Don’t be overwhelmed by the plethora of vendors! Make sure you ask potential translation service providers the right questions.
You’ve decided to have something translated and, ideally, you already have a target language in mind. Of course, this is the language your potential readers understand best. So you ask your language service provider to translate the content into German, English, Spanish, Chinese, or another language.
Of course, says the translator. But which language variant?
Sometimes this decision is as simple as locating your potential customers on a map. For example, do you need your website translated for native Spanish speakers? Some of the Spanish spoken in Spain can sound strange to a Mexican. It’s also important to consider basic things like how to address the reader: is it better to choose formal or more familiar language? Specifying which language variant you require is the first step in a translation job.
In English, it can get even trickier; especially if you want a global version of your website. After all, this is the most efficient way to reach people around the world linguistically. But which variant of English should you choose?
We were recently asked to design a website in “Mid-Atlantic English.” This certainly stemmed from a desire not to have to commit to one side of the Atlantic or the other in terms of language. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. There is no middle ground when it comes to American or British spelling. Here you simply have to make a decision: center or center, organize or organize, sidewalk or pavement, chips or potato chips.
In this case, a map is not much help. Just because your target audience is made up of European customers, you can’t assume that they will be happiest with British English. Think about where the main target market of the industry or service is located. For example, if you are marketing to gamers, they will probably be most comfortable with US English, but if your customers are engineers in a more conservative industry, they may be more comfortable with the British English they learned in school.
So before you brief your language service provider, consider what “flavor” (or “flavour”) of the target language will really make your audience’s mouth water. You can’t make up your mind? Then simply ask your language service provider to help you make the decision.
