Each translation agency has a different focus and often only concentrates on certain types of orders. Some agencies like to offer cheaper and faster translations and concentrate on clients who aren’t so concerned about quality as long as the gist of the translation can be followed, while others see the importance of providing a premium service with top-notch translators available to meet clients’ translation requirements. So if you need medical translations you are advised to find a medical translation agency which has some experienced translators of medical documents available in your required languages.
Choosing your translation agency
After an internet search, you will likely be confronted with several translation agencies that are most likely to meet your translation requirements. You need to check a few things first before making your final choice.
1. Website
Check the website of the translation agency you have on your shortlist. A well-thought-out website design shows the business is serious and wants to attract clients like you. If you find any mistakes in spelling, grammar or punctuation this won’t be the agency for you. When a translation company provides a thorough overview of its quality-assurance methods and also doesn’t provide prices without you contacting them first, this type of professional translation agency should be kept on your shortlist. Next you should take more notice of a translation agency which has its own personalised email address and doesn’t rely on Google Mail for communication purposes.
2. Company reputation
This isn’t so easy to check, but it is possible. If you use Wayback Machine it can tell you how long any company has had a website how it may have changed. You can search for complaints from clients about quality or from translators for non-payment. It is worth finding out whether a company is a member of professional associations and whether it takes part in professional conferences. Check out social media pages, where you can usually find a lot of interesting information.
3. News, blogs and articles
Any good translation agency won’t be afraid to share information about translation through news, blogs and articles. They will also showcase their achievements as well including posting testimonials written by satisfied clients. If there is just advertising on a translation agency’s website it may not be appropriate to choose this provider as it lacks interest in the translation industry as a whole.
4. Response time
A good test of the competency of a professional translation agency is how quickly it responds to an email. Don’t bother with one that doesn’t at least send an immediate acknowledgement of your email.
