As you begin to think about getting your website translated, you might be tempted to search the internet for the keyword “translate website.” While this will provide you with a range of results, copy and pasting your website into Google Web Translation may not be the most effective route to take.
Your brand may be at risk if you use the Google Web Translation tool, and the same goes for your company’s overall reputation. You may end up getting a lower share of search results than you deserve, due to errors, misspellings or text that offends readers, simply by dint of the fact that it is not an accurate translation.
A total of 27 percent of the top 100,000 websites are in English, according to BuiltWith Insights. The remaining websites are non-English sites, and this goes to show the power of using localisation to reach customers located all over the world.
The Google Translate widget just can’t provide you with the kind of localisation you need to engage with international visitors, or give you that professional appearance you are aiming for with your company message. Hoping that you have the right translation for your audience just isn’t enough.
To help, we’ve provided five key ways you can translate and localise your website, including the pros and cons of each option. Here’s what you need to understand about website translation.
#1 Translation Through Copy & Paste
The Premise
Copying and pasting your web content for translation is easy to do. It requires minimal effort and can provide results quickly. You do not have to rely on the technology of your website or any other platform to make it happen. Your webmaster will simply copy your web content and paste it into a Google Sheet. Here, a translator will do the necessary translations, and you can paste the new text into the localised pages of your website when their work is done.
Getting Started
Create a Google Drive folder for your web text;
Create a Google Sheet and paste your web copy into it, for the translator to access in the Google Drive folder;
Share your Google Drive folder with your translation service or with TRAVOD;
Once this is done, you can copy the text from the updated Google Sheets into your website.
Quality Control
This is not a fool-proof system for your web translation task. Errors can occur during the copying and pasting phase. You might inadvertently copy the same text twice or paste it several times in the Google Sheet. Sentences might be missed out. A whole array of mistakes can occur. Your translator will be unable to spot these errors because they were not involved in the copying and pasting process.
Total Cost
You won’t have any technology-related costs with the copy and paste method since it does not require the use of your website. You will only incur the translation fees from your translation provider or TRAVOD project manager. You will also have to dedicate some time and resources to the copy and paste translation process.
#2 Translating With A Plugin Tool
Premise
If you have an e-commerce or CMS site, you may be interested in a plugin-based translation platform. Applications such as Shopify, BigCommerce, WordPress, Drupal, WIX, and others use translation plugin tools. With these plugins, you can easily share your website with your translation provider or TRAVOD, to provide them with access to your content. Your translator is able to translate the content directly into your website. You’ll have real-time updates and won’t have to worry about any interruptions with your website.
Getting Started
Search for a translation plugin through your website platform’s marketplace (options include the Shopify translation plugin, WordPress translation plugin, etc., depending on the platform you have);
Give your translator your CMS or e-commerce platform login;
Your translator or TRAVOD will localise your web pages based on the content that is currently provided on your website;
Once you are fully satisfied with the translation quality, publish your new localised web pages.
Quality Control
Webmasters will find that plugin-based translation is the best option as it allows for real-time publishing of your new translated copy. This also helps to eliminate any potential errors that might occur when you copy and paste text.
Total Cost
Plugin-based translation is relatively affordable. Some translation plugins are free, while others cost in the region of $15. There are plenty of free plugins that will provide you with quality results. Your only other cost when it comes to plugin translations is the fee from your translation agency.
#3 Translation Through Dynamic Content
Premise
The use of dynamic-based content for translation combines all the methods we’ve discussed so far and takes them one step further. In this approach, a translator is able to translate the content with a visual editor. This avoids the need to create and upload documents manually, a process wherein errors can occur. You will have a higher quality web translation of your localised content with as much as 100 percent accuracy, provided through the translation syntax and context. The original language intent will also remain in place. Dynamic content is only offered by a few translation companies.
This is the easiest way to localise your website from the point of view of your webmaster. Everything is done virtually by the translator cloud network, including the publishing.
Getting Started
Sign up with a translation provider that offers this service;
Add the code snippet that is provided to you to your website. Instructions will be included;
A translator will translate your website and save all the content to the cloud network space;
Review the translated work and publish the updates to your website.
Quality Control
With dynamic content, you are able to retain the context as well as the intended meaning of the original message on your website, irrespective of the language. This is the easiest way to localise your website, as the translator is able to provide better phrasing and a word count that meets the needs of the page layout.
Total Cost
There is typically a monthly subscription fee for dynamic content translation, since it is saved to the cloud. The monthly fee usually covers cloud uses and delivery.
You can expect pricing of around $29 to $400 per month, depending on the complexity and needs of your website.
#4 Translation Through Word Extraction
Premise
For more complex websites, word extraction translation may be used. This is good for websites that contain a large number of sub-pages, different content workflows, animation within the content, or an unstructured page layout. To localise these pages, a scraping tool is used to extract the text from the website automatically.
It is then forwarded to the translator, who will convert it as necessary. Because automation is used, no text ends up missing during the extraction or scraping process.
Getting Started
In order to implement word extraction translation, you will need to have a good understanding of content scraping, content indexing, content spidering, and how these tools work. Not every webmaster is well-versed in this area. To employ word extraction translation, it is best if you hire a translation agency that provides this service and extracts your text from your website.
Quality Control
You may not have the best quality results when using word extraction translation. While all of your content from your website is translated, the context, structure, and syntax are lost when the text is scraped. The new translated content will have a very different feel and appearance when compared to the original text. You may find the translated content acceptable as long as there is no interference with the text or the subtleties used when it is released to the content database.
Total Cost
A webmaster can use scraping tools, data extraction tools or website extraction tools which are nominally priced at $50 to $200. If your webmaster does not have experience of using these tools, they can work directly with a translation agency that may include these tools as part of their services for free.
#5 Translation Through File Extraction
Premise
To provide you with the easiest way to localise your website, many translation companies offer file extraction. Using the FTP to access your website, the translation provider will export the raw data files and database content for you.
The translator service will translate your website content and push it back to your website through the FTP. This is a common method used for localisation, but it can cause issues for your company. Dynamic web pages may struggle, and the same goes for complex sites.
Getting Started
File extraction is a straightforward process:
Create file access permission for the translation company you are working with, through the FTP or Cpanel;
The text will be converted by your translator;
The new files will be re-uploaded to your web server and published.
Quality Control
File extraction is an effective way to perform the localisation of your website.
Your website content will retain its logical order and intended meaning as the translator is able to translate your text while looking directly at the website. A potential downside, however, is that Javascript can cause issues with hidden elements that may affect the website’s appearance and function. When a translator is unable to see the hidden text, they may miss these translations. File extraction is really ideal for a simple website as it is easy for you and the translator. More complex websites will not do well with file extraction translation.
Total Cost
There is no cost to file extraction translation besides the fees you would pay to your translation service provider. Your webmaster should have access to your Cpanel and FTP account.
Over the last 20 years, there has been a great deal of change in terms of the ways you can perform website translation. Technology has made the process easier and quicker. Employing the right translation method for your website can ensure you receive the highest quality results from the localisation process, for the benefit of your customers.
New technologies have made it possible to translate both basic and complex websites in a matter of hours, as opposed to the 30 days it took to provide translation 20 years ago. Keep in mind that as more and more visitors come to your website, the need for localised content becomes ever greater. This will keep them engaged in your website and allow you to increase your business revenue through sales.
Do you have a website project that requires translation?
Let our team of translators help. Get in touch, and we will have a translation expert contact you with an affordable quote and proposed delivery date.