Hello, Bonjour, Nǐ Hǎo! 4 Factors to Consider When Choosing Between Translation Services
What should you look for in translation services?
They’re vital when you often deal with customers across the world, allowing you to communicate effectively, but what should you look out for?
We’ve outlined four important factors to consider when you’re choosing from different business translation services — keep reading to get the lowdown.
1. Cultural Background
Sure, there might be translation services that are cost-effective and offer good work, but if the translators aren’t native speakers you might be at a disadvantage.
For example, imagine that you needed translation services from English to Spanish. There may well be services based in India, say, perhaps at a cheaper price, but the translator might lack the cultural knowledge of a native Spanish speaker.
By employing somebody from a Hispanophone nation like Spain, Mexico, or Argentina — ideally from the same country as many of your customers — you can benefit from their understanding and experience of the culture.
When breaking into a new market, the use of idioms and figures of speech can be a great asset, and non-native speakers often won’t be as strong here.
2. Number of Languages
Although your priority might be finding global translation services that can handle the two languages you’re working with, consider the future and where you might want to venture in the long term.
If you can find an agency that works with all major languages, it’ll set you up for the future. When you next want to break into a French-speaking, Portuguese-speaking, or Chinese-speaking market, you won’t have to go to the trouble of finding the right translation service again.
3. Cost of Services
Despite wanting the highest quality, cost is of course a factor too. There are agencies with attractively low prices but beware of these as this often reflects the quality of the services.
Meanwhile, the more expensive agencies might well offer some great services but still be charging a little more than is reasonable. Use a degree of common sense, be savvy, and weigh up different prices.
If you’re looking at a few different agencies and services, get a quote for each of them, and make sure that you strike a sensible balance between value and quality.
4. Any Additional Requirements
Is translation the only service offered by this agency, or can they help you out in any other way — perhaps with multilingual SEO or PR cooperation?
When an agency has other skills, this can really help your business break into new markets. From the skills we mentioned above to things as simple as professional proofreading, there are many services an agency could offer in addition to translation. When checking out an agency, it’s a good idea to meet the team and see what they do.
If you need anything else, it’s definitely worth looking into everything that these agencies can offer.
What Makes Translation Services Good?
These are just some of the things to look out for when choosing from different translation services. It’s up to you to decide which are best for your business, however. Take our advice and take a look at the agencies out there, choosing the one that you feel will benefit your business the most.
For more business advice, be sure to check out some of our other posts — we might have just what you’re looking for.
