a change in the maritime law. If these issues have a direct bearing on your services or impact your business partners in some way, your website is a convenient place to post status updates or provide assurance in the language(s) your stakeholders understand.
Contracts and trading agreements
If you are aiming to expand your services to far-reaching countries, much of your time may be invested in adhering to international requirements and guaranteeing at least minimum service levels. When scouting for partnerships in countries that don’t speak your language, it is customary to provide correctly translated documents or conduct bilingual meetings with a professional interpreter in tow.
Even if you already have a global presence and operate commercial or cargo-bearing vessels in foreign waters, it is a best practice to design and share multilingual annual reports, contractual or legal documents, and other essential B2B corporate collateral. This can help in creating goodwill and sustain transcontinental business partnerships. An ongoing relationship with a reputed agency offering translation for the maritime and shipping industry is invaluable in this scenario.