Translation Services

Translation and Localisation

Make your products go global and reach new customers

Are you seeking to introduce your product to new markets? Great! In most cases, you will have to translate your content to connect with your new audience. But how important is it to speak to your customers in their language?

According to a CSA Research survey, 72,4% of customers would be more likely to buy a product with information in their native language (Kelly, 2012).

Similarly, if customers cannot understand product information or characteristics (especially for certain items like medication or food), they are less likely to choose said product. This is known as the "Can't Read, Won't Buy" principle.

Is translation alone enough? What is the difference between translation and localisation? Learn the distinction between the two and see how can you leverage these processes to your advantage!

Translation

Translation and localisation are often mistakenly thought to be the same. However, these two practices are different in nature and can produce varying results that influence how clients interact with a product.

Translation can be described as the rendering of a message from one language to the other. For the most part, translation solely focuses on the linguistic aspect of a text or content material. 

It does not take cultural and regional differences into consideration for a culturally relevant consumer experience: the goal is simply to translate the meaning of the original text into a target language.

Localisation

On the other hand, localisation is an all-rounded practice that goes a step further than translation. It creates the content around its target audience, ensuring relevancy, cultural sensitivity, and a tailor-made experience for the consumer. The end-goal is to make the product look and feel as local as possible.

Benefits Of A Localisation Strategy For Your Company

There are many benefits to localisation. Integrating the culture of your target market into your products can foster a sense of representation, connection and, ultimately, belonging from a customer standpoint. This approach can initially attract customers to your product. In the long term, it can help:

‍

• Improve customer satisfaction
• Maintain brand loyalty
• Provide a competitive edge
• Increase product performance

How We Can Help

At Skriptó, we ensure that your content resonates with your target market by analysing each project and identifying key elements for localisation, such as units of measurement, cultural references, and idiomatic expressions. Upon request, we also offer desktop publishing (DTP) services, consisting in editing and localising text within images (e.g. for marketing purposes) or cultural elements.

‍

Want to know more about translation and localisation? Contact us today!

SaaS Products

In simple terms, a Software as a Service (SaaS) is a way of delivering software over the internet. Instead of buying and installing softwares on your computer, you can access and use it through a web browser. The software is hosted and maintained by a third-party provider, and you usually pay a subscription fee to use it.

Did You Know?

Phrase (formerly Memsource), the CAT-Tool our team uses to complete translation projects, is also a SaaS. It provides cloud-based translation management software and offers features such as translation memories, term bases, and project management tools – all hosted and maintained by Phrase and available via subscription.

Why Translate/Localise SaaS Products?

Translating SaaS products is crucial for the global expansion of a business. It enhances user experience (UX) by making users more comfortable using your software in their native language. On your end, it demonstrates a commitment to serving a diverse user base and puts you ahead of unilingual content providers.

Additionally, launching a SaaS product in a different market may require adherence to local laws and regulations, and in some cases, that implies providing a multilingual platform.

Last, translating your SaaS product can improve your search engine rankings (SERPs), increasing visibility and attracting more customers from various regions. Consider this: if your website is currently available in a rare language, but you aim at translating it into the lingua franca, English, you will open the door to even larger markets than before!

Beyond these benefits, localized SaaS products foster customer loyalty and trust, as users feel more valued and understood. This cultural sensitivity can lead to higher retention rates and stronger brand loyalty. Moreover, providing customer support in multiple languages ensures that users receive the assistance they need, further enhancing their overall experience.

In today's interconnected world, translating your SaaS product is not just an option but a strategic necessity for sustainable growth and success.

Transcription and Subtitling

Take your audiovisual content to the next level

Content sharing can take different shapes at a corporate level. While some may focus on written content like websites and blogs, others may opt for audiovisual content to reach a broader audience. As companies seek to internationalise their brands, the need for effective transcription and subtitling becomes paramount.

These tools not only enhance accessibility for non-native speakers, deaf and hard-of-hearing (HOH) individuals, but they also ensure that the content is engaging and comprehensible. However, these tools have their own special characteristics, and they produce different outcomes, which is why a clear distinction between them is required.

Transcription

Transcription is the process of converting spoken language into written text.

The defining characteristic of this process is the requirement to produce a verbatim transcript, without alteration or interpretation: the text must be an accurate and faithful reproduction of the original speech, including any grammatical errors, colloquial expressions, and potentially made-up words.

The Importance of Transcription

Transcription is used in different sectors. A transcribed text provides a written record of spoken words, useful for legal, medical, and business purposes. The transcription is always provided in the original language.

For companies using audiovisual content, it provides a foundation from which subtitles can be accurately crafted and allows subtitlers to work with a complete and precise text. It is particularly relevant when the source language is not their native tongue.

Furthermore, having a transcription enables the subtitler to consult the client for clarification when needed, ensuring accurate and culturally appropriate renditions.

Subtitling

According to the French Audiovisual Translators and Adaptors' Association (ATAA), subtitling can be defined as "transposing oral speech into written form," a similar definition as transcription.

However, subtitling is a stricter practice. Subtitles must be skillfully paraphrased while preserving the message. The subtitler must also ensure that their work fits within the constraints of a screen, without hindering the flow of the audiovisual work. 

Therefore, they must follow guidelines such as: a precise number of characters per line, an average subtitle duration, sound indications for accessibility, etc. to ensure a comfortable user experience.

Furthermore, subtitling can also be used for educational and training purposes, enabling learners to access and understand video content more easily. This is particularly important in industries such as healthcare and finance, where accuracy and understanding are critical for success.

Why Hire Professional Subtitlers?

Subtitle translation is a sophisticated form of literary translation that demands a creative and skilled translator, as well as someone who is well-versed in industry guidelines and metrics.

A translator unfamiliar with these standards may produce sub-par work, leading to issues such as incorrect translation, splitting and timing, which can ultimately detract from the viewer’s experience and ultimately jeopardize a company's own work and reputation.

A professional subtitler understands how to accurately translate dialogue between languages while considering the expansion factor of each language, ensuring that the final product is not only faithful to the original but also effectively integrated with the visual elements.

Professional Interpreting

A tailor-made approach to your multilingual events

What Is Interpreting?

Interpreting is a practice used by companies, associations, and any entity trying to internationalise their products. They are mostly used in meetings, both large and small, to ensure a smooth communication between different stakeholders.

While translation and interpreting have the same intent, that of conveying a message from one language to the other, they are two completely different practices and have different requirements to be executed properly.

Why Hire a Professional Interpreter?

Not everyone can be an interpreter, a simple knowledge of a language isn't enough. It is rather preferred to have a deep understanding of the culture and the nuanced language there, to avoid unintentional conflicts while interpreting, especially during high-stakes meetings or events.

Moreover, interpreting is a demanding profession, both physically and mentally*. It requires a certain methodology and stress management strategies.

---

*Fun fact: Did you know that interpreters had the same stress levels as airline pilots?

Different Interpreting Styles for Different Occasions

Most of the time, interpreters may rely on memory or notes to deliver the full speech. During this process, they must carefully listen to the speaker, understand them, mentally convert words from one language to the other, and render the translation coherently.

‍

There are different types of interpreting styles:

‍

Consecutive interpreting
This is the preferred interpreting style for business visits, technical meetings, seminars, works councils, and negotiations.

In this format, the speaker typically delivers their message in one continuous segment, while the interpreter takes notes to accurately convey the message upon the speaker's completion.

Due to time constraints, the interpreter uses a system of signs and symbols to capture essential meaning, rather than writing complete sentences. This interpreting method is conducted using a notepad for efficient note-taking.

‍

Simultaneous interpreting
This interpreting style is designed for large-scale meetings and conferences.

In this format, the speaker delivers brief segments of their speech, allowing the interpreter to provide the corresponding interpretation after each segment.

This method relies primarily on the interpreter’s memory to ensure accurate and effective communication.

‍

Whispered interpreting (or "chuchotage")
This interpreting style, though less commonly used, is ideal for individual or diplomatic meetings and small group negotiations.

It is a form of simultaneous interpreting where the interpreter provides real-time translation in a very low voice directly to one or a few listeners, typically seated close by. Because the voice is kept low, it allows the speaker’s original message to remain audible to the rest of the audience.

What Makes a Successful Interpreting Session?

For an interpreting session to be successful, rigorous preparation and research are necessary. The methodology includes gathering information about the speakers, the topic(s) at hand, required specialised terminology, and swift note-taking.

On the other hand, good quality equipment must be used to allow a full reception of the message by the interpreter and a clear, audible interpretation. In both consecutive and simultaneous interpreting, the interpreter must convey the message accurately and be heard by its audience.

To prevent frustration for both interpreters and clients, Skriptó goes above and beyond to provide top-tier tools such as bidules, microphones and even soundproof interpretation cabins to ensure succesful multilingual meetings.

Proofreading and Edition

For professionally written and error-free documents

Proofreading: A Step Closer to Content Greatness

Proofreading is the final step in the translation process, involving a meticulous check for any spelling, grammar, punctuation mistakes, typos, or formatting issues. This crucial step ensures that the translation is error-free and ready for delivery, acting as a "quality seal" before the work is sent to the client.

The Effects of Proofreading

Proofreading not only provides the satisfaction of a well-executed translation but it also reflects the company's work quality, ethics, and reliability. Consider how much trust you would place in a company whose marketing material is riddled with spelling mistakes!

Proofreading content helps present a professional image and reassures clients that the business is trustworthy.

At Skriptó, we help you gain trust and loyalty among both current and new customers by ensuring every document is error-free, consistent, and easy to read.

Edition: A Different Approach to Proofreading

Editing, also known as post-editing or MTPE (Machine Translation Post-Editing), involves refining text to ensure coherence and readability. Often, post-editing pertains to texts translated by automatic translation tools such as Google Translate or DeepL.

They are often mistaken for one another, however the distinction between proofreading and editing lies in the nature of the text being processed. Proofreading addresses minor errors in a human-translated text, ensuring it is polished and free of typos. In contrast, editing involves a deeper revision of machine-translated text to correct inaccuracies and improve overall fluency. These tools can mimic human tone but often require human intervention to achieve high-quality results.