A Basic Guide to Translating Business Documents

Document translation is a key part of international business. Yet if you’re going to translate business documents, how should you have this done? What should you be aware of when looking for document translation services?

The right translation can translate all the nuanced details of the original document. A bad translation can make your company look incredibly amateurish.

In this guide, we will look at how to translate documents effectively and find the right business translator for you. Ready to learn more? Read on and let’s get started.

Before You Start

Before you start translating your business documents, you need to do some market research on the target market. The market in this region may already be saturated, and it might be near-impossible for you to gain a foothold.

If that’s the case, then translating your documents to the language of the region will be a waste of time and money. If you’ve already got a foothold in the market and are translating manuals or other similar documents, you can skip this step.

However, you shouldn’t skip researching the particular language of the region. This is important due to the many dialects that different languages have: for instance, translating into Castillian Spanish is a poor idea if you want to use these materials in South America, where key words and phrases can be very different.

Avoiding Bad Translations

Bad translations make your whole operation look amateurish: just take a look at some of these awful translations and you’ll see what we mean. Avoiding these types of errors is key.

For instance, while you might have taken French in high school, you likely don’t have the necessary knowledge to translate documents into French effectively. You may also want to try machine translating your documents. This is certainly a cost-effective way to translate your documents, but it will also likely lead to mistakes.

Hiring a Translation Agency

If you want to create effective translations, you need to hire a translation agency like www.translatemedia.com. In this section, we’ll look at the criteria you should assess when hiring an agency.

Get References

If possible, you should get references from a translation agency and speak to them. Ask about the quality of the translation and what the agency was like to work with.

Ask Which Languages They Work With

You should make sure that the company translates into the language you need right now, but you should also see which other languages they can translate documents into. If you find a great translation company, there’s no reason not to stick with them.

Ask About Their Employee’s Qualifications

It’s worth finding out what level of training and qualifications their employees have. Are they native speakers of the language or educated to a degree level? Do they have a diploma in translation?

Effective Translation of Business Documents Is Essential

We hope you’ve enjoyed this look at how to translate business documents effectively. Follow our tips and your company will create a well-translated, effective document that will improve your company’s professional image.

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Clarissa Cooke

Clarissa Cooke