Best Translation Services
How do you know your translation services are good?
When you’re looking for translation companies, how do you choose the best translation services?
We’ve been at a number of business exhibitions and conferences lately, and often get asked by new clients ‘How do you know your translation services are good?’
That’s not a difficult question for us to answer*. But it’s the wrong question.
If you’re looking for a new agency for translation projects, the questions you should really be asking are about whether their translation services will meet your particular needs.
Here’s what to ask first if you’re searching for an expert translation agency:
Are your translators all mother-tongue speakers of the languages I need?
This is important. While it’s possible to learn a language to a very high standard of fluency, the rule of thumb is that you should only translate into your mother-tongue language. This is because it’s the nuances and deep understanding of language and culture that can make the difference between a good translation and a great one.
The best translation services are not only a matter of accurate translation. Localisation is a vital part of many translations – if your English source material contains references to English sayings, customs or cultural icons, say, which mean nothing to a Japanese audience, your marketing campaign risks falling on deaf ears.
Do your translators have specialist knowledge of my sector?
Again, this is a must for accurate translation services. Sectors like medical, finance, aviation, legal and insurance use very specific terminology, and it’s vital that this gets translated with 100% accuracy. To do that, your translation providers will need to have specialist knowledge and experience as well as language expertise.
Do your translators understand my target market?
Particularly if you are looking for the best translation services for international marketing, it’s vital that they are not only fluent in the target language but are also knowledgeable about the local culture and language norms.
It’s amazing how many marketing campaigns or product launches come unstuck because no-one has spotted that a translated headline or phrase doesn’t work in the new language – or is even offensive. Even major multinationals have fallen foul of this – don’t make the same mistakes.
Do you hold any accreditations or quality standards?
Many types of documents and their translations – like legal, medical, financial or identity documents – need to be legalised or notarised before they can be used in the target country. Look for a translation agency whose quality is recognised by foreign embassies, as this means they can certify their own translations, saving you time and money as well as giving you confidence in the quality of their translation services.
Also look for awards like the European Quality Standard BSEN15038:2006, which gives you the reassurance that their policies and procedures have been rigorously vetted.
Are your translation services expensive?
(OK. We confess. That was a trick question). Better to ask whether the translation service is transparent about its pricing policies, flexible and competitive. A good translation agency will ask you about your needs and budget constraints.
*What we usually say to new translation clients
If you meet the Language Link UK team at a conference or exhibition, or if you give us a call to discuss your translation needs, we’ll answer ‘yes’ to all the questions above (apart from the one about being expensive. We will, however, confirm we are flexible, competitive and transparent about our pricing).
We’ll also tell you about our professional translation services:
- We have over 5,000 expert translators with mother-tongue, specialist expertise in over 200 languages and dialects.
- With over 35 years’ experience in the translation industry, our growing community of clients includes medical, insurance, military finance, legal, aviation and telecommunications sector organisations, as well as a wide range of marketing and communications clients.
- We are known for the quality of our customer support and relationships as much as for the quality and accuracy of our translations. Our dedicated staff take the time to get to know your business so that we can provide a flexible and competitively priced solution to all your translation needs.
- Whether you need one-off professional translation services, ongoing interpretation support, or language training programs, we’ll work closely with you to develop a pricing plan that aligns with your needs.
- We hold European Quality Standard BSEN15038:2006, and serve many overseas embassies that only accept language translations certified by Language Link UK.
- We hold ISO 9001:2015 (QMS) Quality Management System certification, demonstrating our commitment to excellence in customer service and to continuous improvement.
But mostly, we won’t be talking about ourselves. We’ll be asking about your enterprise or industry.
- What are your translation needs?
- What are your specific challenges?
- What’s most important? Accuracy is a given, but is high-speed turnaround a factor?
- How experienced are you at commissioning translation services? If you’re new to it, how can we support you?
- Are you likely to need a range of services – more than translations (for example interpreting or transcription)?
What’s most important to us is that we deliver excellence, every time. To do that, we, our linguists and our clients work as a team to ensure tailor-made translation solutions.
We think that’s a good translation service, and our many long standing clients agree with us.
Ready to talk about what a good translation service looks like for you? Get in touch.