By Sarah-Claire Jordan
Nowadays, you have all kinds of options when it comes to translation services. Whether you run a company, work for one, or just need someone to translate an important document for you, you can easily find the kind of service you need with a price that is reasonable and a product that is excellent quality. Sometimes, however, the issue is that you just aren’t quite sure what kind of translation service to go with. Don’t worry, here are some tips to help guide you through the process of choosing the perfect translation service for your needs:
1. Make sure your goals match
One issue that many people run into when they are seeking translation services is to choose an agency that doesn’t have the same goals. If you run a business that is focused on the music industry, for example, you should review the agency you are thinking of working with and make sure they employ translators who are familiar with the music industry and that the owner also has a good grasp on that kind of business too. If you fail to check and see if the agency’s expertise matches your company’s goals, you can end up with an end product that does not serve you or your company at all.
2. Check out their experience as well
While it is super important to share the same expertise, experience is also a huge factor in choosing who you want to work with for your translation project. Take a look at the agency’s profile to see who they have worked with before and what kinds of translation projects they were. If the list of clients and projects is long, that will give you a better idea as to the quality of the services they provide and the range they have in terms of types of translations they can do.
3. Ask about how they manage outsourcing
This is important, as you are probably looking to work with a translation services agency because your company doesn’t have its own translation department. Some agencies are not as good at dealing with changes in a project and won’t be as effective in letting you know when a project will be finished and how a project is coming along. You want to choose an agency that has good reviews in terms of how they handle outsourcing, because this can cause huge issues otherwise.
4. Make sure the translation team is professional
This probably seems like an obvious tip, but you’d be surprised at how many people don’t ask simple questions like “Are your translators certified?” and “Are they native speakers?”. Don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you can to find out what the team is like. The level of professionalism is important in terms of security issues as well. If the team seems less than professional, you might want to reconsider handing them over source documents with important information in them. Sensitive information can be misused if in the wrong hands, and that is the last thing you want to have to deal with when trying to get a translation project done.