Do you have international ambitions with your organization and do you want to translate your website? There are many options for translating your website. Where do you start? And how do you ensure good quality? With these tips, you ensure a streamlined process and an optimal translation of your website. For the Vertaalbureau Architekst this is important.
Prepare your website translation well
Determine what goal you are aiming for with the website translation. Which target group do you want to reach and what content is relevant? Perhaps certain products or services are not at all interesting for that target group. Also, consider cultural differences. What appeals to your target group? What arguments are they sensitive to?
Choose your translation partner
Depending on the importance of a well-translated website and your budget, there are three ways to have the website translated. This guide to an international website will get you started.
Machine translation
Translation machines are developing very quickly. Translation machines are better at translating formal texts than freer written marketing texts. The length of the text and the language combination also affect the quality of the machine translation. For example, Dutch to English goes a lot better than English to Dutch.
Freelance translator
If you have less than 5000 words to translate into 1 language, you can use a freelancer for the website translation. It is cheaper than using a translation agency. If you choose this option, please note that there is no quality control on the translation. And find a good professional. Your neighbor is not a translator simply because she happens to be Polish.
Translation agency
Expertise is what distinguishes a good translation agency. Expertise in language and culture and expertise in guiding complex translation processes. In addition, a translation agency checks the quality of the translation. They are more expensive, but work with professionals and are faster anyway.
Determine how you will translate
Your translation partner can work directly in the CMS or you can export all text to be translated. The advantage of working in the CMS is that the translated texts are immediately in the right places. The downside is that you have less insight into consistent word usage and repetitions are simply re-translated. If you outsource this project not per word, but per hour, it will cost a lot. It is a time-consuming task.
If you work with a professional freelancer or a translation agency, you probably have to choose the export option. They work with software that guarantees consistency and recognizes repetitions. This is much cheaper in terms of cost and speed.
Leave room for extra text length
In many languages, more text is needed to say the same thing. It is also possible that a product name or word remains in the source language and is explained in brackets in the target language, which takes up extra space. Finally, the space on buttons and CTAs is limited. In addition to the translator, the designer must also take this into account.
A good translation agency
Of course, it is important to choose a good and renowned translation agency. In particular, look at certificates and guarantees such as ISO and NEN. It is also often possible to request a test text, with which you can see whether the style and working method of the agency suit you and the target group. Finally, don’t forget to always request a quote in advance. The price can be an important factor in making the best choice.