Finding the right document translation service for your company can be a challenge. Though it would seem that this is the most basic of translation services, it is also the one where inaccuracy can cost millions of dollars in revenue. There are multiple steps that need to be taken when selecting a company to handle language translation for your company or small business. Although pricing is always a big concern it’s wise not to base the decision on what translation service to use on cost alone. Of course having a budget and finding someone to fit within it is imperative, but it is necessary to have a realistic cost based on using a quality language translation company.

If there are hard deadlines it is also advisable to make sure that the selection translation company can meet these deadlines. Have a realistic expectation of what is to be done. Making sure the project is mapped out correctly is also very important to making sure that the deadlines are met and that there are no disappointments.

It may also be a good idea to see how the document translation service is staffed. Do they employ native speaking translators there and are they professionally trained, or is the staff comprised solely of people who learned the language as a secondary language who grew up in the United States? Do they provide other translation services such as medical translations, legal translations, or even website localization and translations?

The answers to these questions will have a definite effect on the quality and types of translations produced. Native speakers tend to have a better grasp on the cultural norms and do a more colloquial version of the translation, making it far more accurate for the targeted audience to understand. Quality language translations include the culture as well as the ideas.

When submitting information to the document translation service, find out how they want their submissions. Many translation services now take the submissions through an electronic format. Translation companies that rely on the mail or other more traditional methods of document submissions can considerably slow down a project, making that actually factor in to the turn-around time in getting the document translation completed in a timely manner.

Language translation services that accept online submissions are often far ahead of the curve and often minimize the need for the translation company to be local. The document translation service could be located in Houston and serving customers in New York or Washington, D.C. by using electronic formats. This opens up the choices any business has of which document translation service to choose. Often these translation companies accept material to quote right though their website. This feature should automatically place those companies at the top of the list of whom to choose because it implies that they know how to effectively use technology in their business.

As we speak of technology helping the translation company, the other question would be more traditional in the sense of what type of customer service do they offer. Frankly most small companies offer far better customer service and attention to the client’s needs. Many document translation services offer a point of contact or if the job is large enough a project manager, who becomes the point of contact on the project. This insures that the customer’s needs and service aspects are met as well as the language translations needs.

Over all there is much to consider when selecting a document translation service to meet the needs of any business. Pricing should definitely not be the only factor.

Author Bio: Document translation can be done reliably by a document translation service that is skilled in language translations.

Category: Business
Keywords: translate a language, language translation, document translation