Things You Should Know When You Need a Dutch Translator for Your Website

For many people, when they think of the Netherlands or Holland, things such as tulips, windmills, canals, wooden shoes, and bicycles come to mind. The Netherlands, though, is about more than just those items commonly associated with their culture.

If you are someone who owns a business and you are looking to expand or increase your website sells to the Netherlands, you will need two things: a greater knowledge of the Netherlands and a Dutch translator. The first is important for understanding your audience. The second is important for communicating with your audience.

One of the first things you should understand is the history of international relations between the United States and the Netherlands. The United States and the Netherlands actually established diplomatic relations in 1782, making the Netherlands one of our oldest, continuous relations. They fought alongside us in both the Korean War and the first Gulf War. The Netherlands is the eighth largest importer of U.S. goods and the third largest investor in the U.S. There is also a Dutch embassy in Washington, D.C., showing international relations between our two countries continue to be important today.

There are also a number of famous Dutch-Americans, including Audrey Hepburn, Mark-Paul Gosselaar of “Saved by the Bell,” the Roosevelts, and Martin van Buren. Van Buren’s first language was actually Dutch, making him the only U.S. president whose first language was not English. Many other Americans, both famous and non-famous, have Dutch roots.

If you plan on doing business in the Netherlands, you should also know that Holland and the Netherlands are technically not synonymous. Although many people, including some who live in the Netherlands, use the terms interchangeably, Holland actually refers specifically to North and South Holland, just two of the twelve providences which make up the country. Many of the country’s largest cities, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and the Hague, are in this region of the country.

Although this is unlikely to help you in your business dealings in the Netherlands, it is interesting to also know that the Dutch people are tall. By some estimates, they are on average the tallest people in the world. The average height of a Dutch man is 184 centimeters (or just over 6’). Dutch women average 170 centimeters (about 5’ 7”).

Now that you have a little more understanding of those who live in the Netherlands, contact us to get a Dutch translator who can help you effectively advertise and communicate with your future Dutch-speaking customers and associates through your website.