If your business plans to expand operations into foreign markets, professional translation services can make or break your brand.
In an effort to cut upfront costs or save time reviewing different options, you may be tempted to go with the lowest cost option, such as translation software or hiring non-specialist translators to do the job.
In truth, this approach can quickly become a legal/public relations nightmare and cost you more in the long run.
Here are some reasons why you shouldn’t skimp on quality technical translations and focus on getting the job done right the first time around.
1. You’ll Need to Get Documents Retranslated
Poor translation won’t go unnoticed for very long. When customers, clients, or other partners review the translated documents, they will likely bring your attention to the matter. Consequently, you’ll have to get all document retranslated by a professional service provider, which requires additional time and resources.
If you had opted for an accredited translation company in the first place, you could have avoided the additional expense—as well as the embarrassment.
2. Your Brand Value Can Take a Hit
When companies expand into new regions, they naturally acquire employees from the area. These employees may be bilingual, but they lack the subject matter expertise needed to translate technical documents.
As such, issues can arise later in the form of liabilities due to incorrect translation, customer complaints, and damage to the brand reputation. Poor translation just shows a lack of attention to detail that makes local business partners wary.
3. Dissatisfied Customers
Expanding into a new market shows that you want to reach new audiences and help introduce your products and services to a new region. If customers find that technical information isn’t correctly translated, it can turn them off from your business and push them to favour your competitors.
Plus, with the advent of social media, it’s very easy to take photos of incorrect translations and share them online. As a result, the magnitude of the problem can grow exponentially and have a substantial impact on your company image.
4. Lack of Cultural Sensitivity
Even when words are translated accurately, businesses must still account for the cultural nuances in translation.
Some words don’t translate directly from one language to another, and some may have very different connotations in different languages—only experts with subject matter know-how can accurately ensure that the meaning remains the same after translation.
Get High-Quality Translation Services in the UK
PA Localisation has a team of dedicated language specialists that are dedicated to delivering end-to-end localisation solutions to clients from a wide range of sectors. Our team can provide sector-specific translation services, including software localisation services, legal translation services, and medical manuscript writing services, among others.
Using innovative technology and leading experts from around the world, we’ve worked with clients in healthcare, business, supply chain, and machinery and equipment. Talk to us about the details of your technical translation project and we’d be happy to assist.