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Finding the right partner for your global content needs

Michael Bosson

LanguageWire
The global content company
LinkedIn

Global content solution providers. Illustration of a pair of binoculars with the image of two persons in the lens

Global content solution providers

There are a large number of options available to businesses when translating content. You can use internal resources, work directly with freelancers, send all of your content to a translation agency or, for larger brands looking for maximum efficiency, work with global content solutions providers.

Why use professional translators?

First and foremost, you need to work with professionals who can produce high-quality content. In the best-case scenario, poor translations merely elicit a wry smile from the reader. In the worst case, they can result in a loss of credibility, a loss of business or even legal consequences.

Professional translators are specialists in the topic areas for which they are hired. They aren’t merely Joe Smith who can speak the required target language. They understand the nuances of their language pair and specific work areas, such as marketing copy, technical writing and SEO.

Why use a global content solution provider?

Thanks to today’s technology, every brand can go global by speaking more languages and reaching more people. It’s easy to collaborate with translators from anywhere in the world. And there are new, innovative platforms that help brands scale up their content production efforts by automating many of the tedious parts of the process.

One name for this new platform breed is a global content solution provider. This is a mix of technological power housed in a language platform, a global network of language experts, plus expert advice provided by experienced consultants and project managers.

Global content solution providers are the right fit for brands that have a continuous need for local content. A higher volume of content means brands benefit more from technical tools and streamlined workflows. They enjoy shorter delivery times, lower costs and maintain the consistent use of the preferred terminology across multiple languages.

They are also adept at handling multiple content formats, and most offer the capacity to integrate directly with your CMS, PIM and DAM solutions. It makes life much easier when your text is efficiently exported from your digital solution, and translations are smoothly imported back.

Tips for finding a language partner with the right quality, price and service level?

1) Quality

The following tips can help to ensure that you find a language partner who delivers high-quality translations at a reasonable price:

  • Ensure that the provider uses translators with experience in your field. A good way of doing this is to ask for a free test translation of a short text whose content is typical for your business. Most global content solution providers will be happy to oblige.
  • Request offers based on a sample project and ask about recommended workflow options. A good language partner will offer various solutions that offer a high-quality result, such as translation + proofreading or translation + validation (in-house review).
  • Use a certified partner. For example, our ISO 17100 and adherence to ISO 27001 certifications place high demands on translation workflows in terms of quality, reliability, efficiency, security and experience.

2) Prices and discounts

Practically all major language platforms use translation technology that supports translators, saves time and money, and maximises the consistency of translated content.

Global content solution providers can choose whether or not to pass these savings on to their customers. As such, it is a good idea to ask for fully specified offers which include discounts based on the use of translation technology. You should specifically ask about potential discounts you may receive through the use of a translation memory and machine translation.

Remember, a reliable translation partner has transparent pricing.

3) Service level

How quickly can a translation be delivered? Translation is often the last stage before publishing or printing, and at this point, time is of the essence.

By and large, global content solution providers are fully aware that they are positioned late in the chain and consequently offer a very high level of service. As a rule, your inquiry will be answered within one business day.

It’s useful to know that you can expect a translator to translate 1,500-2,000 words per day. However, the total time will include analysing your material, contacting preferred translators and proofreaders, and confirming that they can complete the job by the requested deadline.

As a result, even texts shorter than 1,500-2,000 words can have estimated delivery times of two to three days.

To avoid bottlenecks, you can help speed up delivery by letting your content partner know in advance about upcoming projects. They can then ensure that all of the necessary resources are in place when you are ready to order.

Conclusion

Your choice of a language partner is a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Do you have a one-off need for translation? Direct contact with an experienced freelancer may be the right decision for you.

However, if you have a continual need for content in multiple languages, you’ll want to work with someone who can deliver your multilingual content quickly, reliably and at a low price. In this case, you’ll want to work with a global content solution provider. Their technology will automate manual tasks and work efficiently, thanks to translation memories, terminology databases and computer-assisted translation tools.

Contact us to speak to a global content expert.

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