Preparation sets up your translations for success

Great translation is the result, in large part, of preparation. You’ve put in effort to get ready for your source-language launch, so do the same to prepare for your translation and localization efforts. It’ll save you time and money in the long run, while also ensuring you get a high-quality translation.

Here are five quick tips to help you prepare for translation initiative in any target language.

1. Create both a translation glossary and style guide.

It sounds like a simple thing, but a glossary is an essential component of any successful translation project. From simple to complex, there are certain elements and company-specific information a glossary should include:

• Corporate/product nomenclature
• Abbreviations and acronyms
• Terms that remain in English, such as product names, copyright items
• “Lingo” that should stay consistent across languages

A style guide explains the “voice” and tone that each language should have. Creating a style guide is an important early step in any translation effort, because it provides a set of standards for translators and editor to use. Both the glossary and style guide ensure consistency and quality across languages. They should be reviewed and approved by all internal parties and regularly updated with new terms and revisions.

2. Share details about the subject matter of the content with your translation partner.

The more detail you can provide, the better. This will help your partner to choose qualified translators who have advanced degrees and/or extensive experience in the subject matter area.

3. Ask for the latest translation memory tools.

Choose a translation agency that uses the most up-to-date translation memory software. This software captures source language phrases and pairs them with their approved translations. When you update content or translate new content, the software finds the approved translation and recycles it, which ensures consistency across all versions. Plus, translation memory helps save time and money since you don’t have to retranslate the same words and phrases over and over again.

4. Insist on quality assurance (QA).

You have editors review your original source text and your translations should get the same treatment. Before you hire a translation partner, make sure they offer native target language editors to review the translations and ensure a high level of QA.

5. Who will conduct the in-country review.

In-country review is an important step in the translation process. Perhaps someone from your in-country team who is a native speaker and knows your products and brand in detail can complete the in-country review, or perhaps your translation partner will take care of it. Reviewers should be involved before translation begins so they can help create the initial glossary and style guide, learn about the background and goals of the translation, and schedule time for the actual review. Having them on board from the beginning will help smooth out this final step in the process and ensure an on-time launch.

Connect with new markets smoothly and effectively

Carefully preparing for your translation initiative projects can save you time and money in the long run and ensure that your localized content connects effectively with your new language markets. Contact us to learn how we can help you prepare your translation initiatives for global success from the start.