3 Implications of Opting for Cheap Translations

May 15, 2014 | Business Tips, Good to Know

low-cost translations

In the global village of the 21st century, the value of quality business translation and localization is becoming more obvious every day.

But the Internet isn’t just providing access to new customers and markets, but also a wealth of new translation solutions: more and more sophisticated machine translation, cheapest-bidder platforms, and even crowdsourced services appearing to offer high-speed, cheap translations as an alternative to the classic language solution provider – the skilled and experienced translator.

But as tempting and convenient low-cost translations may seem, there are dangers lurking among these too-good-to-be-true offers.

The Hidden Costs: 3 Implications of Opting for Cheap Translations

While opting for cheap translations might seem like a prudent choice on the surface, there are often underlying consequences that can significantly impact businesses.

Here are our top 3 consequences for your business when using cheap translations and low-cost agencies:

Embarrassment

It’s a common misconception that you, or even a cut-rate translator from a crowdsourced platform, might consider yourself somewhat fluent in the target language.

Especially in the case of English, many people believe they have a decent grasp of it. After all, who doesn’t know a few English words or can follow a movie in English?

However, it’s essential to recognize that language fluency goes beyond these surface-level experiences, and producing a successful translation involves much more.

Overestimating one’s language skills can have serious consequences, potentially leading to embarrassing mistakes, or in more severe cases, even worse outcomes.

Take, for instance, the German language, which incorporates words like “Handy,” “Shitstorm,” “Shooting,” and “Public Viewing.” While these terms might sound familiar, their meanings and usage can significantly differ from their English counterparts.

Without meticulous attention to detail and cultural context, you might find yourself in a situation where you need to apologize or withdraw products from the market, as was the case with Procter & Gamble.

This company faced a public relations crisis when they unintentionally included secret Neo-Nazi codes on their laundry detergent, necessitating a formal apology and product recall.

This example illustrates how crucial it is to navigate the intricacies of language translation with precision and care, as the consequences of missteps can be significant.

Legal Troubles

Luckily for P&G, nobody sued about the Neo-Nazi codes, but poor translations can backfire in unforeseen ways.

Not only web content, marketing materials, business plans, managerial documents, white papers, and contracts have to be carefully crafted in their target language – when it comes to legal matters, absolute accuracy and reliability are a must.

Take this article from the Copenhagen Post: court interpreters doing a shoddy job can result in wrongful convictions or outlandish sentences.

For example, the case of the drug smuggler whose 100 grams of amphetamines somehow become 100 kilos! You can imagine the severe consequences of such a mistake.

Whether in a court of law or at the negotiation table, whether it comes to real estate matters, financial documents, or press releases, you want to make sure your company knows exactly what it’s saying.

And the only way to ensure this and stop worrying is by hiring high-quality professional translators.

Loss of Revenue

A little misunderstanding here, an alienated customer there, and soon, the savings from a shoddy translation/localization service provider add up to significant losses in revenue.

Tourism-review.com reports that 65% of French travel websites contain translation errors such as “our top stay” or “some useful information” that result in over 120 million euros loss each year.

When you’re trying to reach an international audience, it is absolutely essential that you’re doing it with the right words. Savvy consumers will immediately spot problems in your messaging and lose trust that is going to be difficult to rebuild.

Elevate Your Global Communication With Professional Translation Excellence

In the contemporary world of business, where competition is fierce, and the global marketplace is ever-expanding, the expectation of excellence permeates every facet of operations.

Given this overarching pursuit of excellence, it becomes imperative to ponder with great care whether entrusting the international representation of your business to anyone other than the most qualified translators is a prudent decision.

Cheap translations, as alluring as they may seem from a cost-saving perspective, frequently lack the precision, cultural nuance, and linguistic finesse that only a professional translation agency can provide.

Professional agencies are staffed with skilled linguists who possess not only a deep understanding of multiple languages, but also a keen awareness of the cultural nuances that underpin effective communication.

This expertise ensures that your business’s message is not only accurately conveyed but also tailored to resonate with the target audience on a profound level, ultimately bolstering your brand’s global presence.

If you value the integrity and success of your global communication efforts, we invite you to contact us today for a quote.

Our professional translation agency stands ready to elevate your international business presence and ensure that your message resonates with precision and authenticity across linguistic and cultural boundaries.