How To Make The Most Of A Translation Service?

If you want to take your business global, translation services are indispensable. But how do you make sure that you are getting the most out of your service and not overpay?

Professional translators will get you the best return on investment

Linguists, when provided through a qualified Language Service Provider (LSP), are trained, in-country professionals who experience in specific subject matters. This means that while the initial investment might seem steeper than a Machine Translation (MT), but the investment will be worth it in the long run.

Their use of Translation Tools will provide you with attractive discounts the time progresses, and more translated content will be stored in the tool’s Translation Memory (TM) and adds a crucial level of Quality Assurance (QA). Additionally, an LSP can provide you with the support of localization engineers who can offer creative solutions and workarounds to complex technical issues you may encounter with your website, app, or software.

Lastly, professional translators will ensure that the content is both linguistically and culturally adapted, meaning you can make a genuine connection with your new client base and build trust.

Let the LSP know what you want, and share the appropriate resources

  • LSPs are always keen to receive Glossaries. A glossary is a master list of technical and brand-specific terms and their approved translation, so they can be implemented in the Translation CAT Tool and applied in the translations.
  • It will be even more useful if the client can enrich the glossary with extra information. Make sure you include the definition of your source term, the part of speech (verb, noun, etc.), any possible notes you may have that can contextualize the term for translators, and variations, synonyms, and antonyms. References can also include visual materials if the content material is obscure and highly technical, or even if you would just like to show the linguist in which context the terms are used.
  • Clarify the tone and style further in a style guide, where you notify the translator of any preferences in style and tone.

Prioritize your content and assign the right service to the right content

Know that different content types will require different strategies. While MT has its place within a well-developed content strategy, it should be with any type of content that has marketing purposes, is complex (think legal of medical content), or needs to create a genuine connection with the target audience. In these cases, you have to commit to human translation only!

Learn more

Learn more about terminology management and receive a detailed overview of how a glossary is formed in our blog on terminology management: the way to consistent and qualitative translations.

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