The world of language services can actually be a little confusing particularly if you are the one buying the translation services for your organization. Many buyers actually feel like you might when you meet your car mechanic. How do you know what is happening under the hood? Similarly, if you are not well versed in speaking the language into which you are translating something, how can you evaluate the quality of translation and hold your vendors responsible?

Because of this phenomenon, several buyers give in to tactics that might appear reasonable to them, but can have an impact of the overall quality of the translated text. Here are some common translation myths that you need to know before consulting with a professional translation service.

Myth #1

The Larger the Translation Firm The Better Quality It Provides. 

At times, buyers think that purchasing translation services from a large translation agency will ensure best quality of service.

After all, if a translation services firm has hundreds of linguists and translators handling different languages, this serves as the symbol of quality. Not necessarily.

Generalists can never outdo specialists, which is why you might be at an advantage working with a professional translation service of reasonable size or a freelance translator. Just like a SUV is not the ideal vehicle for a bachelor, large translation services are not the best solution for every single translation project.

Myth #2

All my company needs is a professional translator

Even the finest writers depend on skilled proofreaders, editors and designers to make their book sound more natural appealing. In the same way, a professional translation service has an assortment of professionals that work in tandem to give you the best quality translation services. They understand that your work needs a skilled translator, an experienced editor, and a qualified proofreader to ensure great quality. Sometimes, working directly with independent translators might seem to be a good plan for certain kinds of translation jobs. However, if the project at hand is too complex for a freelancer to handle, an agency is normally a better alternative.

Myth #3

All professional translation services provide the same quality

When you see a sign that reads ‘’car wash’’ does it mean that they give an express wash to your car’s exterior? Or, will every inch of the car’s interior be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner too? Similarly, with translation services, a variety of services may or may not be actually included. Some services may assign a professional editor as well as a proofreader at no extra cost, while the other services in town may not. Some translation firms will change the formatting of your original document as part of the standard services, while the rest of them may want to charge extra money for that. Most translation providers will obviously charge you more if your job demands special skills or requires faster turnaround time. In addition, the rates will normally vary for translation from one language into another, and even more the other way around. For instance, German into English may be priced differently than English into German even with the same translation service.

It is important to debunk the myths associated with quality of translation. Overall, the quality of translation services has less to with spellings and typos, and more to do with the real results that matter the most such as more page views, more customers, more downloads, higher sales and better brand awareness.