If you’re thinking about hiring a translation agency, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled tips and tricks to ensure your translations come out perfect, as well as answered your most common questions about the process. Read on to learn how to choose a translation agency and find your first clients. Despite the challenges ahead, translation agencies can help you with your business, no matter the size or field you’re in.
Best practices for a translation agency
Communicating with clients and translators is critical. If you consistently miss deadlines or deliver late projects, clients will perceive you as unprofessional. They will also think less of you as an agency if you continually turn over work late. Keep in mind that clients will value quality work and high-quality performance as much as they do the best they can. Translation projects should be on time or even early. A translator who meets these deadlines will stand out as a reliable and capable translator.
Testing multiple vendors is a crucial part of quality assurance. The agency should be familiar with language-specific terminology, and ensure that all vendors have extensive experience in the subject area. For instance, some agencies require their translators to take a test within Crowdin. Another way to ensure quality is to use a translation quality assessment model. This type of quality assessment model uses quantitative data to identify errors and divides them into categories. Then, the total number of errors is subtracted from 100.
Costs of a translation agency
The costs of a translation agency vary widely, and there are some things to consider when choosing a language service provider. While the costs of the service may not be high, they can still be substantial. To determine the right agency for your needs, ask the agency how they work. It is important to choose one that is flexible, because some agencies are more expensive than others. Also, the working method of a translation agency can determine its rates.
Translation rates vary greatly depending on the field of expertise of the translators. For example, technical manuals and ISO 17100:2015 standards are generally more expensive than simple conversational letters. While a conversational letter does not require a specialist translator, such a project would probably cost 50 to 100% more than a non-specialized document. You can also opt for cheaper options, such as post-edited machine translation (PEMT).
Quality of translations provided by a translation agency
The quality of translations provided by a translation agency is crucial, as a poorly translated text can confuse and even offend your audience. Misunderstandings of the message can cost your business customers, allies, and even business relationships. Even the most experienced specialists will make mistakes in translation. A professional translator needs a lot of time and patience to complete the job right. Quality translation cannot be achieved in a single sitting, and the quality of the process cannot be judged based on one translation.
A good translation agency will follow a standard pre-production process to ensure high-quality content. The translators should contact the client or the project manager if they notice anything that could cause a problem. They should also do background work before tackling any translations, including visiting websites of competitors and the client’s website. This will help them learn about the client’s style, terminology, and other requirements.
Finding clients for a translation agency
There are several methods you can use to find translation jobs. The first way is to write a full curriculum vitae listing all of your previous job and volunteer experience. It would be helpful to have at least three items on your CV that indicate that this is your target sector. Otherwise, you should choose another sector and work to build your CV in this sector. This step is timeconsuming, but will pay off in the long run.
You should also do some research on social media. If you’re a new entrant in the business, social media is a great place to find clients. The more people you connect with, the better. You can reach a global audience with your social media profiles. If you have an international client base, you should seek out the services of cultural experts to help you develop new markets. You can also send email messages to people who may be looking for a translation agency.