The internet, once completely dominated by the English language, is nowadays a multilingual platform. More and more users search and purchase products and services in their native language. You can have the exact same product in Uruguay and Australia presented to you in your own language and within your cultural context, anywhere from Andorra to Zambia. It’s localization and globalization at the same time!
Companies around the world cater to the needs of their global customers, which means translating their website content, social media, e-commerce, and marketing materials. However, to make that happen, one needs to have the best translators for the project at hand. As completing the project is often a hassle due to content and communication exchange, not to mention the technical side, the team of translators must be chosen carefully.
At Text United we cut to the chase and provide a solution that is hassle-free, offering the best tools for managing translation projects, as well as the services of certified translators. That’s why we want to share our experience and list 5 factors to focus on when you want to choose the best translators for your project. Just keep on reading!
#1. Experience
Experience in a particular field of expertise is one of the major things to look for. It simply guarantees a high-quality translation and adds value to your project. However, if someone is considered to be of acceptable quality, but has done past work on similar projects, hiring them might, in fact, be the best option. The rule-of-thumb is that less experienced translators will improve and adjust to your quality standards. Afterward, they become accustomed to your company’s specific terminology and style of content. Consider it a future investment!
#2. Quality
The majority of translators do a translation test (100-200 words) to show their skills and quality, free of charge. But even if it’s not for free, you may want to invest in this to check the quality and experience of the translator. If the translator provides a satisfying translation, then you may re-use this test translation in the real localization project. That’s how you know that you will use their services in the future projects.
#3. Reliability
This might be considered the most important factor of all. We want to emphasize the importance of choosing translators who are reliable and punctual, because let’s face it: the whole process of translation depends on reliability, the next steps depend on it, and your relationships with your customers depend on it, too. It’s worth emphasizing that some larger projects may include multi-language translation work. In these cases, even if one translator is late, it can result in the delay of the whole project’s completion.
#4. Dedication
While managing your translation project, you need to be sure that when translators say that the work will be delivered on time and with the highest quality, they will deliver on time and with the highest of quality, even if it means exceeding the initial workflow assumptions. Apart from checking their experience and quality of the translation, try to ask: are they flexible to work overtime if necessary? Are they willing to make additional changes if necessary?
#5. Pricing
Think of buying translation as being the same as buying any other product or service. First, you need to think about the quality that you require and compare the prices. Of course, experienced translators charge more, largely because they add greater value to your project.
However, bear in mind that a lower price doesn’t always have to mean lower quality. In fact, when you apply a specific method customized to your content, the price of the overall project can reduce significantly!
As you can see, there are quite a few factors involved in finding ‘the one’ when you’re looking for the right translator. We hope that these hints will help you to find what you need!
