Cheap turns out to be expensive. If you choose a mediocre translation agency, there will be a significant decrease in quality in the end result. So, everything that you were able to save when you hired the translation service, you will soon end up paying out once you start to see the negative effects of this low-quality translation on your brand image.
A poor translation will cause your customers to lose faith in the brand, and this will be a big hit to the company. Once you lose someone’s trust, it is almost impossible to get it back.
All of this accentuates the need for you to be able to identify an agency with serious, responsible translation services that can take care of your ideas and projects. To guide you through this difficult task, we’ll give you some keys to bear in mind.
What are the requirements for translation services?
The translation agency that you choose in the end must be able to guarantee the following:
1. Professionalism. Knowing other languages is not enough. A properly trained translator must have specific knowledge that relates to their profession, and that affects each specific translation (we’re talking about knowledge of the cultural or sociolinguistic reality in the countries where the translations will be used, the ability to analyze the context,, etc).
If the agency’s professionals do not meet these requirements, there may be serious errors in the final translation (we’re talking, for example, about using outdated or inappropriate expressions that will not be able to connect with your potential customers).
2. Specialization. There are different kinds of translations (translating a technical manual is not the same as translating a legal, literary or advertising text). Therefore, a competent agency should have professionals who are trained to differentiate and carry out each of these translations.
3. Experience. The more years of experience that an agency has in the translation sector, the more likely it is that you’ll get a high quality service. Just as the saying goes, experience is what counts.
4. Timeframes and rates. The best translation agencies do not beat about the bush when it comes to explaining the conditions to their customers: they will be completely transparent and honest, and that is something fundamental in ensuring you don’t have to meet any unexpected costs. However, if you need a translation to be carried out in a very short timeframe, serious and competent agencies will be able to offer you what is known as urgent translation services.
5. Confidentiality. You may, at times, need to translate confidential or sensitive documents, such as agreements between companies, patents, etc. In these cases, the best companies will provide the necessary guarantees (confidentiality agreements, etc.) so that you can confidently leave any commission in their hands, trusting that it will not be misused.
Ensure that the translation agency that you hire is able to meet the requirements above. Do you need a technical translator? Take a look at our blog or website.
This post is also available in: Español (Spanish) Français (French) Nederlands (Dutch) Deutsch (German)
