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Translation Services Are Not a Commodity

March 8, 2013

What Informed Translation Clients Need to Know – Part #2 If you’ve ever taken a class in economics you may recall that a commodity can be defined as a product or service differentiated mainly by its price. In other words the attributes of every unit of a commodity are essentially the same. If translation services were […]

Worldwide Market Trend for Translation Services

February 14, 2013

The graph below is interesting, but does it tell a true story? A continuing decline for Google searches on the words “translation services” is shown. What might this mean? A few possible explanations are listed below: There are likely numerous possible explanations. To our knowledge the worldwide market for translation services has not diminished by […]

Translation Services Are Not a Commodity

March 8, 2013

Worldwide Market Trend for Translation Services

February 14, 2013

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Translation Services Are Not a Commodity

March 8, 2013

What Informed Translation Clients Need to Know – Part #2

If you’ve ever taken a class in economics you may recall that a commodity can be defined as a product or service differentiated mainly by its price. In other words the attributes of every unit of a commodity are essentially the same.

If translation services were a commodity then purchasers could evaluate translation services solely by comparing pricing. However, to informed translation clients, translation services are not rightly a commodity … not even close. Companies such as Affinity Translation and others differentiate translation services in a variety of ways that their clients value including the following:

1. Time Tested Translators: The translators that work for us have earned their expert status over the course of hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of translation projects. The linguistic qualifications of these professionals are well established and thoroughly vetted.

2. Native Speaking Translators: Our translators are native speaking in the target language (the language we’re going into). Some freelance translators promote their ability to translate in both directions within their language pair (e.g., English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English). However, this is hardly ever ideal since translators are naturally strongest in their native language.

3. Post-Translation Editing/Proofing by a Second Translator: We provide post-translation editing/proofing by a second translator to ensure that the highest quality translation standards are met. Post-translation editing/proofing is essential in almost every category of translation project.

4. Range of Translator Specializations: Most translators have areas of specialization that correspond with their unique experiences and backgrounds. It’s important to match just the right translators with the unique requirements of each project.

5. Immediate Project Start: We maintain a pool of qualified translators so that we can begin your project right away. This is an important advantage that derives from having an extensive roster of available translators to assign to projects.

Worldwide Market Trend for Translation Services

February 14, 2013

There are likely numerous possible explanations. To our knowledge the worldwide market for translation services has not diminished by 50% over the last few years. So what are some other possible conclusions to be drawn? We list a few here:

1) Effects of the Recession:

While demand for translation services may not be down to the extent suggested by the graph, the translation industry is affected by general economic conditions and has been affected. The decrease in searches on the phrase might reasonably indicate effects of the recession, although the extent of the effect may be less than the degree of the apparent decline illustrated in the graph.

2) Google’s Data is Suspect:

In a sampling of articles retrieved from searching “is google trends data accurate” there are various opinions expressed. Rand Fishkin of SEOMoz shares a comparison of various web tools and while data from Google Trends may fare somewhat better than other tools (when compared to verified empirical data) he concludes it’s still not that accurate.

3) Diversification of Search Terms:

Just as markets tend to divide over time, popular search phrases evolve and can become more specialized. So while a search on the words “translation services” in 2005 may have seemed reasonable, a more experienced search engine user might elect to refine search terms to something more specific such as “document translation services” or “english-to-Spanish translation services” today. If true this practice would gradually erode the number of searches on more general search terms (e.g., translation services).

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Translation Services Are Not a Commodity

Worldwide Market Trend for Translation Services

Translation Services Are Not a Commodity

Worldwide Market Trend for Translation Services

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Translation Services Are Not a Commodity

Worldwide Market Trend for Translation Services

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