How to Choose the Right Translation Company
Is your business at a juncture where the logical next step for you is to venture into new markets? Then you are probably thinking about how you will approach communication with your new target audience. After all, people worldwide respond to goods and services that sell themselves in their native language. Therefore, it is imperative for you to join hands with a reliable company like Translation Planet that understands the native language and will help you connect with your customers.
However, it is not an easy task to find a partner that is not just well-versed with the language but also understands the business. And this is why it is better to have a few pointers in mind while hiring a translation agency.
Accreditation and certification
If you prefer things by the book, you should better verify the agencies you are looking to hire. Even though having a certificate is not the be-all and end-all, it sure does tell you that the agency is a stable work entity that follows certain workflow management systems. Translation agency with ISO9001 and ISO17100 certification indicates that the agency is providing professional translation services, and therefore, is a good choice for you to consider.
Expertise
This is something that is not very evident on the surface. However, on closer observation, you can surely tell whether a company holds expertise in what they are doing or not. For example, if there is an absence of a quality control mechanism within the company, it is clear that something is amiss for the content they put out. A company that knows what it’s doing would ensure that every project they submit to their clients is thoroughly edited by someone competent and expert in the language. Not only that, they would know things such as how certain legal terms, medical terminology, or technical jargon would be communicated within the native language. Discrepancies in these aspects indicate that the company is not worth your time and money.
Core business activity
Many modern companies are highly diversified in their business model. And even though it’s a great thing for the companies, as they generate revenue from multiple sources, it is often not so great for their clients.
You can only expect perfection when the agency you are working with has enough time and resources to spend perfecting your work. If they are already engaged in two or three different core business activities, the quality of work they manage to deliver is probably sub-par. It would help if you had a partner whose 100% focus is on providing translation services. Only then will you get high-quality work.
Client Testimonials
Generally, in other domains, you can judge a prospective partner by going through and assessing their previous work. However, in selecting a translation company, your inability to understand the native language restraints you from critiquing the work. This is why you must read all the client testimonials you can find. Please don’t limit yourself to the website, as a company only publishes its good reviews on its website. Try to find detailed feedback, case studies, and other such mentions online. You can also ask for some references from the agency and get them verified independently. It will give you an idea about the company and its quality of service.
Takeaway
Keeping the fundamentals mentioned above in mind, you can quickly weed out average translation agencies and arrive at an option that would be worthy of being your partner. Remember, getting a dependable translation agency as your partner is the first crucial step of entering new territories; it is better to be safe than sorry.
