The number of UK-based businesses that have decided to take advantage of globalization and approach overseas and foreign markets is on the rise, and language translation solutions are at the center of all this. Whether offering products or services, any company expanding internationally should be able to target a larger number of potential customers while growing their revenues significantly. Nevertheless, for this to happen, such a company will need to take several steps to ensure their internationalization efforts are well implemented. Approaching prospective customers in a language they are comfortable with is perhaps one of the most effective ways to make the entire process successful. Translating your materials and content to make it easier to reach out to foreign markets and to ensure that your targeted audience understands the message you are presenting them is essential. With that in mind, it’s essential that you work with a professional translation agency that provides accurate translation services and dependable localization. If you are having a problem effectively choosing a reliable translation service provider, here are seven things you need to consider before making a decision.
- Sector Expertise
As an expert in your specific sector, be it marketing, medicine, law or finance, you understand that your profession has a specific language and terminologies that are unique to it that can sometimes be difficult for people without any experience in your line of business to comprehend. When choosing a translation service, it is advisable that you choose an agency that understands your business sector if you want your content and your associated jargon accurately translated to the native language of your target audience. According to AlphaTrad, who provide certified translations in Glasgow, some of the top translation providers in the business offer linguists who aren’t just experts at translating content into different languages, but who also have experience in specific business areas.
- Turnaround Times
As a person in business, you understand that time is money. When having a website translated for foreign audiences, each day of postponement could lead to losses in sales and revenue. A professional and experienced translation service provider should be able to precisely translate and proofread content without any unnecessary delays. As a general guideline, you should expect about 2,000 words to be translated per day. In some instances, especially for promotional and marketing materials, additional proofreading of content is necessary to guarantee the highest possible quality. However, in such instances, the agency should notify you before they start working on the project and should make sure that they include this in their turnaround time.
- Human Translators
The translation of business material needs to be accurate. Even the slightest mistake could be very costly, and not only budget-wise but also from a branding point of view. As such, it is important to ensure that the company you choose to work with uses professional human translators instead of translation machines. Machine translators like Google Translate can be beneficial for every day, personal use but when it comes to matters business-related, they simply can’t offer human accuracy.
- Creative Translation Services
Translation services are available in many forms and shapes. When working with product descriptions and marketing materials, it’s crucial to ensure that the agency you opted to work with is not only able to offer standard word for word translations but is also able to provide transcreation and localization services. Considering that language varies from one country to another, and from region to region, literal translations will often not work in foreign markets. The agency you choose to translate your content should be able to cover and creatively translate all your content so that despite the words changing, the sense and meaning behind your messages will remain intact. To be on the safe side when it comes to this, consider hiring a transcreation agency. Transcreation agencies not only provide translation services but also offer localization transcreation and various language services that might be necessary for successful foreign campaigns.
- Similar Translation Projects
One of the best ways to judge the business abilities and linguistics of a translation agency is to take a look at the list of clients the company has and worked within the past. Also, remember to ask for some translation samples. By doing so, you should be able to evaluate the agency’s quality of work, making it easier for you to tell if they can meet your standards and if they can translate content from your business sector. Moreover, it would be beneficial to read the agency’s reviews on unbiased, third-party websites like Google Reviews. This way, you will have a general outlook of how others rate the company and their experience working with the agency.
- Customer Service
When translating material without any prior experience can sometimes be a complicated and stressful process. By corresponding or speaking with account managers, you’ll be able to get the gist of how your translation service provider handles his clients, if the company is helpful and if they can explain the process for you, break down the pricing, etc. A reliable translation agency will always respond to their clients’ questions and queries promptly.
- Native Speakers
One crucial aspect of translating material is ensuring that it’s translated by native speakers of the target audience/language. For example, let’s say you want to expand into the German market, it is vital that the translator you have assigned to your project be a native German speaker. This will not only guarantee you the highest accuracy, but it will also ensure that your content is reliably localized for your target audience, taking into consideration any cultural, social or demographic aspects that can indirectly or directly influence the translation.
When trying to win over foreign markets, choosing the right translation company plays a crucial role when it comes to internationalization and business translations. Working with a professional translation agency should make it easier for your services and products to proliferate new markets successfully. It is, therefore, vital that you hire an officially accredited translation agency that understands your business model and sector, and which can translate material within the shortest time possible and accurately. As the world continues to embrace globalization, the number of companies providing translation services continues to grow with even more companies seemingly joining the industry with every passing day. Sadly, though, not all of these companies provide quality and dependable work.
For this reason, choosing an agency, you can rely on can be a problematic and challenging process. Nonetheless, the information provided here should make life a bit easier for you. Once you have established a relationship with a professional and dependable translation agency, it is only then that you’ll be able to see how your partnership works out.