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Did you know that only about 20% of internet users can speak or read English? If you haven't translated your website into different languages yet, you're missing out.
Not to worry—you don't need to know a foreign language to translate a website. Translation is a lot easier than you'd think.
In this post, we'll go over the benefits of website translation and explore the most common translation methods.
When you translate a webpage, there are a host of benefits for you and your brand:
In the race to the top of search engine results, multilingual SEO gives a big boost. Translated keywords make your brand and products more discoverable online.
76% of consumers prefer to buy products from sites written in their language. Well-written translated content attracts a global audience and gives you international credibility.
Translating content is an investment, but it pays off. Surveys of Fortune 500 companies showed that translating their websites increased revenue.
Now that you know about the benefits, let's explore two of the most common translation methods: human translation and machine translation.
Human translation is exactly what it sounds like: translation performed by a skilled human being. Most global brands use LSPs (language service providers) or translation agencies to find professional translators.
With translation costs starting at a few cents per word, this method can be an investment. But human translation has a few important advantages over machine translation. Professional translators understand context and cultural nuance better than a computer ever could. Unlike machines, translators proofread their content for excellent accuracy, grammar, and readability. When you need to build trust in your brand, human translation is a must-have.
After you find and hire an LSP, here's how the translation process works.
Machine translation is easy and fast—so fast that it can translate an entire website in a millisecond. No human could ever keep up with this pace. Unlike human translation, machine translation runs on AI tools like Google Translate and Microsoft Translator. Plus, this tech uses neural machine translation (NMT) to get smarter over time.
Although machine translation is incredibly quick and easy, it has some downsides. The largest drawback is poor accuracy. AI can't understand context, slang, or subtle regional differences in language. Formatting and grammar errors are also common in machine translation. Machines won't replace humans anytime soon, but AI can still be a handy tool for some contexts.
Machine translation uses AI to generate automatic translations of websites. There are a few free machine translation tools:
Click the links below to read instructions for using a translation plugin in your favorite browser.
Here's how to use translation tools on a mobile device:
So what's the best approach in website translation: human or machine?
Surprisingly, it's both! Here at Localize, we recommend machine translation with human post-editing. With this method, a human translator reviews a machine-translated website to make it sound accurate and natural. This approach is the best of both worlds. It combines the speed of AI translation with the precision of people.
Localize is a comprehensive TMS (translation management system) that uses both human and machine translation methods. Partnering with a TMS can make website localization a breeze. We have fast and reliable translation options for all budgets. Localize is always on, which means we make it easy to automatically deploy new translations to your site anytime.
Contact us to learn how Localize can help you translate your website today!
Experienced content pro with years in SaaS and tech. I blend writing, editing, knowledge management, and content strategy to make tough technical topics easier.
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