Let me try to define what I think the word "best" means in this context.
Best equals to top quality (professional translation), lowest price and shortest turnaround. If the process meets all of these criteria, then it is considered best.
Let's look at those examples.
- Legacy translation agencies. Example: Translation Services USA (http://www.translation-services-usa.com/)
- They employ freelance translators who translate content without using any tools other than CAT. It's the most expensive way and the slowest. However, the quality is highest. Doesn't fit our criteria.
- Machine translators. Example: Ackuna (http://www.ackuna.com/)
- It uses machine translators such as Google and a mild crowdsourcing with help of humans. It is free, it is instant. However, the quality is the lowest. Doesn't fit our criteria.
- Modern post-editing tools. Example: Translation Cloud (http://translationcloud.net/)
- The best part about this approach is that it is a hybrid of legacy translation agencies and machine translators. Just like combining gasoline and electricity to procude better car mileage, when you combine humans and machines in a right way, you are able to achieve all objectives that we defined under word "best". Hence my answer to your question is a hybrid process approach. Whoever uses it correctly has the best option on the market and the growth of Translation Cloud proves to be a right vision.
Website localization means getting your site ready for new markets other than speakers of the original site language. For example, if your site is currently in English, localization means choosing a new market, such as Mexican Spanish speakers, and making the site accessible to people who speak that language (which, by the way, is different from other types of Spanish, like what’s used in Spain!).
Localization can be a great way to break the glass ceiling – making more money with your existing site just by finding new customers. But it isn’t always easy. Lots of companies make the mistake of assuming that all they have to do is find a translator, but in fact, translating is just one step of many.
The stages of localizing your site can be boiled down to five steps.
1) Choosing your target market
Where do you want to localize, and why? Maybe a product like yours isn’t available yet in Switzerland, or maybe you’ve noticed you’re missing out on a big demographic in a country where more than one language is spoken (for example, Quebec French in Canada or Mexican Spanish in the southwestern United States).
2) Choose a translation management tool
You want a translation management tool that will help you manage every aspect of your site visitors’ experience in every language you eventually choose to offer. Don’t limit yourself to a tool that can only handle one or two extra languages. And don’t chain yourself to a tool that needs a ton of technical expertise to use. Bablic is a terrific option because its easy-to-use Visual Editor and simple site integration means almost anybody can use it, with no programming required.
3) Choose translation method(s)
You’ll want to be able to choose from professional translation, machine translation, or some combination of the two. Machine translation is least expensive but having the ability to fine-tune manually will help you achieve maximum readability. This can be done by a translator, a team member, or a local distributor--anyone familiar with the target language. Bablic offers all these features, giving you maximum flexibility and maximum savings.
4) Localize other site elements
Localization is about more than just your site’s text. Other elements such as screenshots and product / user photographs may need to be updated to give you as seamless an integration as possible into your new market. Bablic has it all.
5) Finalize your localized site design
Within your translation management tool, bring together all the elements of your localized site. Bablic lets you do this within its simple Visual Editor, so you can tweak the appearance of your site until it looks just as great in every single language as it does in the original.
6) Roll out your localized site… and test, test, test!
Your job isn’t over once you’ve finished localizing your site. You’ll want to keep using tools like analytics to ensure that you’re ranking and reaching the target market. Ideally, your translation management tool should offer you SEO and other integration-friendly features so your user experience is better than ever after localization – meaning your site converts more and you begin reaping return on investment right away.
Localization may seem like a lot of work. But with the right translation management tool, it doesn’t have to be a headache to manage the transition. And like so many companies already have, you’ll probably discover that localization is the best possible way to help your business grow far beyond your current geographic boundaries.
5 Tips for Successful Website Localization
Expanding to international markets as a task that’s made easier thanks to the Internet, but attracting a global audience isn’t as simple as designing a website alone. If you want to gain a broader audience and subsequently gained broader market share for your products and services, website localization is essential for reaching the markets beyond your home country. Website localization entails adapting your website to adapt language and content for overseas users. There are 5 broad localization issues that you need to consider.
Design
Certain design elements that work in one country may not work in others. While audiences in one country may appreciate a clean and simplistic design interface, audiences in other countries may desire lively interfaces with plenty of eye-catching text and graphics. You must make allowances for font, image and layout differences. For instance, is the localized text going to be a right to left language so that your layout needs to be inverted or will the amount of text expand or contract making it necessary to leave enough space for this. An example of this would be a English to Spanish translation which will generaly yield 15% more text in Spanish than in English.
Translation
The quality of the language translation into the other languages during the process of website localization can make or break your localized website. If the translation is not up to par, audiences may be turned off from further navigation. Successful language translations should speak to your target audience - a website for business professionals should reflect a more formal translation, while casual translations can be used for younger audiences. In some cases machine translation can be used to convey the general message of your site, but if you want to establish a lasting relationship to your client a well-translated human translation is worth the investment. Experienced translation agencies can help you with these critical decisions.
Imagery and Symbols
Website localization for international audience requires seeing the website from the eyes of your target audience. That means avoiding certain imagery and symbols that could be considered unattractive or offensive to the target audience. For example, visitors from countries whose religions hold modesty in high esteem may be turned off by the imagery of women in scantily clad outfits. Political and religious images, weapons and alcohol are just a few of the images that web designers may have to avoid, depending on the target audience.
Colors
Certain colors have a symbolic meaning, and those meanings do differ between countries. For example, while white is often associated with weddings and cleanliness, white is associated with funerals and morning in Japan. When designing a website that reaches a broad span of international viewers, it is best to stick with neutral colors.
Scripting
The last thing you want to do when translating your website is to construct sentences with code. Doing so can multiply the burden placed on your coding team, as they'll have to construct new cold for each added language. Other issues to consider in website localization include making sure the website is set up to accept international payments.
There are some translation services that are more experienced than others in assisting clients so make sure you find someone with experience.
Website localization means getting your site ready for new markets other than speakers of the original site language. For example, if your site is currently in English, localization means choosing a new market, such as Mexican Spanish speakers, and making the site accessible to people who speak that language (which, by the way, is different from other types of Spanish, like what’s used in Spain!).
Localization can be a great way to break the glass ceiling – making more money with your existing site just by finding new customers. But it isn’t always easy. Lots of companies make the mistake of assuming that all they have to do is find a translator, but in fact, translating is just one step of many.
The stages of localizing your site can be boiled down to five steps.
1) Choosing your target market
Where do you want to localize, and why? Maybe a product like yours isn’t available yet in Switzerland, or maybe you’ve noticed you’re missing out on a big demographic in a country where more than one language is spoken (for example, Quebec French in Canada or Mexican Spanish in the southwestern United States).
2) Choose a translation management tool
You want a translation management tool that will help you manage every aspect of your site visitors’ experience in every language you eventually choose to offer. Don’t limit yourself to a tool that can only handle one or two extra languages. And don’t chain yourself to a tool that needs a ton of technical expertise to use. Bablic is a terrific option because its easy-to-use Visual Editor and simple site integration means almost anybody can use it, with no programming required.
3) Choose translation method(s)
You’ll want to be able to choose from professional translation, machine translation, or some combination of the two. Machine translation is least expensive but having the ability to fine-tune manually will help you achieve maximum readability. This can be done by a translator, a team member, or a local distributor--anyone familiar with the target language. Bablic offers all these features, giving you maximum flexibility and maximum savings.
4) Localize other site elements
Localization is about more than just your site’s text. Other elements such as screenshots and product / user photographs may need to be updated to give you as seamless an integration as possible into your new market. Bablic has it all.
5) Finalize your localized site design
Within your translation management tool, bring together all the elements of your localized site. Bablic lets you do this within its simple Visual Editor, so you can tweak the appearance of your site until it looks just as great in every single language as it does in the original.
6) Roll out your localized site… and test, test, test!
Your job isn’t over once you’ve finished localizing your site. You’ll want to keep using tools like analytics to ensure that you’re ranking and reaching the target market. Ideally, your translation management tool should offer you SEO and other integration-friendly features so your user experience is better than ever after localization – meaning your site converts more and you begin reaping return on investment right away.
Localization may seem like a lot of work. But with the right translation management tool, it doesn’t have to be a headache to manage the transition. And like so many companies already have, you’ll probably discover that localization is the best possible way to help your business grow far beyond your current geographic boundaries.
Disclosure: I'm the founder and CEO at Bablic If you have any questions please do get in touch!
Thanks for Reading
Image source Google
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