Post by habiba123820 on Nov 6, 2024 5:30:37 GMT -5
Most content localization services are not being transparent about their offerings or operations. Language service providers (LSPs) often market themselves as complete solutions.
But the localization tools they offer range from basic and unsatisfactory to impressively advanced. It’s nearly impossible to tell the difference without actually sitting down and talking to them. Worse still, many of the big players in the content localization industry still operate behind a thick curtain of obscurity, never revealing to their clients what they’re doing behind the scenes with translation , technology, or their own financial interests. You deserve a content localization management system built on radical transparency. And you need to eliminate all the other services that don’t meet your business needs. The best way to proceed is to ask really good questions.
5 Questions to Ask Your Potential Content Translation Partner
How much can you really learn about wordpress web design agency content translation services just by browsing their websites? By asking these specific questions, you can get a sense of which services are worth your time and money.
1. Can you deploy API integrations with content management systems?
If you’re new to localization or have been managing it in-house, you may not be aware of how far localization technology has come. Some companies are still sending email attachments or manually uploading asset files with every content update. In reality, these methods are outdated and unnecessary. There’s no point in wasting time exporting content from your CMS at all. The better approach is to simply connect systems via API integration and let the content flow. Still, you need to be wary of LSPs who focus so much on the technology as a one-size-fits-all solution that they’re not willing to stop and think about the technology you actually need. They’ll sell you more than you need, and you’ll end up spending more money on “solutions” that don’t actually work for your projects in the end. Ask about each service provider’s approach to integrations to avoid both extremes and find the perfect solution in the middle.
2. Do you use translation memory technology?
Translation memories (TMs) keep track of previously translated strings so you don’t have to translate the same words and phrases over and over again. TMs reduce costs , improve consistency, and support a single source of truth system for ongoing localization work. This technology becomes especially useful in ongoing localization workflows when seeking approved translations in real time for new product builds. When you sign up with a localization service, you should expect to gain the benefit of leveraging existing bilingual repositories. Any potential partner you consider should be using this technology.
→ Bonus question: Ask how your potential partners will be responsible for updating their translation memories.
Localization companies are notorious for not updating TMs after final translation review. Translation memories become the solid foundation of consistent localization efforts only when they evolve along with content, brand, and market developments.
3. How do you ensure that key terminology is captured and used in all translations?
No matter how many words you enter into a localization tool, the most important ones are those that relate to your brand, product, and industry. Companies handle this terminology in different ways, depending on their own localization best practices . The most basic services simply use a spreadsheet to keep track of all your keywords. Avoid this at all costs. Better companies offer standard computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools with built-in terminology bases, which they make available to their selected linguists. The best content translation services give you the opportunity to create, translate, review, and manage crucial terminology directly in the platform. This type of system supports consistency. You won’t find rich metadata like this at every localization company, so do your research to find out how your candidates handle terminology creation and term base deployment.
But the localization tools they offer range from basic and unsatisfactory to impressively advanced. It’s nearly impossible to tell the difference without actually sitting down and talking to them. Worse still, many of the big players in the content localization industry still operate behind a thick curtain of obscurity, never revealing to their clients what they’re doing behind the scenes with translation , technology, or their own financial interests. You deserve a content localization management system built on radical transparency. And you need to eliminate all the other services that don’t meet your business needs. The best way to proceed is to ask really good questions.
5 Questions to Ask Your Potential Content Translation Partner
How much can you really learn about wordpress web design agency content translation services just by browsing their websites? By asking these specific questions, you can get a sense of which services are worth your time and money.
1. Can you deploy API integrations with content management systems?
If you’re new to localization or have been managing it in-house, you may not be aware of how far localization technology has come. Some companies are still sending email attachments or manually uploading asset files with every content update. In reality, these methods are outdated and unnecessary. There’s no point in wasting time exporting content from your CMS at all. The better approach is to simply connect systems via API integration and let the content flow. Still, you need to be wary of LSPs who focus so much on the technology as a one-size-fits-all solution that they’re not willing to stop and think about the technology you actually need. They’ll sell you more than you need, and you’ll end up spending more money on “solutions” that don’t actually work for your projects in the end. Ask about each service provider’s approach to integrations to avoid both extremes and find the perfect solution in the middle.
2. Do you use translation memory technology?
Translation memories (TMs) keep track of previously translated strings so you don’t have to translate the same words and phrases over and over again. TMs reduce costs , improve consistency, and support a single source of truth system for ongoing localization work. This technology becomes especially useful in ongoing localization workflows when seeking approved translations in real time for new product builds. When you sign up with a localization service, you should expect to gain the benefit of leveraging existing bilingual repositories. Any potential partner you consider should be using this technology.
→ Bonus question: Ask how your potential partners will be responsible for updating their translation memories.
Localization companies are notorious for not updating TMs after final translation review. Translation memories become the solid foundation of consistent localization efforts only when they evolve along with content, brand, and market developments.
3. How do you ensure that key terminology is captured and used in all translations?
No matter how many words you enter into a localization tool, the most important ones are those that relate to your brand, product, and industry. Companies handle this terminology in different ways, depending on their own localization best practices . The most basic services simply use a spreadsheet to keep track of all your keywords. Avoid this at all costs. Better companies offer standard computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools with built-in terminology bases, which they make available to their selected linguists. The best content translation services give you the opportunity to create, translate, review, and manage crucial terminology directly in the platform. This type of system supports consistency. You won’t find rich metadata like this at every localization company, so do your research to find out how your candidates handle terminology creation and term base deployment.