The Best Way To Translate Website

The Best Way To Translate Website: Here's How To Choose The Best Method For Your Website

The right option for your website translation

Your company is in the process of building a global presence.

You already know that you need to translate your website and create localized websites. You have also decided which languages you would like to start with, and you may even have decided on a language service provider (LSP). But a bigger decision is still pending: How should the website translation be done?

Website translation: 4 options to choose from

The translation method you choose for your website will affect the way you operate and the functionality of your localization project. You have four basic options to choose from:

• Manual file transfer

• CMS integration technology

• Translation proxy

• Outsourcing of global website management

Before deciding which way to proceed, you should familiarize yourself with each of the options. If in doubt, let your language service provider advise you.

Option 1: Manual file transfer

Manual file transfer is the oldest and least technologically sophisticated method of website localization. Hence, this is usually the most cost-effective option for website translation. All providers are eligible for this type of translation. With this approach, the companies and their language service providers simply exchange content as required in the form of XML or HTML files (sometimes even Word or Excel files are used).

Is This Option For You?

Manual file transfer can be very laborious and require extensive human coordination. This can lead to errors. However, this option may be best for you if you have limited content to translate and only need a few language versions. You should also consider this option if your publishing platform

is not yet "ready for globalization". Are there workflows on your platform that you can use to automate the import and export of content for translation? If not, this option may be a good choice for you.

Option 2: CMS integration technology

If you need more globalization and are already working with a content management system that supports global workflows, you can streamline the translation and localization of your website with a concept based on translation integration. The best translation integrations give you the ability to automate the selection, transfer, and retrieval of content directly from your CMS. They also make it easy to get started by providing a user experience in the CMS environments with which you are already familiar. More advanced integrations can provide additional functionality, such as: Real-time status reports, opportunities for checking in context, and dynamic translation memory updates.

“These days, marketing buyers are already dealing with a variety of tools. With this model, they don't have to dig into another tool, ”said Vikram, Wordpar International's senior director. "Successful integrations also leverage a company's investments in its current content management platform."

There are two basic types of CMS translation integrations: extensions within the CMS (plug-in-based solutions) and versions outside the CMS (middleware-based solutions). Whichever option you choose, make sure it is vendor neutral. If you decide to switch to a different CMS, you can continue to use your translation workflow and avoid being dependent on a specific provider.

Is This Option For You?

A website translation approach based on translation integration is suitable for companies that regularly create and update multilingual content. Companies that want to get to market quickly will find these systems particularly useful. The same goes for organizations

whose website content comes from multiple sources.

Option 3: translation proxy server

Translation proxy server solutions are another viable option for localizing your website.

A translation proxy is a technology for hosting foreign language versions of your website. With this option, companies no longer need to deploy and manage localized content on their publishing platforms.

Translation proxy servers are well suited for companies whose publishing platforms do not support localization workflows or which are not dynamic present generated content.

Using a translation proxy, text content and presentation template text can be localized in one place. In addition, this technology does not require too much IT support as it takes advantage of the current functionality of the website. This option is a convenient way to get to market quickly with very little additional effort on the part of IT. However, translation proxy servers are best for local websites with very little specific content because the websites being translated are usually an image of the original website.

For customers who do not want to commit themselves to an expensive integration solution, the translation proxy, which processes rendered HTML pages, is an attractive solution. Customers who are looking for an interim solution before purchasing a CMS with extensive functionality can also opt for this option.

How do translation proxy servers work?

The proxy is located on the customer's original website and replaces the content in the source language with content in the target language on request. With the help of proxies, globalization workflows can be significantly simplified, since customers only have to worry about their content in the source language. Users worldwide still have the opportunity to interact with content in their native language.

You can think of a proxy server as a connecting flight that is always on time. Your content must reach its destination (the foreign language consumer), but this is not possible in a direct way. The proxy server moves the content to a smaller plane (the recipient's language). This is how you can reach your customers.

“Thanks to our proxy, you can concentrate fully on your website in the English source language,” explains Vikram. "This content is then crawled, translated and made available on the proxy." Updates to content in the source language can be automatically detected and translated. Thus, this is a website localization concept that requires very little intervention. When visitors visit your website, their browsers indicate their preferred language. This will display the website translations hosted on the proxy websites in the target language instead of the original website.

"Because only language is substituted when using translation proxy servers, your website will look the same in all languages," says Vikram.

Is This Option For You?

Your language service provider's translation proxy server software will read or crawl the original website and send text strings and code for translation. Depending on your quality requirements, the translations can be done using a machine translation only, a machine translation with post-processing or a full professional translation / transcreation (or a combination of these three options).

While most websites require professional human translation, other concepts may help depending on the content type, use case, and budget.

Vikram notes that customers large and small alike remain interested in this concept.

“The translation proxy seems to have established itself over the long term,” he explains. "This option is attractive because many customers want their solution to be" future-proof "and the use of proxies is platform-neutral."

Option 4: Outsource global website management

Still not sure which website translation concept to choose? You can also completely outsource the localization of your website and hire a qualified provider to do it. Outsourcing is best for medium and large companies, especially if they don't have enough web development and marketing capabilities, or if their teams are already busy. Do you have a mix of large, content-rich websites and multiple local teams with region-specific needs? In this case, outsourcing may be the best option for you.

If you choose this concept, you should work with a large and experienced language service provider. Established providers are more likely to have the cultural, linguistic, marketing-specific, strategic, and technical knowledge you need. Another advantage: if you outsource localization and hire such a provider, you have already established a solid business relationship if you want to scale up later - an important aspect of a long-term translation workflow.

What's next?

Vikram explains that his team works with clients to find out which option is best for them. The existing technology, the dynamics and diversity of the content and, in particular, the budget are taken into account. "Of course, we use our entire range of efficiency and quality tools on the back end for all of these concepts and rely on the support of hundreds of thousands of translators," he adds.

Would you like more tips on improving your company's multi-language localization projects and getting started with localization? Contact us today.

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