Should you employ a freelance translator or a translation service?
This is a frequent question for anyone requiring translation services. If you’ve never dealt with translators before, it might be difficult to figure out which method is most suitable for your project. While using a freelance translator might look like a more affordable alternative, they may not provide the best solution in the long run and in many cases, they could be more expensive.
Take a look at the benefits of working with a translation agency.
Verified Credentials
You may have noticed that it’s quite easy to locate an online translator who is a freelancer. This is because anyone is able to claim to be an independent translator, so you have a computer and can speak two or more languages.
However, you do not want to hire just anyone for your translation project. You’ll need someone who’s more than just bilingual. You need a translator who is fluent in both the target and the source languages, and who has many years of experience in translating for their field of choice.
This is where a translation business is able to help.
Freelancer translators are difficult to verify, but translation firms have strict criteria regarding their translators. Each of our translators has the required college degrees, as well as professional experience in their field (i.e. medicine, law, advertising, etc. ), and the ability to demonstrate competence in languages they translate. This will guarantee you the most effective results for the translation task.
In addition, some translation companies provide the possibility of certified translations which are required in a variety of situations such as immigration and legal hearings. Some freelancers are not able to provide this service.
Faster Turnaround Times
If you only hire one person to handle the needs of all your translation requirements and requirements, you may discover that they have a difficult time doing everything in a quick and timely manner. This is especially the case when you’re working with a tight time frame and lots of tasks to be completed.
When you contract a translation service you will have access a whole team of translators. This equates to shorter turnaround times to ensure that you’ll never miss a deadline.
If you also require content translated into multiple languages, a translation firm is your best bet since they’re able to provide a range of translators they work with. If you select a freelance translator, you’ll need to engage several freelancers since it’s unlikely just one translator will provide services in all the languages that you require.
Another benefit is that the majority of translation firms have translation memories. This means that, if you’ve certain phrases or sections of your content that pop up frequently, the translation firm can store the translation of the first one and use it when required. This will help you save time and money.
Quality Assurance
Another advantage of using a translation company over a freelance translator is the fact that these companies have a refined process. Instead of having a single individual translate, proofread and proofread content There are often multiple persons who verify the accuracy.
For example, at Accredited the documents you submit will be translated by a skilled translator, and then edited by another translator who can also speak both source and target languages, and finally handed over to a proofreader who will give it the final check.
Someone else will handle payments while the project manager is in contact with you throughout to make sure that you are completely happy with the final translation. This way, everyone is an expert in their field rather than trying to do everything.
How We Can Help
If you’re thinking about hiring a translation service ensure you think carefully about exactly what you want from the language service provider. Although freelance translators may be the more appealing option initially but, they can actually help you save time and money (not to mention headaches) in the end.
