3 reasons to invest in a high-quality translation

One of the biggest problems faced by the translation sector is customer perceptions on translation cost, which is often deemed too high. This is due to the fact that translation, both as a science and as a profession, is largely misunderstood due to the ignorance surrounding this field.

However, if you are considering translating your website, advertising material or any other  company documents and files, there are various reasons why you should not hesitate to invest in a high-quality translation:

1. A good translation helps increase sales

In a recent survey by Common Sense Advisory, the research company in the field of translation, 75% of internet users do not take important buying decisions if the description of the product or products is not available in their language. That makes sense: when someone is about to make a purchase, he/she wants to know everything surrounding the product or service he/she has chosen and to be certain that he/she has understood all the information correctly. What is even more important is that the text a potential customer is reading in his/her native language is not ridden with mistakes and inaccuracies and that it flows naturally,  enhancing his/her trust in the quality of the product or service he/she is about to buy.

2. You will not use your translation only once

If you think the translation cost is high, think again; most of the time you don’t use your translation only once. If you are interested in translating your website, just think that the text you will get will be your company’s “storefront” until you decide to change it, so, if you are like most people, for a number of years. If what you are looking to translate is advertising material, consider that it will be distributed or published before a large number of potential customers and therefore can lead to much higher profits through boosted sales. Finally, if you need to translate product labels or descriptions, these will accompany your products for as long as they are part of your product line. In other words, translation is a long-term investment that could keep benefiting you and your company for a very long time after the service is provided.

3. A poor translation entails higher cost

Many companies select translators and other language service providers based exclusively on cost. The reason is that they have not realised that translation is a service and not a product and therefore the quality of the final result depends greatly on the person or company who will provide it. If you make the wrong choice and end up getting a poor translation, the cost will be higher in the long term; you may have to correct the translation or even assign the job to another translator. However, the cost for your company’s reputation can be even higher. A poor translation affects the opinion of your potential customers in a negative way about your company and can lead them to assume that the quality standards of your company reflect the quality of your services or products. Even if your services or products are the best in the field, customers visiting your website are not always capable of knowing that and in many cases rely on their first impression to make their choice.

For all of the above reasons, next time you need a translator for your text, take all these factors into account before you make a decision. After all, the best advertisement for your company is the way you present it to your audience!