How to Choose a Good Language Services Provider

As a business owner or marketer, it is essential that you choose the right language services provider. Like any partnership, your working relationship with your language services provider will deepen over time if you have found the right partner. An ill-considered choice will cause you to eventually succumb to all the pressures of translation such as strict deadlines and project requirements. If you are not sure how to choose a language services provider, here are some factors for you to consider.

1. Industry knowledge

Before you select a language services provider, make sure they have the right staff and experts who can handle your translation needs. This is especially critical for legal, marketing, financial or medical sectors, which requires the correct use of terminologies and industry jargons. Leading translation providers such as elionetwork work with skilled native-language translators who are not only language experts, but who were once professionals from specific industry sectors.

2. Account management

Check if your language services provider can assign you with a single contact point for all your business needs. Some providers require you to approach different account managers for different types of jobs. A language services provider with an efficient project management process will save you time and resources in the long run.

Before committing to a language services provider, speak or correspond with your account manager to get a sense of whether he or she is helpful and responsive. A professional company will always respond in a timely manner, and help you with any questions that you may have.

3. Information management

Before entrusting your documents to a language services provider, check if the agency will protect the confidentiality of the material, especially if it involves details of your clients. To prevent data leak, your language services provider should adopt industry best practices to ensure data security. Third party endorsements such as certifications for their translation processes will help you ensure that sensitive information will be handled correctly.

At elionetwork, our ISO 17001:2015 Quality Assurance policy is proof of our commitment to quality. Continuous improvement is at the core of our company – that’s why we consistently review every quality performance procedure and standard we have on a regular basis – then make them even better.

4. Add-on services

Is your language services provider able to offer design, transcription or transcreation services in addition to basic translation? As your business grows, it may be helpful to know in advance if your service provider will be able to redesign or reformat documents, or design graphics for your marketing and advertising materials. For a hassle-free business experience, look for a one-stop shop for all of your language needs to save time and build greater rapport.

5. Price

In language services, as in many other aspects in life, a price is usually an indicator of the quality and value you can expect to get. A good language services provider should constantly seek to improve efficiency and quality of work by making the effort to learn and understand the needs of your business. As your partnership deepens, your language services provider will be likely to be able to provide you with a bulk rate, and generate better work for you over time.

6. Timeline

In business, time is money. Since translation is a detailed process that requires time, check if your language services provider is equipped with the necessary resources to handle your requests within a reasonable timeframe. Seek a quotation or ask about a typical translation timeline before committing to a provider. For instance, if you are launching a new website for a foreign market, delays may result in revenue losses.

An experienced and reliable translation service provider will be able to deliver your translated work without any major hiccups. In some cases, additional proofreading services may be required to ensure quality. Depending on your business objectives, a good services provider will be able to advise you upfront if proofreading or additional services are needed for the purpose of your project.

A reliable languages solutions provider should have a keen sense of language and culture contexts. At elionetwork, we offer a wide range of language services for business worldwide. Whether you are looking for language services, translation or transcreation expertise, chat with us to get stared today.