6 key factors for choosing a translation partner in 2024

Today, we are facing an increasingly globalized market, in which companies that market their products and services internationally need to adapt their content to the language of the market they are targeting in order to ensure the successful expansion and development of their business. This is the only way to establish a real connection with consumers. With this in mind, the right choice of translation company has become one of the main concerns for these companies. Let’s take a look at the keys to choosing the ideal translation partner.

For businesses active in more than one country, translating and adapting their content to fit the languages of the markets where they operate is essential, and this goes for potential markets too. We are not just talking about translating a website, but all the content reaching users and customers as this boosts the effectiveness of company efforts. 

The fear of outsourcing work, such as translating or adapting content, is common in companies, but it can be overcome with good communication between the translation team and the customer.

Finding the perfect partner for translation work requires a little bit of searching. This can be overwhelming at first, so to make things easier, here are six key tips for picking the best translation partner in 2024.

1. Identify the needs and scope of your project

Translation is significantly more complex than it first appears and can vary according to the goal at hand. This is why it is crucial for you to have a clear idea of the needs and scope of your project, since you can then delegate work to the translation team more effectively, and do a better job of setting budgets and expectations for each task. We recommend approaching translation experts for advice and guidance: a great professional will always be ready to suggest the most suitable practices. This is one of the most important characteristics of a good translation partner.

2. Make your expectations clear to your translation company

A translation company needs to understand your industry and its terminology in order to provide you with the best service possible, so this is always a good starting point for your request: specify to the translation team what type of industry your project relates to, as well as the needs and expectations of this project. This helps establish the general framework of your project, along with its foundation and starting point.

Besides setting your expectations, it is a good idea to test the team with an initial task that includes translation, research and writing. When the test is finished and the first project is handed over, you can follow-up by having the translations proofread. Providing feedback in this regard is crucial because it will enhance the understanding of the terminology, style and tone employed by your company. In addition, it will help to better match these expectations and build a good relationship from the start.

3. Ensure your brand is visible in all your content

The style and personality of your brand need to be kept consistent across all the content your company releases and across all the languages of your potential markets. A good translation team will always be there to listen to your preferences and understand how you interact with customers, whether you are a B2B or B2C company. Your translation partner or agency needs to ensure your instruction manuals, website and press releases all follow your terminology for all the languages, areas and countries in which you wish to sell.

4. Appoint a guardian of quality: a Language Lead

Whether your company has an in-house translation team, or prefers to outsource, it is important to understand that their work must be continuously monitored for guaranteed quality. For this task of validation and supervision there must be a Linguistic Coordinator or Language Lead , who will be in charge of ensuring good quality and coordinating all the necessary linguistic information .

It is likely your company does not always have an employee with the right skill set for this task. Here we recommend handing this over to the actual translation agency. Give some consideration beforehand to having a language lead for your projects when dealing with those aspects, and that way the team on the project will be able to adapt to all your needs.

5. Stay in constant contact with your translation team or company

For everything to go as you wish and your brand to be shown in the best light, you need to set up good back-and-forth communication with your translation team. Raise any concerns, talk about what style you like and agree on the potential types of service and feedback mechanisms.

Be sure your translation partner or agency makes it easy to reach them, putting you in touch with people who can swiftly meet your requests. Remember that this is a working relationship you are building, and the more it is nurtured, the better the outcome will be.

6. Remember that technological capabilities and information security are a MUST

None of the points mentioned above will be successful if your translation provider fails to look after the integrity and security of your content. It is that simple. Their team needs to have a strong command of the tools and solutions to exchange files in different formats as swiftly and securely as possible.

Their technological capabilities have to be advanced enough to use and implement the workflow that best suits you no matter the format or location of your texts, and to have your content translated quickly without codes or format undergoing any changes.

Last but not least: check that their information security system provides the measures necessary to protect against intruders and unauthorized access, and properly ensures service continuity along with a quick response to any security event during the process.

These six key tips help give you an idea of what aspects you need to keep in mind when picking your ideal translation company and what recommendations you can implement to establish a fruitful and constructive relationship with them. In the end, an ideal partner should assist you in achieving your goals while respecting the personality of your brand wherever your company operates.

If you would like further information, advice or to work with a top-quality translation agency, please get in touch with us. Here at iDISC we offer a multifunctional team backed by over 30 years of experience.