Translation prices range from 1 to 10, and while high prices do not necessarily guarantee high quality, we submit that below a certain level you are unlikely to receive a text that does credit to your company and its products.

 

If the translators are getting paid a little more than a babysitter, they are unlikely to be tracking your market with the attention it deserves.

 

Be realistic: How many pages can a translator produce per hour, per day? How much did your team spend producing the original?

 

When choosing a translation provider, calculate how much you have spent to develop the product or services you want to promote outside your country.

 

 If you cannot afford a professional translation, perhaps you are not ready for the international market yet.

 

 The added value that a translation company offers (translator selection, project management, quality control, file conversions, standardized presentation of multilingual projects, etc.) also has a price tag, but can save you hours of work.

 

What about translation software? > The Wall Street Journal gave two free online automatic translation services a test run and concluded: "These services are passable for travelers or for those wanting to translate a letter from a distant cousin. I definitely would not use them for business or anything that remotely requires accuracy".

 

What about students? >  Use at your own risk!  Using a student translator may seem like a nice and inexpensive option. Would you approve of medical students performing minor operations to pay their way through medical school?

Would you have your company's financial statements prepared by business students to save money?

 

Another tip: an inquisitive translator is good news: No one reads your texts more carefully than your translator. Along the way, she/he is likely to identify fuzzy bits -sections where clarification is needed. This is good news for you, since it will allow you to improve your original. Good translators strip down your sentences entirely before creating new ones in the target language. And they ask questions along the way.

 

What language do your clients speak? > Spanish for clients in Madrid or in Mexico City? Contact your foreign partners to find out precisely what is needed. Register/ is also important: German for doctors and medical personnel, or for healthcare consumers?