Off topic: What languages should you translate your web site into, to reach most possible customers?
Thread poster: SWEDISH-TRANSLATION.com - your Swedish translation partner (X)
SWEDISH-TRANSLATION.com - your Swedish translation partner (X)
SWEDISH-TRANSLATION.com - your Swedish translation partner (X)
Local time: 23:23
Swedish to English
+ ...
Aug 19, 2002

I was wondering about this question a while ago, and had my website translated to Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.



I thought that if I translated my web site to the most spoken languages in the world, I might be able to reach much people. But is that entirely correct? Are there any smaller languages that also could be useful?



Do you have any other suggestions of what language that a translator\
... See more
I was wondering about this question a while ago, and had my website translated to Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.



I thought that if I translated my web site to the most spoken languages in the world, I might be able to reach much people. But is that entirely correct? Are there any smaller languages that also could be useful?



Do you have any other suggestions of what language that a translator\'s web site should be translated in so that you are able to reach good possible customers who speak that language?



Best regards



Mattias Bergström

http://www.swedish-translation.com


[addsig]
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Parrot
Parrot  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 23:23
Spanish to English
+ ...
I'd go by the statistical yearbook in your country Aug 19, 2002

and what it says on the balance of trade (by sector, if you specialise).





 
Claudia Andreani
Claudia Andreani  Identity Verified
Local time: 18:23
English to Spanish
+ ...
Dear Mattias Bergström Aug 20, 2002

Hello, My name is Claudia. I offered my services for your job posting of Jun.18, 02 (Job #23143) where you were requesting the translation of a small text for free. Your way of \"saying thanks\" was, in your exact words \"I will put a link to your website or e-mail on my website: This text was translated by: \"Xxxxxx Xxxxxx\":\".

I had the satisfaction that my \"translation-bid\" was chosen.

Right away that day, I went to your website, and checked it daily thereafter, pr
... See more
Hello, My name is Claudia. I offered my services for your job posting of Jun.18, 02 (Job #23143) where you were requesting the translation of a small text for free. Your way of \"saying thanks\" was, in your exact words \"I will put a link to your website or e-mail on my website: This text was translated by: \"Xxxxxx Xxxxxx\":\".

I had the satisfaction that my \"translation-bid\" was chosen.

Right away that day, I went to your website, and checked it daily thereafter, proudly reading \"my translation\", but never found said link to my e-mail address.

I will not claim \"copyright\", but I will not suggest or recommend your website. I know one person will do no harm to the name of website or translation agency, but you will not have my respect.



Best regards,

Claudia Rohrer



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SWEDISH-TRANSLATION.com - your Swedish translation partner (X)
SWEDISH-TRANSLATION.com - your Swedish translation partner (X)
Local time: 23:23
Swedish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Hello Claudia. Aug 20, 2002

That\'s right. I made that job offer a couple of months ago and I used you small translation on my Spanish page. I did put up an e-mail saying you had translated that page. Maybe you didn\'t see it.



But a week ago I decided to localize my entire website to different languages, not just the small front page. And I also decided to pay for the job, not insisting of having the job done for free. This means that your Spanish translation with your e-mail link is gone, and that the
... See more
That\'s right. I made that job offer a couple of months ago and I used you small translation on my Spanish page. I did put up an e-mail saying you had translated that page. Maybe you didn\'t see it.



But a week ago I decided to localize my entire website to different languages, not just the small front page. And I also decided to pay for the job, not insisting of having the job done for free. This means that your Spanish translation with your e-mail link is gone, and that the new Spanish translation is up instead.



I hope this answers your question...



Best regards



Mattias Bergström
[addsig]
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Mary Worby
Mary Worby  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:23
German to English
+ ...
Am I missing something? Aug 20, 2002

What\'s the point of translating your website into languages you don\'t understand? Even if it\'s perfectly translated (which, presumably, you can never tell), then how can you respond to an enquiry in, say, Hebrew, if you don\'t speak the language?



Or is it me being dense again?



Regards



Mary


 
SWEDISH-TRANSLATION.com - your Swedish translation partner (X)
SWEDISH-TRANSLATION.com - your Swedish translation partner (X)
Local time: 23:23
Swedish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Answer to Mary Aug 20, 2002

The reason is that a lot of people doesn\'t speak English as their first language.
[addsig]


 
Silvina Beatriz Codina
Silvina Beatriz Codina  Identity Verified
Argentina
Local time: 19:23
English to Spanish
That's two of us Aug 20, 2002

I\'d say that the website of a translation agency should be translated into the languages offered for translation. I had always assumed that, if an agency website was translated into, say, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Japanese, that was because the agency could handle all these languages in the normal course of business.



Was I wrong, then?





 
kbamert
kbamert  Identity Verified
Local time: 23:23
French to German
+ ...
linguists Aug 20, 2002

Hello



I think that you should translate your site only into the native language(s) of your inhouse translators. I don\'t know Swedish at all, but I couldn\'t find the word \"linguist\" (=?\"texter\") in your Swedish version. I suppose that you had translated your texts from English, so now there are many \"linguists\", \"Sprachwissenschaftler\" \"linguisti\" \"linguistas\" \"lingüistas\" [lingüístas] hopping around your agency...



Regards

... See more
Hello



I think that you should translate your site only into the native language(s) of your inhouse translators. I don\'t know Swedish at all, but I couldn\'t find the word \"linguist\" (=?\"texter\") in your Swedish version. I suppose that you had translated your texts from English, so now there are many \"linguists\", \"Sprachwissenschaftler\" \"linguisti\" \"linguistas\" \"lingüistas\" [lingüístas] hopping around your agency...



Regards



Kurt

[ This Message was edited by: on 2002-08-20 16:38 ]

[ This Message was edited by: on 2002-08-20 16:48 ]
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Margaret Schroeder
Margaret Schroeder  Identity Verified
Mexico
Local time: 16:23
Spanish to English
+ ...
What languages do you offer? Aug 20, 2002

I am missing something here; I don\'t understand your doubts. The answer to your question seems simple - you translate your website into the languages of your customers. Who are your customers? They are those citizens of the world to whom you are able to provide services. Do you provide translations into/from language XXX? Then translate it into XXX, too. If XXX is one of the languages you don\'t serve, then what would be the point in having an XXX version of your site?

 
Uwe Kirmse
Uwe Kirmse  Identity Verified
Local time: 23:23
Polish to German
+ ...
Fewer, but in better quality! Aug 20, 2002

Some people asked, what languages you offer. I think, the agency offers all languages, and if there will be a customer with a text to be translated from Hindi to Polish, we\'ll find it as a job posting at ProZ.com. But translating the site into Hindi and Polish wouldn\'t increase the chance to get this customer. You offer enough language versions, before translating into other languages, you should check the existing ones. The German is not the bes... See more
Some people asked, what languages you offer. I think, the agency offers all languages, and if there will be a customer with a text to be translated from Hindi to Polish, we\'ll find it as a job posting at ProZ.com. But translating the site into Hindi and Polish wouldn\'t increase the chance to get this customer. You offer enough language versions, before translating into other languages, you should check the existing ones. The German is not the best. Better than German ProZ.com, but for a translation agency it should be better.



[ This Message was edited by: on 2002-08-20 21:04 ]
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Claudia Andreani
Claudia Andreani  Identity Verified
Local time: 18:23
English to Spanish
+ ...
Hello back, Mattias! Aug 20, 2002

Thank you for the reply. Unfortunatelly that was not my experience.

I am not sure that you had received my emails before asking you for such link to my email. I have not received any answer to two e-letters.

I even had checked, like I said in my answer to you posting, your website, but never find it.



Thank you.

Let\'s drop the case.


 
SWEDISH-TRANSLATION.com - your Swedish translation partner (X)
SWEDISH-TRANSLATION.com - your Swedish translation partner (X)
Local time: 23:23
Swedish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Still no languages Aug 21, 2002

I still haven\'t got any replies about what languages you could translate your web site into, to reach good possible customers...
[addsig]


 
SWEDISH-TRANSLATION.com - your Swedish translation partner (X)
SWEDISH-TRANSLATION.com - your Swedish translation partner (X)
Local time: 23:23
Swedish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Still no languages Aug 21, 2002



[ This Message was edited by: on 2002-08-21 15:22 ]


 
AAAmedical
AAAmedical  Identity Verified
Belgium
Local time: 23:23
English to Dutch
+ ...
what languges do you offer Sep 24, 2002

Hi,



I went surfing on your site but I could not find the language combinations you are offering. Maybe they are there but not very visible for your costumers.



I think that you should stress on making important info more available for potential clients rather than translating your website into 10 or more languages.



Best regards



Ann


 


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What languages should you translate your web site into, to reach most possible customers?






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