Getting something translated isn’t as costly as you think!

As sad as the fact is, it’s true that people don’t turn a lot of attention to good use of language these days. If they need something translated or edited, they often just ask a friend or colleague or resort to machine translation. This can turn out OK, and if it does, then great! But more often it results in websites, menus, advertising texts and user manuals full of clunky language and, worse still, actual mistakes.

Very few people are aware of what professional translation agencies and the people who work for them actually do. The services offered by such an agency are by no means limited to just translating. The first person to deal with a text is the project manager, who checks its length and content and decides which translator it would be best suited to. In Luisa, each of our translators specialises in a particular area – which is why e.g. legal translators don’t do technical translations, and vice versa. Once the translation’s completed, it’s given a final polish by an editor who speaks the target language as their mother tongue. The text is then checked by a technical editor to make sure the numbers are correct and that it all looks the way the client wants it to. We also use a lot of technology in our work for quality control to ensure the best possible outcome.

As such, when you get a quote from a translation agency you should bear in mind that you’re paying for at least four specialists to work on your text. We view translation services as an investment in your company’s reputation. Well-worded texts that flow freely get people’s attention, are a delight to read and leave you looking very switched-on. Some texts remain public for a long time and people form their opinions of a company based on them. For that reason it’s worth making sure your texts are well – and of course correctly – translated. It will most likely cost you far less in the long run!