In Wales we’re famous for a lot of things: Mari Lwyd, Welsh Cakes, castles, our gorgeous landscapes and, as you may well be aware, Dewi Sant, our patron saint who we’re celebrating today! But there is something else we’re famous for, and perhaps it’s the most important of all: our language.
Cymraeg is one of the oldest still living languages today, and the oldest in Britain, but it’s faced a lot in that time: from the Welsh Not, to threats of extinction. Despite that it’s still here and, if we continue to embrace it, it will only grow! Cymraeg is important to the people of Wales, it’s why we sing to it in our anthem, have fought to hard to keep it alive and, why you should embrace it in your Welsh business.
The Benefits of Including Welsh in your Business
Did you know that over half a million people (an estimated 538,000) in Wales speak Welsh? That equates to one in every five residents. (The Office for National Statistics). It is also the only Celtic language not considered endangered by UNESCO which means it’s here to stay! So, why would you not include it in your business strategy? After all, half a million people is a large audience to miss out on and don’t assume they’ll be happy to just use an app to translate. In the same way that you would want to read in your native language, Welsh speakers will want to read in theirs.
In fact, here are some stats to show you just how important this is!
- 65% of people prefer to read in their native language, even if it’s poor quality (CSA Research).
- 40% will not buy in other languages (CSA Research).
- In a choice between similar products, 75% of consumers will select options where information is available in their language (ITI Translates).
- 56% of online shoppers say having information in their language is more important than price (ITI Translates).
- 73% want product reviews in their native language (CSA Research).
- Businesses that translate their landing pages and ads can expect to gain up to a 20% increase in conversions (Toppan Digital).
The difference is massive but, as a Welsh business, revenue should not be your only incentive. All businesses have a responsibility to ensure that access to information is equally accessible for all individuals. You may have heard of the importance of accessibility for differing abilities, well think about this in terms of language too.
The Implications of Including Welsh in your Business
As a Welsh business, including the native language of the country in your transactions is an important part of keeping that language alive. Normalising its day-to-day use also exposes more people to it and gives you a chance to spread awareness! Modern-day consumers actively favour value-driven brands, so being inclusive of varied linguistic needs can improve your brand reputation overall and set you apart from the competition who may only offer their services in English! Not taking advantage of something so easy to implement seems like a wasted opportunity to us!
At the end of the day, you will be giving Wales’ residents the opportunity to use their Welsh. The percentage of Welsh speakers fell by 6% in the last census. Increasing the visibility of Welsh in your business will help prevent the Welsh language from further decline, which as a business in this country is a responsibility of yours.
The Affordability of Bilingualism
For many small businesses, we understand that duplicating web pages into multiple languages can be challenging from a budget perspective. After all, the more languages you add, the more expensive it becomes! But did you know that at Gwe Cambrian Web we offer all our websites with Welsh and English functionality as standard – at no extra cost. In fact, we were set up to offer affordable, bilingual websites. We also offer affordable translation services too if you need a hand with making your website Welsh! This is because we don’t believe that money should be a barrier to being a business who want to thrive in both English and Welsh.
So, why not, as Dewi might say, do the little thing, and choose to go bilingual for this St David’s Day?
Dydd Gŵyl Dewi hapus pawb! A gwenwch y pethau bychain!
