Whether your business caters to audiences in your own country only, or in several markets around the world, it’s important to speak to people in a language they understand. This can mean avoiding the use of jargon and obscure words that not everyone will understand, as well as using a business translation service to translate and localise your content.
According to the language sector insider Slator.com, 76% of online shoppers prefer to buy products with information in their native language. In addition, 40% will never buy from websites in other languages. This was the result of a survey series launched in 2006 by CSA Research, which included 8,709 global consumers in 29 countries in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America.
Some languages are spoken by large percentages of the global population. For example, about 10% of all web content is in Spanish, making it the third biggest language on the internet. This could be due to the fact that Spanish is spoken across South America, but also that many businesses in the US offer services in Spanish, as it is so widely spoken across North America as well (with theUK catching up quickly!).
When translating content, you might be tempted to use someone who speaks the language but is not a professional business translator. This approach might work, but it could also lead to a bunch of mishaps, which can damage your business.
We’ve listed a few reasons why you can’t beat the security and efficiency of a professional business translation job.
1 – Save your business translator’s blushes
Google has given us some great tools, like maps and the ability to search for the answer to absolutely any question. However, its Google Translate tool, while certainly useful and improving all the time, is not without its errors.
While the results can be beautiful and really quite profound, like in the image below, you might want to keep things a little more professional for your business.
Sending a document full of embarrassing mistakes to a client can result in the loss of business, as the client will likely lose faith in your company’s ability. The same goes for releasing an app or webpage full of incomprehensible words and sentences – you will likely have people bounce off as soon as they start reading.
2 – You can find a professional business translator
Many professionals who offer business translation services are not only experts in the language they work in, but also in the subject matter they engage with. So, for example, if you’re a financial company, you can find people who offer business translations specifically for financial documents.
The same applies to many other sectors, such as legal, property, and healthcare. This can make the translation process quicker, easier, and pain-free for everyone involved, as the translated document is less likely to need revisions. Global Lingo is no different. We provide business translation services across various different industries.
3 – Access to a network of business translation services
Professional translators often form connections with other professionals in their field. This can mean that they can recommend people for different business translation projects in your company.
For example, you might hire a business translator with expertise in cryptocurrency for a specific project. For your next project, you might need a translator who’s an expert in mortgages. The crypto translator might know someone who’d be perfect for the job, saving you the cost and hassle of trying to find someone yourself.
If you work with a business translation agency, they are likely to have people on their books with a variety of skills and expertise in different subjects, as well as different or even multiple languages.
4 – Potential business collaborations
As well as working with other professional translators, a translations expert might also work with other companies within your sector. This could also lead to an introduction and interesting business opportunities for you in the future.
Getting a recommendation as a good business partner in charge of a great company from someone you’ve worked with within a professional capacity can help you gain the trust of other company owners and lead to fruitful working relationships.
5 – Consistent results
When working on business document translation, it’s important to have consistency across all parts of the document. Professional business translators and business translation agencies have access to business translation software that can help ensure the document remains consistent throughout, both in tone and quality. This is particularly important when working on large projects.
As well as consistent quality, using a professional business translator or agency also means you will get projects done on schedule. Someone who relies on your business for their livelihood is more likely to do anything they can to hit their deadlines.
6 – Trust
Providing translation services for business comes with a fair amount of responsibility. The reputation of the company not only relies on the quality of the work, but also on maintaining confidentiality. This is especially true when working on sensitive documents, like health records and legal contracts.
With a professional translator, you will sign an iron-clad contract, detailing the full terms and conditions of the project. This will protect you in case of any data breaches or legal actions by clients. What’s more, professional translators and agencies such as Global Lingo, who offer translation services for businesses usually have professional indemnity insurance for exactly these sorts of instances.
7 – It will pay off in the long run
Even if using a professional translator seems to be more expensive, it is actually likely to save you money in the long run. The expected quality of the work, and the expert knowledge professional translators bring, means projects are likely to take less time to complete. Sticking to deadlines and agreed schedules will save your business time, hassle, and, ultimately, money. Everybody wins!
So, while it can be tempting to cut corners and make do with just a fluent speaker of the language you’re after, putting in the effort to find a professional can make all the difference to your company’s global reach and reputation, as well as its bottom line.
What’s more, building a relationship with a professional translation agency can mean access to a network of business translators with knowledge of different languages and subject matters. This can make future projects run smoothly, as well as save you the effort of searching for a new person to work with every time you need something translated.
Choosing the business translator or agency to work with can often make or break your business, so don’t take this decision lightly. Get in touch with us and find out how our professional team of business translators can help you translate or localise your business.