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Para español, pulse aqui: Why smart American businesses and nonprofits have Spanish Web pages

Although Hispanics now comprise the largest minority group in the United States, with 45.5 million people, you wouldn’t suspect that from looking at a cross-section of American Web sites aimed at the general public.

Most Web sites don’t have a single page in Spanish, not even a Contact page or downloadable PDF file, says Project Manager Teresa Jones of BilCom Group, a Delaware-based bilingual communications company that argues that the Hispanic market is too important to ignore.



According to recent polls, 23 million Hispanics are online, and 80 percent of them are searching for information. And they’re not all recent immigrants. MSN.com and its Spanish-language counterpart MSNLatino.com found that second-generation Hispanics who were born in the U.S. and speak English fluently often feel more comfortable reading in Spanish.

“Consider 18 million people on the Internet, only a mouse-click away from your organization, and there’s not a word in Spanish to encourage them to do so,” Jones says.

One BilCom Group client, the Amputee Coalition of America, saw usage of its Spanish Web pages increase 28 percent from 2006 to 2007. “We hear from health providers and amputees every day about how grateful they are for our materials in Spanish,” says the Amputee Coalition’s COO Pat Isenberg.

Jones suggests starting by translating just one Web page into Spanish, and if it’s well-received, adding more Spanish pages. A few additional tips for organizations considering translating Web pages into Spanish:

   * Always use translators who speak Spanish as their native language and communicate equally well in English.
   * Avoid translation software like Babel fish because the result can be incomprehensible or worse, insensitive.
   * Know your target audience: Are they immigrants from Central America, South America or Mexico? Regional nuances exist, and your translator should know them all.
   * Make sure your translator is certified in the discipline of translation. Language competence alone is not enough for translations that will represent your company.

BilCom Group stands apart from competing communications firms because it is staffed with native-speaking translators, editors, and copywriters, who understand the regional differences among Spanish-language cultures. The highly-rated company also applies extensive research in current buying trends to advise clients on what Hispanic consumers are purchasing, how they shop for the products they buy, and what marketing approach an organization or business should take to tap into the Hispanic population. Although many of its clients are mission-based organizations, it has the expertise to create a quality translation of any kind of message.

Organizations interested in a free assessment of an existing Spanish translation of their materials or a no-obligation discussion of their translation needs can call BilCom Group at (302) 539 3763, e-mail editors@bilcomgroup.com or visit the BilCom Group Web site at www.bilcomgroup.com.




Hispanic Entrepreneurs Offered Revolutionary Tools to Develop a Competitive Edge

Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs, who are opening businesses at rates three times faster than the national average, now have a new tool to help them stay competitive in a challenging marketplace.

Joe Palazzo, founder and chief content officer of Junta42 and co-author of the highly-praised “Get Content Get Customers,” just launched a Spanish version of his popular, free e-book “How to Attract and Retain Customers with Content NOW.” Given the economic climate, the book has arrived at the ideal time.

“Tough economic times call for business owners to discuss their offerings in a way that’s truly meaningful,” says Pulizzi. “This e-book gives Spanish-dominant entrepreneurs and business executives — who are more comfortable doing business in Spanish than in English — the latest proven techniques in capturing and retaining customers. It steers business owners away from old methods that are no longer effective.”

The e-book, translated by the Delaware-based bilingual communications agency BilCom Group, is available for downloading at the Junta42 Web site, www.junta42.com/free-white-paper/. The book will also be available at a Spanish-language marketing portal, www.MarketingQueFunciona.com, which BilCom Group will launch in early April.

“The e-book offers tips on how to develop and implement a strategy for supplying truthful, value-loaded information that customers can use,” Pulizzi adds.

The estimated 3 million U.S. Hispanic-owned businesses generate more than $388 billion in revenue annually, according to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Hispanic firms in the United States are expected to grow 41.8 percent in the next six years, to 4.3 million, with total revenues surging 39 percent, to more than $539 billion.

“Developing loyalty and trust is very important for Hispanic business owners throughout the Americas,” says BilCom founder Patricia V. Rivera. “We recognize Joe’s book and its approach as a valuable resource for Spanish-dominant entrepreneurs and marketers.”
To download the free e-book, go to www.junta42.com/free-white-paper/ or www.MarketingQueFunciona.com.

   * About Junta42
     Junta42 (www.junta42.com) offers a complimentary referral service for marketers that helps them find a custom publisher / custom content provider in just minutes — free and with no obligation.

   * About BilCom Group
     Founded in 2003, BilCom Group (www.bilcomgroup.com) is a bilingual communications agency that helps organizations strengthens their relationships with Spanish speakers through the use of quality Spanish-language translations and original content.