Internazionalizzazione di un e-commerce tra localizzazione, SEO e SEA: il caso di maremossoforzasette.it

This dissertation situates itself in the research area of website localization and aims to present the localization project carried out by the candidate. In particular, this work focuses on the localization from Italian into English of one section of the e-commerce maremossoforzasette.it, which belongs to the small enterprise Da Franco snc. Specifically, this study aims to both show how e-commerce can successfully reach foreign customers with the help of localization and Search Engine Marketing and to demonstrate the skills needed by translators to tackle this challenge. The first part of this thesis, including chapters I, II and III, represents the theoretical background on which the practical work carried out by the candidate is based. The second part of this dissertation, including chapters four and five, aims to show how the project developed in practice: from the analysis of source texts to the creation of linguistic resources to the commentary on the translation process. This dissertation clearly shows that e-commerce internationalization needs to be thoroughly planned if a company aims to reach foreign customers, and that simply translating the website content won't suffice. On the one hand, companies should implement a successful globalization strategy that takes both the advantages and the costs of localization into account. On the other, translators should acquire new skills that go beyond linguistic and cultural ones. In this thesis, it has been demonstrated that basic knowledge of Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Advertising is of vital importance when dealing with localization and is also what could make a translator stand out from the competition. In addition, the understanding of the usability, readability and accessibility principles, the use of Content Management Systems, Google Analytics and Google Market Finder, represent useful knowledge for translators who operate in the field of website localization.