You’ve decided to go global with your business but are not sure how to find the right Spanish language expert? In this article, I will tell you all you need to know to make sure you’re making the right choice! Bonus: There’s a checklist at the end.
Why Choosing the Right Translator Matters
You’ve spent long hours carefully crafting your precious content, ensuring every single word counts and makes an impact on your target audience in English. So why throw all that away with emotionless and non-tailored texts created by a bland AI? Don’t underestimate the power of a job well done. Choosing the right translator is like choosing the right outfit: when you want to impress someone, you wear your best piece of clothing, which is also of excellent quality and can be easily noticed. Translation is the same: people can tell when it is good quality.
Impacts on Your Brand and Messaging
If you select the wrong translator, poor-quality translation can negatively impact your brand and messaging. Mistranslations, inconsistencies, and a tone of voice that is all over the place are some of the issues I see all too often out in the wild. When your customers come across these problems, they don’t take you seriously because they feel that you’re not taking them seriously by not caring enough to provide proper, accurate content in their mother tongue.
Risks of Poor Translation Quality
When your website or documents are poorly translated into Spanish, many things can happen: your ideal customers won’t find you, and if they do, they won’t understand your offer. Or maybe they do, but they don’t feel confident enough to hit ‘buy’ because your message is just not clear and, therefore, not convincing enough. So, basically, the ultimate downside of a bad translation is losing money. And I’m sure you don’t want that, do you?
Essential Skills of a Spanish Language Expert
To make sure your translation hits the right notes, with beautiful, naturally-sounding translation, professional Spanish translation services by a Spanish language expert are the best solution. These days, you can find many self-proclaimed translators who translate as a side gig, have no formal training, and don’t know what they’re doing.
Language Proficiency and Cultural Knowledge
Being a Spanish Language Expert involves way more than just translating words from one language to another. A pro translator is someone who masters at least two languages, someone who holds a degree, meaning they have been trained to translate ideas (and not just words). But also, let us not forget that language is more than just words and ideas. Language is culture, and a translator must be able to grasp the author’s cultural baggage to properly express their ideas in the target language.
Subject Matter Expertise (Does It Make a Difference?)
For specialized texts, such as technical translations, subject matter expertise plays a key role, too. When a translator specializes in a specific industry or topic, their translations can be done faster. Why? Because they don’t need to research every single term or subject. They already know all of that. Less time spent translating means a faster translation pace, which is a key factor when you have short turnarounds. Having said that, translators are used to and trained to conduct research and find the exact match in the target language.
Red Flags When Choosing a Translator
So, you’ve found a translator, but you’re still not sure if you’ve made the right choice. To help you make that decision, I’ve come up with a list of red flags to look out for when searching for the right translator for your needs.
Common Warning Signs of Low-Quality Work
A major warning sign of low-quality work is the (very false) promise of high-volume translation in a very short timeframe. Translators can, on average, translate 2,500 words a day. So, if anyone promises that they can deliver 7,000 words in 24 hours, you can be sure that the output will be terrible.
Another red flag is a jack-of-all-trades translator. A translator who specializes in everything, is an expert in nothing. A real translator focuses on specific industries and/or document types. You want someone who knows what they’re doing.
Last but not least, do not trust a translator who has too many language combinations. Sure, some people are pure geniuses who master fifteen languages, but let’s face it: how many of them are qualified translators who can deliver great work? It’s always better to select a translator who works with a limited number of languages to ensure that you’re dealing with someone who actually and truly knows their working languages.
Importance of Proofreading and Attention to Detail
Proofreading is a key step in the translation process. Translating is not enough to ensure a job is well done. The translation must be reviewed on its own to ensure it flows naturally and contains no typos or grammar mistakes. It must also be checked against the original to ensure that the translated material is complete and accurate.
Attention to detail is another key aspect of a high-quality translation. This includes respecting formatting, ensuring nothing’s missing, and much more. Sometimes it even involves spotting mistakes in the source content!
How to Find a Reliable Translator Online
There are several ways to find a reliable translator. You can look for them online, but make sure that you are as specific as possible. It’s better to search for a ‘Spanish SEO localization expert’ than for a ‘Spanish translator.’ There are thousands of Spanish translators, but only some of them focus on SEO localization. Once you find a couple of specific translators, you can check the following details:
Portfolio and Case Studies as Quality Indicators
Check out their portfolio or case studies to see if they have worked on a project similar to yours. This will give you an idea of whether they will be able to handle your project or not. If they don’t have any, or the examples they have don’t match your requirements, don’t hesitate to contact them to ask if they have done anything similar to what you need. Who knows? You might be surprised!
Client Reviews and Professional Background
Client reviews are a great way of getting to know your potential translation services provider. See what other clients have to say to get some insights into what they like about them and the reasons why they recommend them.
If no recommendations are available or if the ones available don’t answer your concerns, checking for career background is a great way of getting to know the translator. Do they hold a degree? What about certifications? Are they a member of a professional association? These are key elements that will at least show you how committed they are to the profession.
Final Tips for Finding the Perfect Translator for Your Needs
Finding the right translator is a key part of the huge puzzle that contributes to your company’s success. Investing in a professional language services provider who delivers high-quality work is paramount.
So, next time you’re looking for the perfect translator, don’t only make sure that they meet all the requirements mentioned above, but also get to know them as a person: what are their values? Do they portray themselves as the kind of person you want to work with? A great way to do this is by having a quick call with them to introduce yourself and your project. Maybe they don’t check all the boxes above, but their personality might make it easier to have a fruitful collaboration.
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