In today’s global world, localization is no longer optional. Statistics show that successful companies must localize their websites, apps, and services to a user’s native language. CSA Research showed that 65% of customers prefer content in their language, even if those translations are imperfect. Additionally, 40% of users will not make a purchase on a website in another language. Almost all agree that localization is important, but most businesses are unsure of where to get started when it comes to localization. A Translation proxy is the best – and easiest – way to localize content on your site quickly and easily.

If you want to localize your site to unlock its global earning potential, you need to know about a translation proxy. We’ll also discuss the two types of translation proxies: JavaScript and server-based.

Translation Proxy: What Is It and How Does It Work?

In technical parlance, a proxy is a program or piece of code that acts as an intermediary. It intercepts a request or response and forwards it or modifies it somehow. For example, a company might use a proxy to ensure employees access only approved resources. Others might use a proxy to filter out ads.

A translation proxy works similarly. Translation proxy functions as an intermediary between the user’s request and the content. It ensures that the delivered text is in the desired language, even when the original content is in a different language. For instance, if a user requests content in Spanish, the proxy retrieves the English text and returns the translated version in Spanish.

What Are Typical Translation Requirements?

At first glance, translating some text may seem somewhat simple – all such a proxy would need to do is replace some words or phrases from one language with another. However, in today’s global world, it’s not that simple.

Most translation tasks require a careful approach. Cultural nuances, sensitivities, local laws and regulations, and technical SEO aspects exist. There are also trademark and copyright considerations, especially when considering whether or not to translate product names, service names, and so forth.

There have been countless examples of translations gone awry. When Mercedes entered the Chinese market, their name was “Bensi,” which means “rush to die.” Not a good name. In 2009, HSBC ran into similar issues with its “Assume Nothing” campaign. The translation for this campaign can “suggest that HSBC assumes a negative connotation in some cultures, leading to confusion and backlash.”

The bottom line is that translation isn’t always a straightforward mapping of words. For large companies with a large multinational footprint (like HSBC), translation must account for cultural connotations and convey the right message to customers.

Understanding Translation Proxy Solutions for Enterprise-Grade Localization

Given the balance between cultural sensitivities, the need for localization to drive revenue growth, and economic realities, most companies turn to translation proxies. There are two types of proxies: JavaScript and server-based.

JavaScript Proxy

A JavaScript proxy works on the client’s browser. Typically, the web page is in one language, such as English, and then the JavaScript proxy dynamically translates it to the user’s requested language, like French in a matter of a click or switch of a button. It looks for all English words, phrases, paragraphs, and more to convert them all to French for display.

The significant benefit of using a JavaScript proxy is that you can translate your site in real-time. Google Translate is a popular JavaScript-based translation proxy. Non-profits can quickly add Google Translate to their site and provide a dropdown menu for people to view the content in their native language. And, since it’s all client-side, there are no extra server compute costs. However, larger companies may prefer to partner with a service provider specializing in translation proxies that offer proprietary machine translation solutions. This is often preferred for reasons of security and confidentiality, as it ensures more control over sensitive data and provides a higher level of customization.

A JavaScript translation proxy also allows for hybrid localization if that’s of interest. You can have certain words and phrases prepared by professional translators in a translation memory database. Still, if your team adds new content to your CMS, the JavaScript proxy can pick that up dynamically to translate it automatically while you’re waiting for the professional versions. The JavaScript proxy can also detect new phrasings and queue them up for experienced translators to review. Our systems at Ulatus do that so content managers don’t have to keep track of all text manually.

The downside of a JavaScript proxy can be SEO. Since JavaScript translates everything on the fly, it can sometimes not be as SEO-friendly as a solution where the text comes from the server already translated.

Server-Based Proxy

As the name implies, a server-based proxy works on the server, not the client. Instead of fetching all the content and then dynamically translating it on the website, it fetches different versions of the content from the translation memory stores (or it can also dynamically translate if necessary) and then sends the translated version down to the client. There’s no additional JavaScript required.

The advantage of a server-based proxy is SEO. Since you’re only sending down the translated version, search engines can trivially index it correctly in each region’s language.

Another advantage is speed. Server solutions execute faster than client ones, especially on lower-power devices like older phones and tablets. By assembling the correctly translated version of your site on the server, there’s no additional work for the client, enabling the most seamless experience.

The downside of a server-based translation proxy is cost, though it is sometimes possible to mitigate that cost through caching. After all, once you’ve assembled the French version of your site, you don’t need to reassemble it if no strings have changed! There is also more IT overhead as you now have an intermediary service to host and manage.

Setup, Operation, and Performance of a Translation Proxy

Setting up a translation proxy is relatively straightforward, regardless of your chosen solution.

JavaScript proxies tend to be the easiest to set up, typically only requiring the addition of a small script tag to the head section of your website. That JavaScript code will interface with the translation proxy, ensuring all content on the page gets into the chosen language, either from translation memory or through a machine-translated solution. It’s typically the easiest to set up and has the least operating costs, but the performance can sometimes be worse than the server-based solution.

A server-based proxy typically requires some level of IT configuration. It acts as an intermediary between your CMS and the client, so you’ll often need to add it to your existing website code as middleware or as an additional layer after your CMS. For example, you could add a server-based solution middleware engine that fetches text from the database depending on the language or add the translation proxy after your CMS so it acts as an edge server. The setup is usually not too complicated, and the performance is the best, but the operational cost is higher (the company pays for the extra computing layer).

Translation Proxy: Use Either Solution Depending on Your Needs

Whether you want a JavaScript solution or a server-based translation proxy depends mainly on your site, IT skill level, and criticality of translation accuracy. A JavaScript solution is perfect for sites that need something easy to implement. For example, a JavaScript proxy is a great way to start if you want to expand into a new language market. On the other hand, a server-based solution can be highly beneficial for accuracy, caching, and integration into your overall cloud stack. You can find large multinational companies that use either option.

Ulatus specializes in translation services, including translation proxies. Our solution is hassle-free, low-overhead, and turnkey, as it is an intermediary between your website and visitors. There’s only one copy of your website, yet your visitors will experience it in any language while adhering to all legal requirements, cultural nuances, and other requirements. If you want to delight your customers and expand your market, please learn more about our translation proxy solutions.