Is That Online Translation Really Free?

The idea that using an online translation tool to translate materials for free has a certain appeal. It is no surprise that many are tempted to use these free tools to translate materials for their company; the idea of saving money on a service is attractive. However, while a free online translation might give you the basic idea of what a text says, the saying “you get what you pay for” is certainly true with regard to translation. A free translation is likely to contain errors. What’s more, if used in place of a professional translation service, using the free version could actually cost you money instead.

You likely already know that large translation blunders are risky. If you were a hospital administrator, would you take a chance on free translation software at the risk of your patients? Even a mistake in the wording of instructions for taking medicine could make the difference between life and death in the most severe cases. A translation error like that could cause a major lawsuit, resulting in significant losses for your company or organization.

Even if your translation error is not likely to result in something so significant, it could end up costing you more in the long run. If your customers notice the, it could impact your company’s reputation of professionalism. At this point, you may hire a professional translation company to fix the error. It will also cost you more time than if you had translated it correctly the first time. In addition, if you have already printed the translation in a brochure or other material, you will end up with extra production and printing costs to replace the incorrectly translated versions, also costing you more in time and production in the long run.

If you are looking for ways to save on translation, keep the following in mind:

• Plan ahead. Sending your project to a translation company with plenty of time before it is due will help you avoid rush fees.
• Is there a large amount of text? Check with the translation company about bulk discounts, especially if there is a lot of repetition throughout.
• Avoid very small projects to avoid minimum fees. Otherwise, you will pay extra to compensate for the time spent in managing the project. It is best to combine several small projects into one larger project for a better overall rate.

While there may be a cost up front to translate your materials if you opt to use a professional translation service instead of the free translation software, the aforementioned tips may help lower your overall cost, especially knowing that the “free” translation you received online may not actually be free for your company’s reputation and budget in the long run.