If you have decided to branch out by translating your product to Japanese, then you have taken a massive step toward growing your business. To begin your translation venture, you have a critical decision to make that could change the outcome of your entire project – selecting the best Japanese translation service to suit your needs. Ultimately, by choosing the wrong language services provider (LSP), you can end up with a poor translation that will affect not only your Japanese language translation but also your company’s reputation.

To help you navigate through the myriad of considerations and make the best selection for your project, here are the five key points to discuss with potential LSPs.

1) Review the Company’s Client List and Portfolio

When deciding on a professional Japanese translation company, one of the most significant aspects to think about is whether the LSP has served Japanese clients in the past. By perusing their client list, you will be able to quickly find out how much experience the company has with representing Japanese customers. Additionally, reviewing their portfolio will show you the type of work they have done. For example, if you have general content to translate, you should find out if the LSP has experience with Japanese document translation. For bigger projects, pay attention to whether the company has successfully completed more intricate work, such as overall product localization for the Japanese market.

Additionally, you can review other information to gauge the LSP’s success, such as evaluating their analytical data, including conversion rates and click-through metrics, on any websites they have translated to Japanese.

2) Find Out How Much Experience the LSP Has in Your Industry

Another critical aspect when selecting a Japanese translation service is how thoroughly the company understands your industry. If the LSP has little or no experience in your field, then it’s likely that they are not going to execute a precise translation. The company might be able to translate the words from the target language to Japanese, but that is not enough. An LSP has to be able to understand and relay the jargon and technical information associated with your product. As such, focus on finding an LSP that has a variety of subject matter experts to ensure complete accuracy.

Ultimately, the translators have to understand the content as well as the audience does, or they will not even know whether the translation is meeting its objective. In addition, the target audience will be keenly aware of whether the translated material accurately represents the subject.

3) Inquire About How Much Experience the LSP Has with Marketing

By translating your product to Japanese, you are seeking more customers and wanting to greatly increase your sales. To meet your goals, you should partner with an LSP that has proven success with marketing. For instance, if you are translating a website, then working with a Japanese translation company that can successfully implement multilingual search engine optimization (SEO) is important. Strategically using keywords in your website content will impact its search engine rankings, which, in turn, will affect how easily customers find your business.

4) Ask Questions to Gauge How Well the LSP Understands the Japanese Culture

Understanding the Japanese culture is essential to achieving the best translation for your project. For example, the translator would need to comprehend the culture to accurately portray the sense of politeness and formality that is part of the Japanese system of grammar. In any translation endeavor, being sensitive to and aware of cultural nuances is vital to the outcome of the work.

5) Seek Information About the LSP’s Translators

When partnering with an LSP, you will want to feel comfortable with the translators working on your project. As such, here are some questions to ask before deciding on an LSP:

  • What level of education do your translators have?
  • What is the average age of your translators?
  • Will the translator working with me be a native speaker of Japanese?
  • Have your translators conducted research and been published about topics in my industry?
  • How do you assess and evaluate your translators before hiring them?
  • How do you ensure continuous improvement from your translators?

Because selecting the right Japanese translation service is essential to the success of your endeavor, take the time to research the company and ask as many questions as you need to ensure you are making the best decision. If an LSP is not willing to be transparent with their clients or work processes, then they are definitely not the best choice.

Summary

Selecting the best Japanese translation service for your project is essential to ensuring an accurate and successful translation. To help you navigate through the multitude of considerations and make the best choice for your project, above are the five key points to consider.