|
This is the second in a series of four blogs in which I will share a quick approach to calculating translation costs for documents, software, websites and multimedia translation services. While the approach described is somewhat generic and will be modified depending on the type of website translation project we are talking about, the basic line items and metrics needed to understand the costs for website translation are valid. Getting Started with a Website Translation Quote In order to create a quote for a website translation project, a series of tasks and metrics are required to build the quote and determine Website Translations costs: • Common metrics used for actual translations, or as the trade calls it, Translation-editing-proofing (TEP), are typically per word. • Desktop publishing (formatting) costs can be calculated per hour or per page. • Graphic localization (text inside graphics) costs can be calculated per hour. • Translation companies should also include a glossary development step and project management fee. • Multilingual website design can be calculated per hour. • Cultural Correctness Assessments/Customizations can be calculated per hour. • Engineering can be calculated per hour. • Basic Website QA/ Testing can be calculated per hour. • Internationalization, Localization and/or Functionality Testing can be calculated per hour. • SEO: Country Specific Search Engine Optimization can be calculated per hour. Of course the cost for technical translations would be priced differently than copy writing or transcreation translation for marketing content. The steps below cover the basics for a website translation quote. Overview of Basic Tasks Included in Website Translation Quote The basic tasks in a website translation services project may include: Glossary Development Key terminology is identified and extracted from the source files provided by the client. The terminology is translated and provided back to the client for review and approval. Following review and approval, the terminology is imported into a translation memory tool and updated as needed. Translation-editing-proofing (TEP) This includes translation of text, editing of the text by a separate translation team and final proofreading. Price depends on language and word rate classification. Providing web design services This may include several items including designing templates, navigation elements such as full global gateway pages or simple drop downs and right to left enablement for BIDI (bidirectional languages like Arabic and Hebrew). Graphic Localization This process involves creating new graphics by extracting translatable text from source graphics, translating the text, and placing it back into the new "translated" graphic. Graphic localization might include layout elements, buttons, navigation items, maps, etc. Engineering Preliminary Source files ("localization kits") are analyzed by your localization engineer. Components which are translatable are identified and prepared in a format that translators can easily work on without altering any source code or mark-up. Any necessary conversions are performed in order to import source content into a translation memory database. Post Engineering Localized files are returned to their original source formats and checked to ensure that no original codes or mark-up have been changed and imported back into their original format and web content management system. Cultural Correctness Assessments In order to ensure clients communicate in the most "locale-sensitive", culturally appropriate fashion, without making any mistakes or offenses to their target markets, GPI performs a review of the selected communication medium for cultural issues. This would include a review of a client's website, user interface and documentation content and treatment. Items such as content, metaphors, color, sound, and icons are all reviewed for appropriateness. To learn more read the article Creating Culturally Customized Content for Website Translation. Basic Website QA/Testing GPI typically provides website localization QA/testers for websites by having language professionals examine a localized website to ensure that all linguistic and cosmetic items are correct. GPI can also provide professionals to work side-by-side with a client's expert user(s). More formalized website testing (onsite or offsite) including detailed internationalization, localization and functionality can be provided after the client defines the exact type of testing they require. Global Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Global SEO may include a variety of SEO related tasks such as research of potential keywords, metatags, phrases, ad copy and web content along with translation/localization of this content to be used for the new language version sites and marketing programs (PPC, etc..). Steps to optimize a CMS for SEO and address all metadata optimizations as well. Project Management Fee This fee includes all aspects of project management by your GPI team from scoping to scheduling. Project coordination includes client review and approval process, status reports/calls and budget tracking.
Related Articles -
translation, website translation, translation services,
| 
