Online translation service - how to search & book correctly

Do you need someone to translate for you? Then these days you can start looking for a translation service online. Popular search engines deliver thousands of search results in a fraction of a second. Read here what you should look out for when looking for and booking a translation service online.

Do you have texts, contract documents or websites that need to be translated from one language to another? If you are proficient in both the source language (also known as the source language) and the target language, you could do the translation yourself. But bear in mind that even small translation errors could distort or even falsify the meaning of the template. And that can cost you or your company dearly.

Frying fat for Swiss people or for frying Swiss people - when translations go wrong

The best example of this comes from Switzerland, where the Swiss supermarket chain Migros intended to advertise its organic butter in German, French and Italian. The whole of Switzerland laughed at the small translation mistake that happened when the advertising slogan “Butter for the frying for the Swiss” was unfortunately translated into Italian in such a way that it read “Butter for the frying of the Swiss”. The supermarket chain less. Because she also made a typo when translating into French. She still sold the goods in the packaging with translation errors, but then had to produce new packaging.

Charles Duncombe, an online entrepreneur himself, explains in this BBC report that typographical errors on websites that are supposed to sell products or services online led to the loss of millions for the operators of the online shops. Accordingly, online spelling mistakes weakened the trust of the visitors to the websites in their credibility, so that they did not get involved in the online deals offered to them.

To prevent this from happening to you, you need professionals: translators who have an excellent command of both the source language and the target language. There are many such translators: in Germany alone, according to Statista online, almost 9,000 interpreters and translators were working subject to social security contributions in 2019. How do you find the right one for your translation?

Search for an association-bound translation service online

A good start to your search for a translation service online could be the Wordpar International. Wordpar International writes on its website that it has more than 500 individual members, 79 percent of whom are women. Those who join such an industry association accept the high quality standards for which the association stands, as well as the professional and ethical standards, which they insist on adhering to when exercising their profession. The association collects its members in a database. According to Wordpar International, you will find contacts from language service providers who together could translate more than 80 languages. In order to make the search more accurate, in addition to specifying the source and target language, you have the option of specifying specific search criteria, for example whether it is important to you that the translator is a native speaker or in which area you are looking for a translator.

Follow trusted recommendations online to find translation services

To find a professional translation service, you can also ask around and follow recommendations from people whose reviews you trust. Obtain the contacts of the translators who have been found recommendable and, in the initial meeting with the translation service provider, refer to the person who recommended their services to you.

Search for translation services online - this is how you do it right!

Of course, you can also look around for an “online translation service” directly on the Internet. After a few moments, a search engine like Google will provide you with tens of thousands of search results under the search term. Too many to examine and compare one by one. You should therefore limit the search with your individual search criteria. For example

• the desired languages ​​(source and target language)
• or a subject area (e.g. for specialist translations in the fields of medicine and pharmaceuticals, business, law, technology and science, art and culture, IT and software, chemistry, industry)

Also, combine the search term with the word “native speaker” to find an online translation service that meets this requirement for the languages ​​you are looking for. You should also know that when translating from or into their mother tongue, a native speaker not only takes into account and compensates for purely linguistic but also cultural differences between the source and target language, so that the effect of the translated is still the translation. You should definitely have proof of the translator's linguistic competence: Ask the translation service provider directly about the linguistic training and qualifications as well as the degree of professional experience.

The search term combination language plus specialist translator online plus subject area brings you to the websites of specialist translators who not only have perfect command of the languages ​​they are looking for, but also their respective subject area. When viewing the offers of such translation services online, make sure that the professional expertise or language knowledge of the service provider is transparently documented. For example, with the indication of completed degrees from technical academies or technical schools.

Book translation service online - that’s what counts!

Have you found a linguistically and technically competent translation service online? Then you should also check the associated conditions before booking the offer. Adjust the information to you

• Order processing,
• delivery time
• and price?

And what about a desired level of secrecy? Are you guaranteed this?

In particular, before booking a translation service online for large jobs, you should ask whether the service provider is willing to prepare a work sample (translation sample) for you. With competent and experienced providers this is a matter of course in order to prove their professional competence.

Finally, you should have the opportunity to submit a non-binding translation request. After all, nobody likes to buy “a pig in a poke” or “a pig in the poke”.

Do you need an online translation service? No matter whether for private translations or for translations in your company - send us your non-binding inquiry! Our experienced native-speaker translators have language skills, expertise in their specialist areas and master the common technical terms.