GILT (Globalization, Internationalization, Localization, Translation) is an acronym termed by researchers to represent actions taken by businesses to expand beyond national borders. It is common now for companies to explore foreign markets. However, the market analysis carried out by researchers revealed that the consumers in foreign markets prefer to buy products and services that are available in their local language. Because of such need created in the market, the need for translation services arises globally. The local consumers want something that can connect them with the product on a cultural level as well. Due to such a phenomenon, localization came into existence. The inverted funnel picture shown above shows how every ring becomes more focused the higher it reaches. Here’s the definition of every term you see above:
Globalization: Globalization is a process where organizations start operations on a global scale.Internationalization: Internationalization is the process of designing products, services, and documents to enable easy localization for targeted regions, languages, and cultures.Localization: It means the linguistic and cultural adaptation for the targeted market makes the product or service easily understandable for local consumers.Translation: Literal conversion of written text from one language to another.
How important it is to be localized in a globally interconnected world?
Localization is a must for any company that wants to expand its operations globally. It is a process that happens after internationalization where an organization creates a product that is easy to adjust for different consumers in different countries. Translation comes after localization. Translation services are essential to bridge linguistic barriers between countries, keep strong connections, and communicate in a culturally appropriate manner. These services make any product highly relevant for the targeted market. Moreover, due to the ads and marketing at the cultural level, any national citizen can get connected with the product. It involves modifications in various aspects such as local currencies, interface layout, graphics, units of measure, date preferences, and much more. For instance, McDonald’s is present in 100 countries. They create a menu that adheres to its customers, tastes, and preferences in every country. Like in Israel, they serve kosher food during the Sabbath and other Jewish holidays. Why do companies need to be localized in a globally interconnected world? So that the companies can enter new markets more quickly, can grow consumer base, and therefore, generate more revenue.
Use cases of Translation Services
Netflix
Netflix is the biggest content-creating platform that has successfully implemented localization on both developer and translation ends. They create content that is tailored for specific regions. They have developed processes and technology that translate their interface and applications content. Adding subtitles and voice dubbing to a majority of the movies and series is the cherry on the cake. For example, in South Korea, Netflix has invested around $700 million from 2015 to 2020. They have made over 80 shows in Korea that are enjoyed by global audiences as well.
KFC
KFC’s global marketing strategy focuses on localization. KFC has a localized menu in every country that caters to locals’ unique tastes and preferences. There are always three unique KFC menu items all around the world. For example, the KFC menu will have 50+ items in China, i.e., 20 more than in the USA. The food served in KFC outlets in China is also a little spicy because they have adapted to the Chinese’ local tastes. The menus are also translated into local languages so that every citizen can benefit from their food products. In the end, this leads to an increase in revenue for the brand.
Best Translation Tools
Translation services assure that a company has a skilled translator who can speak fluently and interpret both languages, i.e., the company’s native and targeted languages. Similarly, the best translation tools online, also known as CAT (Computer-Aided Translation) tools, help translators translate one international language to another with the help of software. Below are the 15 best translation services and tools for any company.
GoTranscript
GoTranscript offers 100% human-generated transcription and translation services. You can get precise results with the help of GoTranscript for your business. Professional translators can take up custom orders and meet tight deadlines quickly. Regular customers have a chance to earn special discounts and lower prices for their orders. Furthermore, it offers translation services at $0.06 per word for every industry like media, education, marketing, medical, and many such industries. They aim to deliver the most cost-effective and efficient translating services without sacrificing quality. Their professional translators work around the clock to fulfill clients’ needs without delay.
Gengo
Gengo, a Japanese company, now acquired by Lionbridge, is one of the biggest translation companies in the world. They provide high-quality translation solutions at competitive rates. Currently, they have over 21000 translators who can translate more than 5 million words weekly. In addition, they can handle every field’s requirement such as eCommerce, travel, hospitality, media, games, marketing, SEO, technology, business, and lastly, legal. They have worked with many big companies like Airbnb, Sony, YouTube, etc. Prices at Gengo start at $0.06 per word for day-to-day content and $0.12 per word for professional content.
Upwork
Upwork is a platform where businesses and professionals collaborate. It provides translation services at competitive prices and helps companies hire translators that are the right fit for the job. They can check professionals’ work samples and pay for work only after approval. You can find translators for any language. Additionally, a skilled human translator can be slow and expensive compared to a machine translator. However, it produces far more accurate results. Also, human translators can better understand cultural nuances and make a better impact. Upwork professional translators also provide proofreading services, a significant component of a translation service.
Fiverr
Fiverr is another platform where a business can find multi-language translators. There is always a temptation to use online translation tools. However, with Fiverr, one can easily find translators at negotiable prices along with the best quality. You can even hire freelancers to do the job for you. A professional translator understands the sentiment and intention that a business would like to convey. With a human translator, one eradicates the risk of “losing the meaning due to miscommunication.” They can be helpful with marketing or promotional content. One can find translators for almost every language on Fiverr.
Translated
Translated makes professional translation services easy. They offer an easy and fast way to professionally translate documents, manuals, websites, and even software according to one’s schedule and requirements. They provide services in 194 languages and have 40 areas of expertise. Translated offers a wide range of translation services, from adaptable localization solutions to automated translation services. Translated has collaborated and provided services for many famous companies like Google, Airbnb, IBM, and WHO.
Smartling
Smartling offers to automate, manage, and professionally translate content across devices and platforms. It focuses on delivering brand experiences to facilitate global growth. They are equipped with visual context, quality checks, and endless productivity tools to give clients real-time visibility into the translation process. As a result, they enable brands to streamline translation projects and accelerate time to market. They offer translation for any content type such as microsites, social media, product pages, virtual reality, and blogs. Smartling has provided translation services to many famous brands like tinder, H&M, Pinterest, Canva, and Samsung. So, you can definitely trust them with your job.
Blend
Blend helps companies localize their business based on a unique understanding of local context, culture, subtlety, and consumer behavior. With an unrivaled localization technology platform, they take the front seat of industry innovation. It seamlessly connects its global team with client workflows using API-driven workflows and custom integrations. So, they will help you to create a genuinely native localization service experience. With the perfect mixture of Neural Machine Translation (NMT) technology and an expansive global team, Blend helps businesses scale at their desired speed. Whether entering new key markets or expanding to form a truly global presence worldwide, they aim to fuel clients’ growth every step of the way. They also ensure data security with strict network isolation and data encryption policies.
Stepes
Stepes provide technology-driven enterprise translation services and solutions that help multinational companies stay ahead of the competition in international markets. You can accelerate multilingual content delivery with both quality and speed at a scalable level. They provide professional translation services in 100 languages and native translators in all European, Asian, Latin American, and many African languages. Apart from that, they help deliver the best international customer experience globally without any linguistic barriers. Additionally, it uses the latest technology innovations such as translation memory, Machine Translation Post Editing (MTPE), and workflow automation to increase productivity and efficiency. In the meantime, they are allowing their professional translators to deliver the highest level of linguistic accuracy. They offer one of the most cost-competitive professional translation services within their competitive industry.
GTS
GTS stands for Global Translation Services. It is a translation company that has been providing high-quality translation services for over 15 years. With experienced translators in over 100 countries and over 80 languages, GTS has language expertise in every part of the world. They use an entirely human translation process, supported by a stringent quality policy. Along with that, GTS also uses advanced CAT (Computer-Aided-Translation) tools and software technology. Their workflows are streamlined to translate texts as quickly and accurately as possible. The GTS Quality Management System (QMS) is compliant with the ISO standard and is audited annually by an international certification body. All translations are reviewed before delivery to ensure that the brands get an excellent translation service from their platform.
TheWordPoint
TheWordPoint aims to help the world become more connected by offering expert human translations. The translations are provided by certified professionals, native speakers, and cutting-edge technology to enable clear communication. Their team of professional language experts can translate documents into 50+ languages. A majority of translators obtain certifications issued by various associations like American Translators Association (ATA), Bundesverband der Dolmetscher Ündbersetzer (BDU), National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators (NAJIT), and more. Moreover, they can handle everything from immigration, legal, and medical documents to technical materials such as manuals, apps, and websites. The turnaround time of any project depends on the size of the paper and the language pair. An average translator’s daily capability is about 2000-2500 words. TheWordPoint has provided services to the University of Denver, BMC, Promena, Berlin Brands Group.
DeepL
DeepL is a neural machine translation service launched in August 2017, owned by DeepL SE, based in Cologne. DeepL’s neural networks can capture the minor nuances of different languages and deliver them in the translation process. Furthermore, their API provides programmatic access to DeepL’s machine translation technology, which can be used in any third-party platform. They are making it possible to bring high-quality translation capabilities directly to websites and applications. With the DeepL API Free plan, you can translate up to 500,000 characters per month for free. For more advanced use cases, the DeepL API Pro plan allows unlimited translation with maximum data security and prioritized execution of translation requests.
RushTranslate
RushTranslate helps businesses with quick and cost-effective document translation services. Their professional translators have a wide range of experience and deep specialization in many areas. Some of their areas of specialization are translating supporting documents for US green card or citizenship applications, financial records for mortgages, and also legal documents for judicial proceedings. At RushTranslate, brands can get their documents translated into 60+ languages by a certified translator for just $24.95 per page with 24-hour delivery. They also offer standard translation at $0.10 per word for business or personal use.
Taia
Taia is a modern localization platform. They offer 600 native speakers with 5+ years of proven industry-specific experience. You can rate their translation work after every completed project. On top of that, you can even self-translate your documents up to 3x faster with Taia’s Catapult service. Catapult is a modern online AI translation tool that is perfect for in-house employees. You can even outsource them to a highly skilled team of professional translators. They maintain the highest quality standard and have a 99.4% client satisfaction rate. Brands can choose the desired delivery time, translation quality, special requirements, and track project progress.
Tomedes
Tomedes’ mission is to provide professional translation services that leave a lasting impression. They have 15 years of professional translation experience and have 98% customer satisfaction. Their certified translation services come with the Tomedes guarantee. They provide a global pool of 20,000 native speakers in over 120 languages and 950+ language pairs. Moreover, their translation certificates are universally accepted in institutions worldwide like the USCIS, American Translator’s Association (ATA), and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). They translate any document from many complex industries such as legal, medical, technical, financial, and many more.
Smartcat
With Smartcat, one can easily translate apps, websites, online courses, files, and software. They can edit translations with Smartcat’s team or hire a professional instead. They also provide seamless integrations for connected translation like WordPress, Google Docs, GitHub, Figma.
Summary
In a globally interconnected society, the ability to translate content from one language to another has become extremely valuable. A translator does way more than just translate a sentence from one language to another. This is why it is necessary to employ a human translator regardless of advances in automation and machine language processing. Translators in the modern world are essential investments for brands looking to expand into foreign markets.
