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There are no two identical languages in existence. Not even texts of languages with shared roots (such as Italian, Spanish and Romanian, which derive from Latin) can be translated literally, because people who speak these languages have learned to think differently, that is, they have developed an individual mentality.
For this reason, the professional translation of websites in foreign languages is creative work and is known in English as “localisation”, or adaptation of a text in forma mentis, or mindset, of people who live in a specific geographical area.
This is also why, for foreign language translation, it is important to rely only on a native tongue translator: no one else has better knowledge of the mentality of the people of his/her nationality. Recreating the text in his/her native tongue, the native tongue translator can more clearly convey your advertising message to the target population instead of in a language that is foreign to him/her. Furthermore, (passive) reading and (active) creating of texts are two skills developed separately from each other.
We believe you can now understand why it is not worthwhile to entrust your system’s administrator or programmer, who knows the foreign language “fluently” (simply because they read technical instructions or comments on Reddit in that language) with the translation of a sales-oriented text.
When speaking of the language of a country, it is necessary to consider the mentality of its people. If you believe that the translation of a website in a foreign language is the simple algorithmic substitution from one language to another by following the dictionary, disappointing results will be awaiting.
Where to begin?
Before starting the translation, it is necessary to evaluate the amount of work, time and cost. Each website is different, and clearly, the volume of the work is directly proportional to the quantity of material, for example to the number of articles that need to be translated.
Often, we receive requests like this:
Good morning,
I need a person who knows Italian perfectly. Work required: translating an entire website to Italian, turnkey project (all pages).
Link to the website: https://…
I would like a cost estimate.
It would all seem logical and simple: open all the pages with free access to the website, view them and prepare a quote. Imagine, though, the problem in the case of a website like Wikipedia. Think about how much effort and time would be required to calculate the amount of all the existing articles.
Let us consider the number of pages on your website to be much less. We could go through your website’s sitemap, but in this case, we might find pages you did not even know existed, like service pages for your platform or posts you had even forgotten about or that are no longer relevant to the development of your business. From this point of view, as well as in cost terms, it is not necessary to translate everything.
Which pages to translate?
You can take advantage of the principle we apply to software localisation: to save on cost, time and effort, first we translate the content that the final user, in your case the website visitor, sees first.
It is possible to start from the homepage, then all the pages to which it is linked, then all the other pages to follow. Or it is possible to start with the pages that are visited the most and from those linked to them, one link after the other.
It is important to remember that the results, good or bad, of the website localisation are visible over a long period of time, therefore, it is best to carry it out systematically, following a well-structured strategy and, if possible, always using the same translation agency.
Normally, the results and an exact comprehension that the subsequent localisation strategy must take become clear progressively over time and thanks to the use of analysis tools for website traffic, like Google Analytics and Google Search Console. The same article in different languages can appear in search results in totally different positions, because in one language there may be much more competition compared to another language. The use of website traffic analysis tools will help you to concentrate efforts on the keywords and, as a result, on content that is more useful to your business.
Where to request a translation? Who handles it?
Turn to us! We have a great deal of resources available when it comes to Italian native tongue translators, specialised in various subject areas, who work from European languages as well as Russian and Ukrainian. You will be assigned with a permanent translator or a group of translators, who will already be familiar with your content for your future requests.
In addition to Italian, we also offer translations in other European languages as well as Russian and Ukrainian.
How to send texts to be translated?
The simplest way to receive a quote is to copy the texts to one or more Word documents in .docx format or Excel (.xlsx) and send it to us at the address specified at the end of this article. You can also send the documents in HTML (.html, .htm) or XLIFF (*.xlf, *.xliff, *.sdlxliff) format.
All the above formats have a lower cost and allow for earlier delivery of the final translation and, in the case of HTML and XLIFF files, it is possible to export the documents from the website and upload the completed translations without having to manually copy the texts. With prior arrangement, after having verified technical requirements, it is also possible to work using another format you may prefer.
Once we have received your content, we assess the amount of work and time required and we send you a free quote. The amount due can be paid with a wire transfer to our bank account, by credit card or through Revolut banking services.
Your documents will be translated into the chosen language or languages correctly, quickly and with high quality results and will be delivered to you in a format that will allow you to publish them yourself or to entrust them to your webmaster, without it being necessary that we access your platform.
It is also possible to choose a “turnkey” solution. The quote for this option will be greater because it requires the involvement of our experts in your internal localisation process. This implies access to your platform and a greater amount of technical data under the responsibility of our experts.
Get a Free Quote Now
Send us the texts in Word, Excel, HTML or XLIFF format via e-mail to info@olexica.com, via WhatsApp to +39 351 400 9010, or on Telegram. We will examine the work and send you our no obligation quote.
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