WHY YOUR COMPANY SHOULD USE LSPs (LANGUAGE SERVICE PROVIDERS)

Your company may be performing well locally, but to continue to thrive you need to expand your base-to go global and reach potential customers in all corners of the world.
Before wading into the international business market you are going to have to translate all your products, product information, website and documentation into the languages of your global clients. Skipping this step means that your target audience will not understand the message you’re trying to convey. Studies have shown that consumers are 5 times more likely to purchase goods and services in their own language. People won’t buy what they don’t understand.
With this information in mind, your next step should be to put all your company’s content into an online machine translation tool, right? WRONG. Online translation tools can be somewhat useful for a few words for a quick translation, but they do not provide the accuracy or quality that a company demands to be able to compete in the international arena. A LSP (Language Service Provider) is a necessity.
Why Employ a LSP?
Professional Translators
Language service providers use professional translators trained in linguistics or translation studies to ensure accuracy. These specialists have extensive knowledge of industry tools and are often experts in specific fields like medicine, technology or law.
Localization
LSPs do more than translate content; they localize content. Localization is the translation and adaptation of material for international audiences. Localization is a linguistic equivalent rather than a literal translation. This work is done by a native speaker of the target language for the target market. Effectual localization tailors your product to the consumer’s linguistic and cultural background while maintaining brand message.
Resources & Tools
LSPs have access to industry tools such as translation memory software (TM). This software retains translations for future projects. Translation memory ensures consistency across projects, decreases turnaround time as well as cost.
The 3 main reasons to allow a LSP to handle your organization’s translation needs are:
1. Save time and money
2. Improve quality of translations
3. Increase global presence