December 18, 2017
Summary
The blog highlights three essential tips for translating a website effectively. It emphasizes the importance of reaching Spanish-speaking audiences, understanding regional language variations, and choosing the right translation approach. The article compares translation software, freelance translators, and professional translation agencies, recommending expert services for accuracy and cultural relevance. It also explains how professional agencies help preserve your brand voice while delivering high-quality multilingual content that expands global reach and business opportunities.
Do you have a beautiful website that eloquently represents you and your business model? Is it a multi-language website? If not you're linguistic negligence is hurting your bottom line.
1. The Spanish Language
The United States Census Bureau's most recent statistics show that there are approximately 57 million (17.6%) Hispanic households in North America alone. And with billions more worldwide it would financially benefit your brand's bottom line to upgrade your site to a multi-language site.
Don't take translation lightly because some words in Spanish are near impossible to translate. A word or expression used by a Mexican Spanish speaking person is often another world from a Puerto Rican Spanish speaking person. Why? Not all Spanish is the same there are actually over 10 various dialects under the Spanish language.
The 5 Places That Shaped The Spanish Language
- Spain
- Castilian Spanish
- Andalusian Spanish
- Murcian Spanish
- Basque Spanish
- Canary Islands
Canarian Spanish
- Gibraltar
Llanito Spanish
- The Americas
- Latin American Spanish
- Rioplatense Spanish
- Caribbean Spanish
- Africa
- Equatoguinean Spanish
2. Where Do You Start?
So you're ready to upgrade your website, but don't know where to begin. Should you get Rosetta Stone and learn Spanish or should you get a translation app? Should you hire a freelance translator or go with a professional Spanish translation agency? Consider our researched list of the best options for your website's language translation needs.
The 3 Best Website Translation Choices:
- Translation Software Applications - Smash through the language barrier with software that translates for you straight from your browser. The drawbacks are poor translation and grammar. Google Translate is one of the best translators on the market today, but they still have a long way to go in proficiency.
- A Freelance Translator - This can be either a great option or a nightmare. You could either get a hard working multilingual wordsmith or a lazy, grammatically challenged person who is only translating for economic gain. With freelance workers always ask for references and a portfolio. It's best to start out with small jobs and gradually test them with harder more in-depth projects.
- A Professional Spanish Translation Agency - The best choice by far is a professional translation agency that offers a full range of services and a larger staff than a freelancer. Their employees are professional content translators who understand how to wield vocabulary. They deliver high-quality subject matter that is on point with their client's wishes and desires.
3. What Services Does A Translation Agency Offer?
- File/Document Translations
- Website/Social Media Translations
- Subtitle Translations
- Machine Translations
- Phone Interpretation Translations
- Civil certificates (birth certificates, marriage certificates) Translations
- Employee Manual Translations
- Legal Document Translations
- Medical Document Translations
- Literature Translations
- Etc...
The most important factor in language translation is that the translator understands the importance of maintaining or enhancing the feel of your hard work. Don't limit your audience to a single-language website. Expanding your website's dialect is a powerful marketing tool that will better your total net.