Posts Tagged ‘Translation’

Website Translation: Why You Need To Localize Your Website Now

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

Your website should be accessible to all, shouldn’t it? Well it should if you intend on using it to generate profit or sell your products. If you are serious about generating revenue from your website then read on to find out why you need to translate your website in 2011.

Languages of the Web

Not everybody views your website in English alone, some visitors will auto-translate your site using machine translators such as Google Translate if they feel more comfortable in that language. Although letting users use machine translators to translate your content may impact on the message you are trying to convey or product descriptions you are using to sell your products.

English is by far (as of 2010) still the number one language in use on the web (according to internetworldstats.com) and by far the most common among major web pages. Although by simply having your website in English you are potentially missing out on the many millions more users across the world that are browsing, searching and viewing webpages in different languages.

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Tags: Language, Technology, Translation, website localization
Posted in Localization | No Comments »

5 tips for Better Website Localization

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

With English still the number one language on the web with over 536.6 million English users in 2010 it is easy for designers to forget about other languages when developing applications for the web. Yet the web is a truly global medium, (according to internetworldstats.com) Chinese is the second language of the web with 444.9 million users in 2010 and looks set to continue growing through 2011 with other languages such as Spanish and Japanese also catching up.
If your website is in the business of making money or selling you are missing out on a potential 78% of all internet users by providing an English only version of your website. In many cases an English only website will suffice for small and local businesses, but if you are looking to reach out to users in other cultures using their native languages then follow some of our top tips for cross-cultural web design.

Keyword Research
Proper keyword research is probably the most important aspect of launching a website in another language, especially for e-commerce and businesses selling products or services. Many will be tempted into simply translating their English based keywords for products into the target language which is a definite step on the road to failure.
A classic example of bad keyword translation is for ‘Car Insurance’; Google Translate gives the result of ‘l’assurance automobile’ in French. While this translation is accurate it is not a typical search term that French users would use, whereas they would most likely use something along the lines of ‘assurance voiture’.
Language specific keyword research should be approached in much the same way as English keyword research by researching popular search terms using tools such as Wordtracker and Google Insight, while also employing a professional translator to help brainstorm for synonyms and popular keywords for your sector. (more…)

Tags: Language, Localization, Technology, Translation, website localization
Posted in Technology | 1 Comment »

The Importance of Multi-Lingual Website Localization

Thursday, February 10th, 2011

Top tips from Global Voices on multilingual website design from proper keyword research to choosing the right domain.

Tags: Localization, Translation, web design
Posted in Localization | No Comments »

Costs of Translation Services in the UK for Immigrants Soars by 40%

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

The UK government are again calling for tougher language tests for new immigrants as costs associated with translation services in the UK have risen by over 40% in the last year, although there has been a plight to reduce the cost of translation services.

Labour, the previous government of the UK laid out £100 million to cover translation services across government and the judicial system while it pledged to slash the bill. Although last year the cost of translation services in this are rose to £140 million.

There have been critics suggesting that these costs are a waste of money and that immigrants should face tough new language tests before entering the country. While this may be a better solution, there may be alternatives to reduce costs for translation services within the government and public sector organisations through centralised translation systems which avoid having to repeatedly translate similar or identical documents. Systems such as Global Voices Video Interpretation system are also new and innovative ways in which to reduce costs of translation services in the UK.

Tags: Translation, Translation Services, Translation Services UK
Posted in Translation Services | No Comments »

Computer Program decodes ‘Lost Language’

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Clay tablets containing strange dots and wedge type characters of the ancient Ugaritic language have baffled Translators and Archaeologists for several decades since they were discovered in the 1920’s in the port city of Ugarit.

The Ugaritic language was used in Ancient Israelite and neighbouring cultures of the time and has been extremely important in clarifying Biblical Hebrew texts. The ‘Lost Language’ was re-discovered in 1928 by French Archaeologists who found strange clay tablets containing dots and wedge shaped stylus signs, the language is thought to have been last used in 1200BC in Syria. (more…)

Tags: Lost Languages, Rare Languages, Technology, Translation, Translation Software
Posted in Languages | No Comments »

Global Voices Joins the ATC

Monday, July 12th, 2010

We have successfully completed our membership application to become a full member of the ATC (Association of Translation Companies). The ATC is a professional body that represents the interest of translation companies and translation purchasers.

Membership of the ATC requires meeting certain criteria when providing translation services, adhering to professional ethics and providing high quality translation services. Global Voices’ membership acceptance is just another indication of how serious we take our business, clients and quality of work.

Along with this membership, Global Voices has also been accepted into the EUATC (European Union Association of Translation Companies) and has recently been awarded the updated BSI quality standards accreditation – ISO 9001:2008.

Tags: ATC, Global Voices, ISO 9001:2008, Quality Standards, Translation, Translation Company, Translation Quality, Translation Services
Posted in Business News | No Comments »

Lost in Translation

Friday, June 18th, 2010

: Would you really want to visit this tourist destination?

In today’s multi-cultural society there is a growing demand to localise and provide translated versions for everything from road signs to menu’s, yet some people are still getting lost in translation!

Whether machine or human translated, care must be taken not to translate literally, yet many translators and translation companies are still failing to provide high quality translations.

Here are some of the most hilarious translation bloopers and mistranslations from around the web:

From an East African newspaper:

A new swimming pool is rapidly taking shape since the contractors have thrown in the bulk of their workers.

In a Zurich Hotel:

Because of the impropriety of entertaining guests of the opposite sex in the bedroom, it is suggested that the lobby be used for this purpose.

Would you buy a coat from this Furrier in Sweden?

Fur coats made for ladies from their own skin.

(more…)

Tags: Funny, Mistranslations, Translation
Posted in Funnies, Translation | No Comments »

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