For a brand, proper translation is like its lifeline. No brand can do well without the proper usage of language

Companies invest a lot of money in outsourcing their translation projects to either freelance translators or translation companies. Since language quality is of primary importance for each brand, it is essential to choose wisely who takes care of your brand.

Who is more likely to offer quality: a freelancer or a translation company?

Poor translations are much worse than no translation at all – Many people will forgive a site for not being in their native language, and will be willing to go to a translation site if they need the information; but if your translation is bad, they won’t trust you or your site  to provide a quality product.

The discipline of translation suggests that full equivalence in translation between languages is rare. Misunderstanding doesn`t happen to qualified translators very often, especially if there is a proofreading process and a QA process involved as  when using a translation company.

Correcting the translation mistakes is much more expensive than the initial cost of hiring a translation company from the  outset. Translation companies will guarantee quality and deadline.

Specialisation of a freelancer vs specialised translation services of a professional agency

Another advantage of translation agencies is that they provide specialised services for different fields. Compared to this, it may be far more difficult for a freelancer to specialize in each field.

Document file formats require preparation for software programs like Adobe InDesign, FrameMaker, Illustrator or QuarkXpress

Only a couple of translators are able to work directly with files from these desktop publishing programs. They don’t own the software and don’t have advanced knowledge in using them.

Most translation companies have invested thousands of euros in both desktop publishing software and in programs that export the text from these programs For DTP projects translation companies employ design specialists who have expertise in the area of desktop publishing.

Translation agencies – a place for all your multilingual projects

If your project  comprises multiple languages,  then working with a translation company will be much easier  than with multiple freelancers.

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One may overlook the need for Dutch translation which exists in various sectors, including business, agriculture, and transportation. Due to the astounding ability of Dutch people to learn second languages, particularly English, some people discount Dutch as a language that would need translation.  It is reported by some research that 87% of Dutch people have a “working knowledge” of English. This is over double the European average. This means that tourists who are able to speak English can usually have a reasonable conversation with nine out of ten Dutch people. They might be able to give tourists directions or answer basic questions. Many people rave about the ability to ask almost anyone in the Netherlands something in English and get a very clear and correct answer. But to think that this means that Dutch people “think” in English or make considerable decisions about their lives or habits is a big jump that the evidence doesn’t justify.

People are more likely to “live” and “think” in their heart language

They are more likely to make emotive decisions in their own language. Therefore, any company who thinks they can simply market their products or have the Dutch public get to know them through English slogans or information would be making a huge assumption. Any company that wants to reach the Dutch population with products will start off on the right foot by offering information, marketing and packaging in Dutch. In order to do that, they will need to employ a company that does professional Dutch translation.

Need to Reach a Dutch Audience?

The fact that 87% of the population has a basic understanding of English does not mean that you can get just anyone to do the translation. While a basic understanding of the language may help you to find the McDonalds down the road, it is not guaranteed to be suitable for translation of complex business or legal documents. These kinds of matters need to be handled by professionals, not just someone who may have passed English in the school system with less than average marks.

Making Dutch communications work for you

There are all kinds of speculation on the internet about how Dutch and specifically people from Scandinavia speak such wonderful English, from movies and subtitles to ages where kids start learning in school to which language family they all belong. The Dutch, in general, should be complemented on their wonderful grasp of English. But remember, if you need something translated to Dutch, don’t take a shortcut. Hire DutchTrans for the best and most professional service for Dutch translations and web localization. If you want the best, it’s easy to remember—DutchTrans.co.uk

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Document translation may seem like a piece of cake. Something you could even cut and paste into machine translation software of some kind and be done in a few minutes.

You might think this is the way to go to save time and money on translations of important legal, medical, or even business documents. Think again! Studies show that mechanical translation is insufficient in translating basic sentences, let alone complex subject matter with legal, medical, or other important information.  You may also think it can easily be done by someone in a far off country who will not charge you much. This is also a dangerous idea.

As a rule, if your business is important to you (and whose isn’t?) when it comes to the task of document translation, you should hire a professional translation service to handle your paperwork in an efficient, expert and timely manner

Most of the better services also offer higher quality standards because native speakers are proofreading every document that has been translated. So the document will be translated by a professional and double-checked by yet another professional. This service is worth the money and will save lots of headaches.

You may be able to find someone on Craig’s list or the internet who says they will translate your documents for you for a very cheap price.  Don’t hire someone unless they can give you references of people who they have worked for that you can follow up and see if they’re legitimate and do good work that satisfies customers. If they can’t do that, then your money is better spent with another service. Another question is whether or not they have multiple translators. The answer should definitely be “Yes” because if not, if the person gets sick or delayed, so does your translation. With a larger company, more people are available to cover any holes. They also will have a second person to proofread and discuss the translation.

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How do companies become well-known?

They have to generate buzz and they need to get a good reputation among clients and users. Once they do this, word of mouth will take over and their products will become popular and if they are lucky, even go viral!

One of the ways that some companies are going about conquering the market for global successis the strategy of “divide and conquer.”

While getting buzz going on the global market might be too big of a first step for many companies, getting the corner on a smaller market presents a more manageable first objective. Getting top page-rank on Google for some of the most popular English terms may be a very expensive and long-term project that is not practical to start with. Instead, many are finding smaller markets in which it is easier to get a sizable market-share or page rank.

One example of this strategy is the world’s viral-crazed video game, Angry Birds. The Finish company that produced the game, Rovio, used smaller markets such as Finland and Czech Republic as well as Norway, Denmark and Sweden, to gain top ranking and to show the game’s potential for profits. This gave them leverage to make deals with the big players like Apple (iOS) and Google (Android) which soon saw their game make it to number one.

For many companies, the comparatively small expense of translating and localizing a game into a new culture and language can pay huge dividends. The market for apps in English is so competitive that it can be too expensive to compete at a high level. Players who start in smaller markets with apps or games that are localized and translated well for that market will have two key elements: research figures showing the value and demand for the app and crucial operations experience of releases including financial management and fixing bugs in a time sensitive environment.

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A misunderstanding is a situation you would like to definitely avoid. In the translation business the most important job is to translate correctly and avoid misunderstandings.

No one wants an awful situation, neither a client nor a translation company. For example, if a text is intended to be funny or ironic but instead, in the hands of the receiver, could be taken as an insult or is taken too seriously, then you have a problem! It is important that there is a difference between misunderstanding and mess understood!

This is one of the many reasons you should hire a translation company.

Of course, it should be a qualified company with a verified history and certified translators. The best situation is that they have native speakers so they can translate not just words but the meaning of the context. As we know, there are many different mentalities, dialects and languages. That means the translators have to understand the meaning of the text and translate it in the spirit of the language. The use of technical terms to communicate accounting information can lead to misunderstandings when the meaning of such a term is not fully appreciated by the recipient of the information.

The discipline of translation suggests that full equivalence in translation between languages is rare. Misunderstanding doesn`t happen to qualified translators very often, especially if there is a proofreading process.

They know that documents can’t be translated literally. For example, the German Company AVUS Performance made the mistake or, if you wish, the misunderstanding, when it`s press agency mistranslated the original name of the 2009 Audi RS6 V10 Biturbo, as “The White Power Audi RS6”. After being associated with skinheads and other neo-Nazi organizations, they have learned their lesson the hard way.

If you have a legal document that needs to be translated, you would be much safer hiring a translator who has graduated from law school and has been translating legal materials for 5 years, as opposed to a pre-law student who is trying to make some money. To avoid these misunderstandings you need to know who you are gong to hire. If you want to expand your business to a foreign market you need to think about these delicate things. Translating into a foreign language is a very hard job. Hire a qualified translation company.

In the long run it is sure to save you money!

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At a recent seminar, I realized that the translator was not doing a good job of translating the material

I know the translator personally and I know that her native language is not English but that she is very good friends with several people who only speak English. I haven’t heard her speak English very often but I assumed that her English was good because she had so many friends with whom she spoke English. Listening to the seminar, however, I realized that the material was way over her head. That means it was too complicated. The seminars being presented by the visiting guest, who was lecturing in his area of expertise, and who has a Ph.D. degree were very complicated and had a professional focus. 

What was the problem? The problem was that the translator in this case did not meet the criteria to translate the material. This person speaks English and has many friends who only speak English. She can carry on casual conversations. She is bilingual. But she is not at the appropriate level to do professional translation.

There are two specific areas that you need to look at when seeing if someone fulfills the criteria to translate for your company or your professional needs

The first is to make sure that the person can communicate on the level needed. If you are just visiting a city and want to have a casual translator, the level of language is not so high. But if you are translating professional documents or contracts or are conducting official business, you need a translator who can keep up with the level of conversation in both languages.  The second area to look at is the technical or vocational area that you are addressing. You need to see if the person or company you are interviewing to translate has the proper skills. Is it a business meeting or contract? You need someone who understands business at a high level in both languages.

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The most important thing in translation is dynamic equivalence

Formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence are two approaches to translation. It is not important just to translate something, it’s important for it to be understandable in the spirit of the language, too.

You need a professional translation company that has qualified translators. So, if the company you choose has only a bilingual translator, then that’s just not enough. A bilingual translator is a person who speaks two languages fluently. A qualified translator is a bilingual or trilingual linguist who knows the languages in question. This person should understand the complex linguistic and cultural disparities between these languages. That means they will not just translate words in a sentence but the whole meaning in your documents. We can explain this in one simple way: if you know how to cook, that doesn’t make you a chef.

Translating into certain languages, you need to completely rewrite the whole document

This is because the logic and order are totally different than your native tongue. You need to know that the translator’s main job is to convey the thought in a source text.

Using a machine translator will very often be a disaster. Can you imagine how it would look if your product, which is supposed to go out to a foreign market, has been translated by a machine, literally without any sense?

Some cultures are very direct while some are indirect

This means that the translators have to think about how not to shame the customer or the reader! Do not forget that every language has metaphors, figurative language, colloquial expressions, jargon and words with multiple meanings. They are all vital for effective communication. How will you know all of this important information if you use a computerized translator? You won’t!

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There are many reasons why you should hire a translation company instead of opting for a free translation

Today it is common for robots and machines to do the job instead of people. When we are speaking about translating documents though, the best thing is to hire a translation company and forget the robots.

We can find and check on the internet to see which company is best for us and find information on what we need

Of course, we can check how long that company has existed and has been on the market. You should choose companies that have a lot of experience and time in the business. But that does not necessarily mean that young companies are not great at their jobs too. You should ask for the company’s certificate(s) or some other proof that show that they are a real company.  So, we have to do a thorough check before we entrust our documents to anyone to translate for us! By checking, we also mean that you have to ask for references. Also, we can ask for samples to see how they have done it in the past.

It is very important to always ask if they have native speakers

That is a crucial detail in a translating job. Many countries have different dialects in the various regions. Phrases and expressions are very important in translation. If you want people to understand you, your document, or your commercials, you need native speakers. Only native speakers can credibly translate. Do not forget to ask if the translators are qualified, too. It is very important. Just because someone is a native speaker does not insure they will speak or write correctly.

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As business grows the world seems to become smaller, with clients needing more from you and quicker than ever.  The Internet is a wonderful thing but imagine if you could only understand a fraction of it.  This is where we come in!  A translation company should be your first port of call, to translate your website, translate your marketing letters, any contact you have with the outside world to make sure you are targeting the widest possible audience.

General Tips for an International Audience

1. Watch Your Language on the Web – Use localized content and Avoid Slang Where Possible

In order to survive in the new world you need a document that is understandable for people in your target audience. That is what localization is for.

For example if you’re addressing an English audience, just because you’re writing your page in English in Australia doesn’t mean that a Canadian would necessarily understand it or find it useful. Make sure that you avoid using slang in your document and hire a translation company for linguistically and culturally appropriate text in a target language or country where it will be used or sold.

2. Use Translation as a new Marketing Tool

Considering the fact that every human is more likely to make a purchase for something in their native language you have to see translations as a marketing tool. The success towards translation relies on quality and accuracy.

a) How To Test your International Market Without Paying a Cent

Before you translate your website or prepare to launch your product in a new country you should check some statistics to see the demand of your product.

Keyword Statistics – First step would be to create a short list of potential keywords and test them with Google’s Keyword Tool In addition to providing statistics, Google’s Keyword tool will generate new keyword ideas for you

b) If you expect to sell to multiple countries don’t forget 3 vital things: shipping, conversions and competitions. If you can only ship within your country, make that very clear. It can be very disappointing for a customer to find exactly what he is looking for and then find that there is no possibility to ship outside the U.K. (and he lives in Australia). In the U.S. measurements like pound and mile are common, in Australia, you might hear terms like stone or meter, and in Europe kilo or kilometer. It helps if you include conversions, and if you don’t know the actual conversion, provide a link to a conversion site. This includes measurements for recipes, distances, and temperature. There are many guidelines for competitions around the world. If your site is solely based around competitions or has only one or two, make sure you follow any legislations in force in your country or the county in which the competition is based.

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Most of us have probably never thought about the difference between localization and translation.

Most of us think there is no difference, but there is. In some cases there may be very little difference, but there are some important ways in which localization and translation differ.

This is one of the important things you should think about before hiring a translation company.

Why is this important to you?

Well, if you want or need a truly understandable document for people in your target audience, you will need localization, not just literally translated material.

As you know, translating is actually converting written text or spoken words from one language to another. This doesn`t mean that it should be translated without changes in word order, cases, or sentence structure. Translating also means choosing the most appropriate word in the target language. Often there is more than one option. Usually there are several options. Most languages have many ways to say the same sentence. A translator’s job is to give you the meaning and the spirit of the text, and the best way to say or write it in the new language. Translation is not translating “word for word” without sense. That makes a huge difference between a computer translation and translation companies who use humans, and that`s why your choice shouldn`t be a translation program.

Here is the point of localization. First of all we should mention what localization is.

Localization is taking a product and making it linguistically and culturally appropriate to a target language or country where it will be used or sold.

One language, for example French, is not the same in France and Canada. In localization, translation is just the beginning. Your materials shouldn`t only be translated into a foreign language, but also adapted to fit the other culture. Localization deals with graphics, proper forms for dates, measuring, adoption of local currencies etc. For example, in some countries measuring for distance is in miles and others in kilometers.

Sometimes, literally translated sentences in some countries sound offensive, or if you try to translate some sentences or proverbs, they just sound like nonsense.

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