Intro
Marketplaces hosted on Builtfirst are as diverse as they are plentiful. Support your founders and customers worldwide by translating each page exactly how you want by utilizing our language and translations features, available for both partners (marketplace admins) and sellers (vendors).
Marketplace Owners: This feature is only available on our Pro plan.
Sellers: This feature is available for all sellers.
Best Practices
Tailor to Your Audience
Consider the region you're translating for. What business or local cultures might your founders (for marketplace owners) and customers (sellers) be from?
Don't Translate Word-for-Word
1-to-1 (exact) translations don't always make sense or match your desired tone in a new language. If your offers use idioms or industry-specific language, make sure your translation takes this into account.
Always Proofread
Machine learning is an excellent tool for getting started - just remember that it's not perfect! Be sure to always have a native speaker proofread translations created by popular online tools or AI.
How-To
Clickpath: Righthand menu > Languages
Adding Languages
All marketplaces are set to English by default. This can't be changed, but you can enable additional languages for your buyers to shop in. Click "+ Add language" to get started.
Use the dropdown to select a language. You can only add one at a time in this process, but there's no limit to how many languages you can add translations for.
Select where you want your new language to apply.
Sellers: You will only see an option to add languages and translations for your company description and offers you create.
Marketplace admins: You can add languages and translations for all messages and navigation in your marketplace. You can also do this for offers that you create. Note that you cannot create translations for offers created/managed by other sellers.
When you return to the landing page, you'll see the new additions reflected. New languages are inactive by default, meaning they are hidden in the marketplace.
Click the action menu on the right to add your translations and then later activate the language.
Adding Translations
After you click "Translate", you'll see an overview of all sections that you can edit. Sections available will depend on whether you are a marketplace owner, a seller, or both.
Take note of which sections have a "Missing Translation" status. This means that at least one field does not have a translation saved.
Click the edit pencil next to a section to open its corresponding translation page.
Any translations added are saved immediately, so you can always leave and come back later to continue or edit as needed.
To quickly jump to a different section to edit, use the caret in the top left corner of the page.
Don't have all of your translations ready yet? That's ok! You can still activate a language with 0 or partial translations. Any item without a translation will appear in English automatically.
Below is an example of a partially translated offer:
The marketplace has not been translated by the owner
The product/service (listing, Acme Anvils) has not been translated by the seller
The deal (Hasta $20,000 en creditos) has been translated by the seller
Activating a Language
Alternative languages won't appear in the marketplace until the marketplace owner activates them. Use the action menu to update the status. That's it!
Viewing Translations in the Marketplace
Once translations have been added and languages enabled by the marketplace owner, Builtfirst takes care of the rest. We'll automatically detect which language a buyer's web browser is set to and update the marketplace wherever a translation is available. If one hasn't been added, we'll show the buyer the English version of that particular section, field, and/or button.
Buyers can't proactively select their marketplace language yet. Check back later for updates!
FAQ
Q: Can you translate things for me?
A: Builtfirst doesn't offer translation services. Sorry!
Q: How many languages can I add?
A: There is no limit to how many languages you can add and enable.
Q: I already added a language for my marketplace, but want to enable it for my seller profile too. What do I do?
This is known as a role. Click "Edit" next to the language to update the role. This also works in reverse (enabling for a marketplace after previously enabling for a seller profile).
Q: I don't see my preferred language as an option when adding a new language.
A: Please send feedback to our product team via support@builtfirst.com.
Q: Why do some items appear in English, while others appear in another language?
A: We'll automatically display English for any item that doesn't have a translation saved.
Q: What happens if I deactivate a language?
A: It will no longer be available for anyone that visits your marketplace. All translations are retained, though, so if you reactivate later, you don't need to redo your work.
Q: What happens if I delete a language?
A: The language will disappear from your Languages page and cease to be available for buyers. All translations will be deleted. Use with caution - once it's gone, it's gone!
Q: I'm a seller that added languages + translations for my product/service (listing) or deal, but they don't show up in a specific marketplace. What do I do?
A: The marketplace owner must enable the language you've provided translations for. Let your marketplace contact(s) know!
Q: I've added my translations. Can I preview them in the marketplace?
A: Translations don't currently show in preview. Check back later for updates!