In today’s digital and globalized economy, businesses of all sizes are expanding beyond borders and reaching new markets. The ability to communicate across borders is essential for any multinational corporation aiming to thrive. For businesses to go truly global and expand to different markets, they must be able to communicate in consumers’ preferred language. Central to this communication is translation, a vital tool that enables businesses to connect with diverse audiences and expand their reach. But what exactly is translation, and why is it crucial for your business success?
What is translation?
At its core, translation is the process of converting text from one language into another while maintaining the original meaning, tone, and intent. It is not merely about swapping words; it involves understanding cultural nuances, idiomatic expressions, context and the intended tone to ensure the message resonates with the target audience. The purpose of translation is to preserve the original meaning between the source and target languages, and to convey the message without miscommunication or distortion.
| What does translation mean? Here’s the short definition of translation: In simple terms, translation means the act of reworking text from one language into another to maintain the original message and communication intent. It’s a crucial tool for bridging linguistic divides and enabling effective cross-cultural communication. |
What is the point of translation for business?
What is the purpose of translation in business? The primary goal is to facilitate clear and effective communication with diverse audiences. Aside from being able to authentically connect with their global customers, businesses can also reap a few other benefits with effective translation.
Global reach and market expansion
Translating your content into multiple languages allows your business to penetrate new markets and appeal to a broader audience. With good translation, businesses can reach new markets by making their products and services accessible to non-native speakers. This expansion can lead to increased brand recognition and higher sales.
Customer engagement
It enhances customer experience by providing information in the customer’s preferred language, fostering deeper connection and improving customer satisfaction, trust and loyalty.
Competitive advantage
Offering multilingual content demonstrates your commitment to serving international customers, setting you apart from competitors who do not prioritize translation.
Customer benefits from quality translation
When your organization invests in high-quality translation, not only your organization, but also your customers stand to gain from it.
Improved accessibility
Non-native speakers can access and understand your products or services, broadening your customer base.
Personalized experience
Customers feel valued when addressed in their language, enhancing their overall experience.
Improved satisfaction
Interactions not in your native language can take longer, and misunderstandings may impact the time to resolution. Plus, they can elevate the customer’s frustration.
Three approaches to business translations
Different contexts require different translation approaches.
For example, a company dealing with global business clients in person might employ a human translator or interpreter, while a customer service team might use a combination of fluent multilingual speakers and machine translation to instantly translate live chat support. In other cases like important emails with legal information, a business might use machine translation and then ensure accuracy and high quality with a human post edit.
Let’s dive a little deeper into these different approaches.
Human translation
Human translation involves professional translators who understand the nuances of both the source and target languages. This approach is ideal for complex texts that require a deep understanding of cultural context and subtleties. For instance, translating a marketing campaign for a new region would benefit from human expertise to ensure cultural appropriateness.
On the flip side, human translators for certain rare or expensive languages might come with a hefty price tag. Not only that, it might be difficult to find resources in some regions. If you outsource to human translators, you also have the added challenge of ensuring consistent brand voice and customer experience.
In summary, work with experts who are native speakers of the target language and have industry-specific knowledge. This can be expensive, cumbersome and slow, but it ensures the translation is quality and localized, which is critical for some use cases.
Machine translation
Machine translation, or automatic translation, uses algorithms to convert text from one language to another. It’s quick and cost-effective. Large language models (LLMs) like Google Translate and DeepL are the most well known machine translation solutions.
However, LLMs may lack the accuracy and nuance of human translation, as they only provide general-purpose translations without any awareness of the context. LLMs are useful for basic translations or getting the gist of a text. However, it’s not recommended for critical business documents or customer service where not just speed but also precision is paramount.
Not only that, but when businesses rely on a solution like Google Translate for customer support, they might end up plugging in sensitive customer information, leading to security risks and data breaches.
The latest evolution of machine translation is neural machine translation (NMT). Unlike LLMs, NMT models leverage LLMs but are trained on domain-specific data instead of large volumes of general data, so they’re more context-aware and focused. Language I/O, for example, is a secure AI-powered translation that relies on NMT that can provide real-time translations when engaging with customers over chat and email as well as navigating support cases.
With machine translation software and platforms like Language I/O, you can also streamline the translation process with tools that ensure consistency and efficiency.
Hybrid approach
The hybrid approach combines the speed of machine translation with the accuracy of human editing. Initial translations are performed by machines, followed by human reviewers who refine the text. This method balances efficiency and quality, making it suitable for high-impact, large-scale projects with tight deadlines.
Five different types of translations and language services for businesses
Businesses have several options of language services to choose from, depending on their needs.
Transliteration
Transliteration involves representing words or phrases in a different script while maintaining their pronunciation. It’s commonly used for languages with non-Latin alphabets, such as Arabic or Chinese. Transliteration is useful for businesses operating in multiple linguistic regions to maintain consistent branding and naming conventions.
Transcreation
Transcreation involves creatively adapting marketing and advertising content to preserve its impact across different languages and cultures. It’s particularly useful for slogans and branding messages that need to evoke the same emotions globally. For instance, a catchy tagline in English might be transcreated into Spanish to maintain its appeal.
Localization
Localization adapts content to fit the cultural and linguistic preferences of a specific region. It goes beyond translating words to include formatting, design, and cultural references. For example, a website localized for a Japanese audience might feature different imagery and local idioms to resonate better.
| What is the difference between translation and localization? While translation and localization are often used interchangeably, they serve different purposes. Translation focuses on linguistic conversion, whereas localization adapts content to fit cultural norms and preferences of a specific region. Effective localization involves modifying elements like currency, date formats, and even imagery to align with local expectations, thereby enhancing user experience. Localization and translation go hand in hand when communicating with diverse audiences around the world. |
Globalization
Closely tied to localization, globalization refers to the increasing need for businesses to communicate and operate in multiple languages and cultures. Globalization has made it essential for companies to translate their content accurately, not just for local markets but also for reaching international audiences.
This trend has only accelerated with the rise of ecommerce and digital communication, making translation a vital component of any global business strategy. The ability to effectively localize content through translation is crucial in creating a strong global brand presence and connecting with diverse customers worldwide.
Internationalization
Internationalization refers to the process of preparing content for translation and adaptation into different languages and cultures. It involves designing products, services, and content with the intention of making them easily adaptable for global markets. This includes considering cultural differences, linguistic nuances, and design elements that may need to be changed or adjusted for specific regions.
Internationalization is a critical step in the localization process as it ensures that content can be accurately translated without losing its intended meaning or impact. Companies that prioritize internationalization in their localization efforts set themselves up for successful global expansion and effective cross-cultural communication.
Different types of translation companies
Depending on the translation types that work best for your business needs, you can partner with a translation company or vendor that uses one or a combination of approaches to translate or localize your content for your customers.
Translation management systems (TMS)
A TMS is a software platform that helps businesses manage their translation process efficiently. It automates tasks such as project management, file sharing, and quality control to streamline the translation workflow.
TMS can be expensive to implement and maintain. They also require a learning curve for businesses to fully utilize their features.
Localization service providers (LSP)
An LSP is a company that specializes in providing localization services, including translation, cultural adaptation, and technical support. They often have a team of experts in different languages and industries to ensure accurate translations for diverse audiences.
Working with an LSP provides businesses access to specialized language services and expertise without having to manage them in-house. This can save time and resources while ensuring high-quality translations.
LSPs may be more expensive than other options, and businesses may have less control over the translation process.
Language training
Language training helps businesses improve their employees’ communication skills in different languages. This can be particularly beneficial for global companies with diverse teams and international clients.
On the flip side, training can be expensive and time-consuming, and cultural differences can only be taught to a certain extent.
Machine translation (MT)
Machine translation uses computer algorithms to automatically translate text from one language to another. It’s the most cost-effective option for large volumes of content, and the real-time translation is especially critical in scenarios like customer support, where live chat responses need to be instant.
Apart from helping businesses save time and resources when translating large amounts of content, machine translation software also has the potential to improve and evolve with advances in technology.
Multilingual customer support
Multilingual customer support involves providing customer service in multiple languages. This can include providing support in phone, email, live chat, chatbot and knowledge bases in the customer’s preferred language, ensuring a positive user experience regardless of location or language.
Companies like Language I/O use aggregate the world’s leading machine translation engines to provide context-aware real-time translation to power your multilingual customer support.
Buyer’s Guide to Multilingual Support Software
Selecting the right provider of this technology is critical for success. In this guide, we cover the key aspects of evaluating and selecting the right multilingual support technology provider for your organization.
The importance of choosing the right translation company for your business
Selecting the right translation company is crucial for ensuring the quality and accuracy of your translated content. Especially when you’re looking for specialized services like multilingual customer support or an instant translator, these aspects can have a major impact on your business. The right translation company will bring these features to the table.
Expertise
Look for a company with experience in your industry and familiarity with the specific types of communication and documents you need translated.
Security
Data security and privacy are top priorities for any business. Data breaches are a quick and easy way to lose customer trust. Look for translation solutions that protect your customer data, like Language I/O.
Quality control
Ensure they have robust quality assurance processes, including proofreading and editing by native speakers or continuous quality improvement. Machine translation is capable of self-learning and improving with time and use.
Cultural understanding
Choose a provider who understands the cultural nuances of your target market to avoid miscommunications and cultural insensitivity.
See why Language IO is the best solution for your enterprise translation needs.
