From June 2-5, Interpro traveled to downtown Chicago for the annual Internet Retailer Conference + Exhibition. This was our fifth year exhibiting how to enhance a company’s global presence with translation and localization. More than ever retailers are selling internationally, which increases the need to localize online content. We met tons of great people at IRCE, and we were asked a lot of really great questions. In addition to the sales team and me, our translation project management and engineering department also helped represent our company.
To that end, I am sharing the six most frequent questions that we were asked at IRCE 2015.
1. Do you have machine translation or human translation, and how do you find your translators?
All of our translations are done by our human translators. Interpro’s translators are native speakers who live in the target country of the language/dialect we offer. These qualifications help to ensure that our translators are well-versed with the nuances of the language. Since we opened our doors in 1995, we have aimed to find the best translators of each language we offer. From 1995 till now, we have been able to be very selective and build our translation teams with translators we trust to get the job right every time.
2. How do you handle translation with thousands of SKUs?
We have two different options to handle translating SKUs. One option is to first translate the main SKUs to begin building a translation memory from a bulk of unique content. Afterwards, we translate the children and duplicate SKUs to leverage words.
Our second option is to take sample SKUs, corresponding children SKUs and duplicate SKUs, and come up with a fixed rate per SKU type. This option takes away the guessing game for clients since they will know exactly what the cost will be each time.
3. How do you handle frequent updates when I add products to my site?
For website localization projects, we have two options to handle frequent updates. We offer a traditional option as well as a technology-based solution.
Interpro’s traditional option: our clients send us content as it changes. They do this by either sending us a delta or an export so we can identify the changes that contains the new content. We translate and provide the file back in the same format sent to us with the language translation.
Interpro’s technology based solution: this eliminates the need to send files. Anytime you add a product or make a change, we are notified as to what changed and what needs to be translated. You do not need to worry about the multilingual versions of your site in any way.
Overall, we will work with you to develop a customized solution that works well with your content. Each website is different, and although the approach can be similar, we may have ways to further optimize the workflow once we see the content.
4. Can you work with my CMS?
Yes. We have software engineers who are skilled in working with many file types. Depending on the website localization workflow you are looking for, we can discuss the best option possible. Traditionally, we would ask you to export your content from the CMS in the file format that works best for you. This could be xml, xliff or even a CSV file. We will then take the file and run it through our translation tool, which will filter out everything but the content that needs to be translated.
5. Can you handle very technical material?
Yes. We have many clients who require very specific terminology for their translation projects. We pair your project with translators who are experienced with localizing the terminology of your industry. Before starting a project, we ensure that our translators have a background in your field.
6. How do you price?
The cost of translation services at Interpro depends on the amount of content to localize in addition to several other factors. These factors include, target language(s), file format, content, project management, and customized solutions. When it comes to translation projects at Interpro, we do not believe that there is a ‘one size fits all approach.’ Simply put, if you ask us this question, we will ask you these questions back:
- What language(s) is it that you are looking to translate into?
- Do you have the source file(s) you can send us to review the amount of content you have?
- Do you have a previous translation memory?
- Do you have pre-translated materials that you would like to have us use as a reference?
Overall, IRCE 2015 was a success, and we are already looking forward to next year. If these questions sparked any more queries, or you would like some additional information about website localization, please give us a ring. You can also get in touch with me directly at (630) 245-7185 or cramage@interproinc.com.