How are you going to find the right translation agency?

Are you looking for the best translation agency for your needs? Finding a translation agency that delivers high-quality translations can be a challenge, especially when there are so many translation agencies to choose from. To choose correctly, it is important to first identify the type of text you want help translating – different translation agencies specialise in different subject areas.

In addition to your translation agency handling the correct language combination, it is crucial that they have expertise in your industry. High-quality translations require an understanding of the technical terminology – whether it is legal, medical, technical or IT-related texts. A translation agency should not only offer linguistic precision, but also reliability and a high level of commitment.

Want to be sure you choose the best agency for your project? Then expertise, quality and dedication, among other things, are crucial when choosing a translation agency!

Consider the following:

• Does the translator need in-depth knowledge of any specific subject area?
• Does the translation need to be stamped by a certified translator?
• What volume is there to be translated?
• What is the purpose of the translation – information, instruction or inspiration?
• Is the translation a one-off or a recurring event?
• Is your text suitable for machine translation, or does it require a human translator?
• How important is the level of service at the agency and having a single contact person to turn to for all your assignments?

In this text we will try to help you with how to think about the various questions. A general tip is to look at what type of translation a translation agency has done previously. The translation agency often has established contacts with translators who specialise in precisely what you are looking for.

The translator must have specific knowledge

No translator masters everything – and that is why it is crucial to choose a translation agency that can deliver high-quality translations within your specific field. Translating a car manual requires a completely different type of expertise to translating a manual for a defibrillator, even though both are technical texts. To get a high-quality translation, you need to find a translator with the right expertise.

In many cases, a combination of specialist expertise is required. A clear example is annual reports, where the translator needs not only in-depth financial understanding but also insight into the company's industry. Therefore, it is important to choose the best agency for your needs – a translation agency that can handle your subject area with precision.

Before you decide, make sure that your translation agency has the right expertise. Feel free to send the text in advance so that the translator can make a professional assessment and ensure you get the best translation.

Is authorisation important?

Not all texts need to be authorised. However, certain types of text, such as some legal documents or certificates, may need to bear a stamp indicating that they are certified translation for it to have legal validity. This requires something more than the translator being a skilled writer who knows their subject area. Therefore, as a translator in Sweden, you can apply to become an authorised translator and must then undergo the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency's authorisation test and reliability test. Anyone who passes is then an authorised translator (which is a protected title) and can place an official stamp on their translations where this is required. If you are unsure whether you need an authorised translation, consult the translation agency, which can help you.

The volume of text matters

If you have large amounts of text to be translated, you should consider turning to a translation agency that has the capacity to handle large volumes. This may apply, for example, if your company is involved in online sales and has thousands of new items and several hundred thousand words every month that need to go up on the website quickly for the items to become saleable. If there are really large volumes to be translated and time is also tight, the text may need to be divided among several people. Some translation agencies also offer automated, integrated solutions. A smaller volume of text is probably better suited to a small translation agency. There, it might be more important that you can build a relationship with the project manager so that they know what you want to achieve with your translation and that your texts are always handled by the same translator so that the tone and feel of the translated text turn out the way you want them.

The purpose of the text

In certain texts precision is critical – every word in the source text must be rendered exactly in the target text. Here there is no scope for interpretation or rephrasing. Examples of such texts are instructions, manuals and certain types of contract, where every step must be followed in the correct order and in exactly the same way every time. The reader must do A before they can do B and so on. Texts of this type can be very repetitive.

If it is a purely informative text, such as educational material or public information, it is not enough to simply translate the text; the translator must also localise the content, meaning they must adapt the content to suit the country in which the text is to be used or who is going to read it. If the text is about getting teenagers not to use alcohol, the text will probably look completely different if it is aimed at the teenagers themselves or at their parents and other adults. Adaptations must also be made to the country where the text is to be read, as there can be a big difference in what and how one formulates oneself in different countries regardless of which language is used. Here it is important that translators are given information on how the text is to be used and adapted.

Have a dialogue with the translation agency where you are clear about what you want to achieve so that the tone is right. If the purpose of the text is to sell a product, even more adaptations are required. The translator can then be advised not to worry too much about what is written in the actual text to be translated, but rather to convey the feeling of the words. The mood of the text must be the same for the reader regardless of which language the text is written in. This is known as copy translation and gives the translator a very free hand.

To ensure that you get a high-quality translation that works in the right context, it is important to choose the best agency. An experienced translation agency ensures that the right translator handles the text and that they receive the necessary information to adapt the translation to the target audience and area of use.

How often will the text be translated?

Do you have a large one-off project to be translated? Here it can be difficult to know which translation agency suits you if you haven't been in touch with one before. Then it is wise to look around and see what other types of texts the respective translation agency has done so that you can see if anything seems suitable for your type of text.

Will the text appear several times? It might involve similar assignments from year to year, in which case it is smart to stick to a translation agency that knows you as a client and knows what you are looking for. After all, a quarterly report largely has the same content as the previous quarterly report and will be similar to the next report. Or perhaps you have several short texts a week with a short deadline? Then it is convenient if the same translator always handles your translations so that your company always has the same ”voice” towards the customer.

What you get with Språkbolaget

We believe it is important that you feel you receive good service. With us, you get a single point of contact through a project manager who gets to know you and your company. We always use human translation and try to ensure as far as possible that you have your ”own” translators for all your projects. In this way, both the project manager and the translators know what you usually request and which style suits your company. Naturally, all our translators have solid translation experience and extensive knowledge of the industry they translate within. Some of our translators are also certified translators.

We are more than happy to help you with everything from large to small tasks, both one-off and recurring assignments, and are used to projects that require a personal touch and a delicate touch, but we only take on assignments where we have experience and feel we can do a good job. If we decline an assignment, we usually recommend a suitable industry colleague. The absolute most important thing for us is that you are satisfied with your translations!