Translation Management: The Basics

TechsPlace | There is plenty to think about when managing the website for your business and all the digital content you create. Social media presence, an easy-to-navigate website, and SEO are all common considerations when using the internet to help boost your business. However, it can be easy to forget about translation – resulting in your websites and services being less accessible around the world. Here are a couple of basic points about translation management and why it may be a great investment for your business.

What is Translation Management?

What is translation management? It is the process of translating your website and digital content into different languages to make it more accessible, more accurate, and reach a wider audience. Translation management even goes a step further by localizing the translations. This means that it takes into account the different local and regional language elements and changes, tailoring the translation to the exact location.

The content has the same meaning across all languages that it is translated into—even down to mottos, idioms, and phrases. This is called transcreation, which ensures that the message is completely understandable and makes sense in different languages, instead of being a clunky, word-for-word translation. The tone and meaning are the same, regardless of the new language, and the translation reads as though it has been written in that language rather than translated from another.

How Does Translation Management Work?

There are two ways in which translation management works. One is to use real-life translators to translate your content into a different language. This works well for smaller businesses or if you don’t have a huge amount of content to translate. Your content is sent to an LSP (language service provider), who translates it for you to use on your digital platforms.

Alternatively, for larger businesses with a lot of content that needs translating or with a steady stream of new content to translate, using translation management software is more efficient. Not only does the software make the process faster, but it also ensures accuracy and can help to identify areas to prioritize in order to produce localized ROI content first.

Do you Need Translation Management?

With the different levels and methods of translation management that are available, it is easy to tailor your experience to what you and your business require. Small businesses with less content to translate, content that is not updated, or less content production can benefit from using a solution that sends your work to an LSP for translation. Larger, more high-profile businesses with a lot of continuous content will benefit much more from using software that makes the process more efficient but still accurate.

It may be worth investing in translation management if your business is quickly growing and scaling up, or your existing translation processes are no longer working or efficient enough to keep up with the demands. Translation management can have a hugely positive impact on your business by using techniques including localization to make your site and content more accessible, understandable, and personal.