With the growing demand for translation services among global brands, translation companies are gaining more recognition. The emergence of several translation companies has given global brands many options. This has enhanced the competitiveness in the language translation industry. There are many things to consider when searching for a suitable translation company.
Firstly, you have to choose a translation service you can trust to handle your translation tasks accurately. The agency should be able to handle these tasks according to your specific requirements and within set deadlines. You also consider translation companies with a stellar service record, especially if you have a sensitive translation project or need particular expertise.
The options are so many that you may be overwhelmed or confused about which translation agency suits your company best. This article is a compilation of effective tips that can assist you in choosing the ideal translation service for your organization.
How to choose your translation company?
1. Go for a Translation Agency that Takes Quality Assurance Process Seriously
There are numerous translation services in the industry, but that doesn’t mean you can pick anyone. No matter how professional they may be, translators are humans and are prone to errors during translation. A translation agency may give your brand the option to utilize machine translators. However, even these are not immune to mistakes, primarily when localizing the translated content.
Having this in mind, it’s essential to consider going for a company that uses professional editors to review or assess the quality of the translated content. Proofreading translated content can be handled by a project manager, a second translator, or NMTPE (Neural network-based translation).
2. Find a Translation Service that can Produce Localized Content
Localized content is essential in the international market. It communicates to your target audience that you understand them, and that’s why your content is tailored to reflect their culture and nuances. Translating content isn’t enough. Your target market may not understand the translated content without localizing the content.
For instance, if a brand wants their content translated from English to Portuguese, they need to understand that translation to European Portuguese will require a different phrasing from Brazilian Portuguese. The best way to get localized content is by hiring native translators from the country you’re targeting. So, go for a translation agency that provides native translators.
3. Partner with a Translation Company that have Experts on Industry-Related Subject Matters
Efficient translators ought to be well-versed in specific subject matters and have a localized understanding of the language they translate content to. Therefore, your company should look out for translation services with professionals in specific fields such as marketing, healthcare, technology, finance, automotive, education, eLearning, etc. These professionals will utilize the industry jargon or terminology during content translation to make sure that the translated content will sound as well as it did before translation.
So when checking out a company, browse through their website or portfolio to find out if they have translators with the specific expertise your project requires. In other words, check if they have professional translators in the industry your organization is concerned with. Your best bet is a translation service that can deliver on any industry or subject matter.
4. Ensure their Customer Support is Accessible anytime and in Any Language
The customer support service is another key area to assess the professionalism of a translation company. Ensure you go for a translation service that you can reach at any time because they are more dependable when you need an issue handled. To run checks on the customer service of the translation companies you’re considering, try contacting them through mediums such as emails or live chat. Monitor how quickly they respond and your level of satisfaction with their assistance.
This is an excellent way to evaluate or ascertain how their customer support will be. Aside from having a responsive customer support service, ensure the translation agency offers multilingual support. This doesn’t only mean they can support customers from various countries through their local language, but it’s an indication of excellent translation and localization skills.
5. Assess the Translation Speed of the Companies
Translation quality is the supreme factor to consider, but translation speed is also important to pay attention to. Every client will definitely prefer a translation company that will do the job well and in record time. For example, the client wants to process a visa application, has a project deadline, or has limited patience. Whatever the reason is, please ensure that you go for a translation agency that’s efficient and quick in translating content.
You can assess the translation speed of a particular agency by requesting a quote for a project. Note the delivery time so that you can use that to have an idea of the time it will take that translation agency to work on your content and if they can meet your deadlines. Several translation services tend to charge extra fees for speedy deliveries. So if you need your content translated as soon as possible, this is another angle to consider.
6. Check Out References and Reviews
This is arguably the most effective tip when considering the most suitable translation service provider. You may implement other tips and still have second thoughts about a particular translation company. So, skimming through customer reviews and references is better to assess their service quality. This way, you’ll know whether the agency will be a good fit for your organization or not.
Browse reputable review websites such as TrustPilot to know what their existing clients think of them. For references, read well-known language industry publications such as Slator to see if they are featured there. This will give you a glimpse of their reputation in the industry.
Final Thoughts
Choosing a translation company shouldn’t be a daunting task if you keep these few things in mind. You can also request recommendations from colleagues and trusted friends who have sought translation services in the past.