Understandably, translation costs can be a concern for a lot
of companies. You want to get the best possible results, but sometimes it can
be hard with a limited budget. In order to help you make the most of your
translation spend, here are some tips that will help you save on translation
costs, without compromising the quality of the work.
1. Plan your project with translation in mind:
Good planning can save a lot of money. Review your material and edit out any
parts that are unnecessary or irrelevant; by cutting down the number of words
you will reduce the translation costs. At the same time, take into account that
some languages, like Spanish or French, are 20-30% longer than English, whereas
others, like Chinese or Japanese, are considerably shorter, so plan accordingly
when designing a layout and avoid costly rework later. Also, be wary of
graphics, as any text in them will need to be translated; save editing time and
money by only using easily-editable text in the graphics.
2. Involve your translation company early on:
by getting in touch with your translation company early on in the process, they
can advise you regarding the best course of action and warn you of any
potential issues, whether linguistic or cultural, thus avoiding costly
surprises later. Developing a relationship with your translation company will
always ensure the best results.
3. Avoid unnecessary rework: make sure
that the files are finalised before sending them for translation. Any changes
to the source material during the translation process or after it can be
expensive. If the original had been translated by the time you decide to make
changes, you will have to pay for the work already carried out, plus the
additional work to include the changes. It can also be messy and confusing if
many changes are made throughout the process.
4. Mind the file formats: providing a
format that’s easy to work with will save a lot of money. For instance, it can
take hours to transcribe a handwritten or scanned text to a word processor or
recreate the layout of a PDF file. By sending documents that can be worked on
directly, you will save having to pay for this extra time, and the turnaround
of your project will be quicker.
5. Avoid minimum charges: minimum charges
are necessary due to the work that is involved in even the smallest of projects:
downloading and reviewing the files, confirming availability, putting the
resources in place, managing the project, checking the translations, delivering,
invoicing, bank fees, etc. However, you can save by grouping small jobs
together and sending them at the same time, therefore avoiding having to go
through the whole process for each tiny individual project.
6. Avoid rush fees by setting reasonable
deadlines: the average speed of a translator is 2000 words per day, whereas
a proofread can check 8000 words a day. Anything higher than that will imply
them having to work overtime or even through the night which, as you can surely
understand, attracts higher fees. Avoid paying extra by, once again, planning
your project accordingly and if possible adding a couple of extra days to the
deadline for tasks such as file transfers, project management, etc.
7. Don’t go for the cheapest provider: as
with everything else, in translation you get what you pay for. There are plenty
of bad companies out there who will charge dirt cheap prices and deliver a
shabby job. Of course, if don’t speak the language, you won’t notice how bad
the quality is... but what you will notice is the lack of sales coming through.
Instead, think of translation as an
investment. Spend more money hiring a reliable company who care about your
products and services and who will be able to truly speak to your customers in
their own language, not only producing text that is free from mistakes, but
also customising and adapting your content to the target culture’s preferences
and expectations. The amount of long-term business you will get as a result
will far outweigh any short-term costs. Also, by getting it right the first
time, you won’t have to hire anyone else to fix the costly mistakes made by the
cheap provider!
If you would
like any more tips, or need any advice about translation and localisation and
how to achieve the best results for your project, contact us at info@medialoc.net. We’ll be happy to help!
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