| Â | | | | Myth #4: Translations can be done in a couple of days. |
| Translations are an essential part of any business | | | | Fact: If it took you two months to write manual, it's |
| strategy to expand overseas. Businesses who don't | | | | going to take time for someone to translate it, |
| offer their customers information in their native | | | | someone else to edit it, and a third person to |
| languages may be losing ground to foreign | | | | proofread it. Each project is unique: the number of |
| competitors. Here are the most common myths about | | | | words in the original document, the complexity of the |
| translations and the facts that dispel them. | | | | subject matter, and the quality of the writing in the |
| Myth #1: Anyone who speaks another language can | | | | original all affect turn-around time. Reputable |
| translate. | | | | translations services companies will explain this to you. |
| Fact: Just because you speak English doesn't make | | | | Myth #5: Translations are too expensive and I won't |
| you a writer. The man in Accounting who took Spanish | | | | get my money's worth. |
| in college may be able to translate some written | | | | Fact: Translations cost less than the development of |
| correspondence, but more complex documents, | | | | your original documents and allow you to reach many |
| marketing materials and your website should be | | | | more customers than you can in English. Translations |
| handled by educated professional translators. | | | | deliver a high ROI on a relatively small investment. |
| Myth #2: Translating is just substituting one word in | | | | Myth #6: Most internet users speak English so I don't |
| English with another in the target language. | | | | need my website translated. |
| Fact: English has approximately twice as many words | | | | Fact: Only 30% of internet users worldwide are English |
| as Spanish. Exchanging one word for another just | | | | speakers. Usage studies show that customers are |
| won't work. A skilled translator makes sure that the | | | | four times more likely to purchase from websites in |
| nuances and subtleties of your text are present in the | | | | their language and they will spend twice as long on |
| translated version as well. That | | | | translated sites. |
| Myth #3: Free on-line translations are accurate and | | | | Myth #7: In this economic climate, we shouldn't be |
| good enough for me. | | | | investing in translations. |
| Fact: Computer or machine translations lack the ability | | | | Fact: In a downturn, a great marketing strategy is to |
| to identify nuances or even, in some cases, to | | | | expand in foreign markets. Decreasing demand at |
| correctly identify words. Something as simple as the | | | | home does not translate into shrinking sales abroad. |
| "Contact Us" section on our website was translated | | | | Make your website and product information accessible |
| on-line into Spanish as "Contact the U.S.". Is that what | | | | to your foreign customers by offering them in their |
| you want for your company? | | | | native languages. |