Professional Translator or DIY Translation? - Creative Word

The translation industry is booming; new translation companies are created on a daily business with global markets just a click away, and machine translation has made some amazing advances in recent months.

However, knowing when to use a professional translation provider, or when a do-it-yourself job (with the assistance of free online machine translation) is acceptable, can be a tough decision.

As a general guideline, if the translation is required for a professional use such as, business, legal, official or commercial reasons, then it is always advisable to use the services of a knowledgeable and experienced translation provider.

Here are 4 reasons why:

 

1. Accuracy

When dealing with translations for a commercial reason, for instance, moving into a new overseas market, it is vital that the translated text is accurate, concise and localised to ensure it is culturally acceptable.

There could be nothing worse than spending time and money on creating engaging, original content which is then poorly and inaccurately translated by a free translation service. The risk of causing offence to potential customers and clients is huge.

You only have the opportunity to make a good first impression once – so get it right first time by using the services of a professional translation provider.

Experienced translators add an element of cultural awareness that only comes from immersion in a culture. They have the expertise to convey your original message in a clear and concise way to your target audience, ensuring that customers are positively engaged and emotionally aware.

 

2. Expert Linguists

By using a professional translation provider, you gain access to a wealth of linguistic and cultural knowledge and experience, which would otherwise be unavailable to you.

Translators acquire their knowledge, not only through university degrees, but also from living and working in different countries and cultures. Their experience is often built upon from childhood and can include areas such as cultural norms, legal systems, or industry specific knowledge.

Continuing professional development training ensures translators are kept up-to-date with the latest technologies, professional terminology and linguistic variance, thus ensuring your project is completed to the highest standards.

The right translation service provider can give you the greatest start in your new overseas market, ensuring that your project is well received by your target audience.

3. Industry Specific Knowledge

A professional translation service is about more than just language – you’ll also gain specialist knowledge in specific industries.

Many linguists are trained in fields other than languages. Often, you’ll find that your translation provider has a team of qualified linguists who are also lawyers, scientists, engineers and so on.

These language specialists have specific areas of interest, or training, that they have developed alongside their linguistic skills. This gives them an exceptional insight into technical terminology laws, regulations and so on, which will ensure that your translation is accurate, concise, lawful and knowledgeable.

Industry specific knowledge augments your translation, improves accuracy, and develops brand trust in your customers.

 

4. Quality and Consistency of Translation

While accuracy is essential in any translation, the quality and consistency of the translation, including the lexical choices and linguistic terminology, are just as vital.

A professional translator has a vast ‘word bank’ to select from when translating texts, which gives your translation a superiority that is not achievable through free online translation tools.

Grammar, punctuation, syntax and context are all vital in providing a translation that is of a high quality and is consistent. A professional translator will use all linguistic tools at their disposal to ensure your translation adheres to this structure.

This consistency will build confidence in your brand, giving your audience the faith it requires before purchasing your product or service, and improving your reputation.

Investing in a professional translation service may seem like an expensive option when first branching out into overseas territories, however, the DIY alternative may be far more costly in the long run.

With a professional language provider you will know in advance what you are paying for, how much it will cost, and when it will be ready. Your project manager, or translator, should keep you informed of any decisions or issues that are relevant, while assisting you with design choices to ensure you receive the best translation possible.