Meet Joe. Joe manages localization for the DMV, and his translation just made the new driver’s manual. For some, making national or even international headlines is a dream come true, but probably not as a bad translation meme, right? Here are some tips on how to deliver quality content translation and avoid being like poor Joe.
Tip #1: Quality to Match the Content
Not all content is alike, so to maximize your localization spend, you want to be sure to pay for high quality translation for highly visible, long-lasting content, so ask yourself:
Does an incorrect translation put someone’s life in danger?
Would our brand be severely damaged by an incorrect or misleading translation?
Is this a short-term or long-lived piece of content?
Is this being distributed as hard copy or digital?
How easy is it to fix the content when a mistake is found?
Your answers to these questions will determine the quality level you need and help you avoid Joe’s fate.
Tip #2: Understand Quality Metrics
Language Quality Evaluation (LQE) is a way to objectively view your content quality, based on the criteria that matter to you – using human reviewers. It is an investment, so it’s best applied to the right content (see Tip #1), but it can help you understand the level of quality you currently have and whether it is trending over time in the right direction. It can also help you make decisions about your vendors and any trade-offs you may be making for speed or cost considerations. For an in-depth view of how translation quality is defined, check out this research.
Lingotek has spent the better part of the last four years creating the best integrated LQE feature-set in any TMS. Learn more.
Tip #3: Context, Context, Context!
That would have never happened to Joe if the people translating that content knew it was a road sign for a driver’s manual. Context changes everything, and Lingotek is the world’s leader in providing context!
Tip #4: Don’t Repeat, Repeat, Repeat!
Once you have invested in translating your content, you don’t want another translator to come along and translate it again in the next revision.
A real-time, cloud-based Translation Memory (TM) means that the translations you already have and have approved will be reused – maximizing your quality, but also your spend and time-to-market – TM for the hat-trick!
You can’t underestimate the power of quality translations, and the work involved to ensure a high standard can be overwhelming. Click on the link below to learn more about how Lingotek can help you easily achieve the kind of quality that leads to business growth and customer satisfaction.
