Posts by Keylingo
No Time for Translations: Expanding into New Markets
When companies are planning to expand into new markets, common early considerations include market analysis, strategies, legal and financial readiness, and logistics. Often lost in those early steps are the benefits of engaging translation services early in the process.
Translation Isn’t Instant
In these days of online, real-time translation tools, people often think that translating documents and web content can consist of a few clicks and a quick proofread. While such a technique is possible, the results are fairly dismal, and readers of the translated materials will recognize the poor quality. Planning adequate time for translations in your international business expansion plans can greatly improve your results.
Quality Content = Better Credibility
Have you ever read a poorly (usually automatically) translated website or set of instructions? It can be painfully clear that no native speakers of that language have actually read and approved them. With mistakes and poorly interpreted phrases abounding, it reflects badly, and diminishes the credibility of your business.
Accurate Communication = Better Reputation
When you are forming business relationships with local companies as you navigate international expansion, the quality and accuracy of your communications show both your attention to detail and your commitment to expanding in this particular market. The reputation you build is a key asset for your growth.
Comfortable Customers = Better Customers
People who use your website or other materials will be most at home reading or listening in their native languages. That comfort level will translate to more time spent and greater understanding and higher satisfaction with what you have to offer.
Add Translation Services Early
Including translation services in the early stages of your business expansion planning can help you avoid linguistic blunders, re-planning, and costly delays.
Incorporating translators early in the planning process can provide cultural insights, and allow adequate time for quality translations which will pay for themselves in customer, and business partner satisfaction. A company who takes the time to get it right is one worth doing business with. Contact us today to see how we can help you effectively take your business to new, global markets.
AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:35:17.877Z):
Read MoreA Globalized and Automated World Needs Quality Translations
Our world has witnessed immense changes in recent decades. In business, many of these recent developments have come in the form of globalization and automation, and these touch nearly every area of economic life. Many areas of business adjusted in response, and others began to question their place in the rapidly evolving business world. For translation services in particular, the rise of globalization and automation means a special and continued need for quality translations.
Globalization
The connected reality entails the sharing of information among people happens on a scale that humanity has never seen before. In some cases, this means that others learn our language. In other instances, we learn their languages. One would think that multilingualism, or at least bilingualism, would become the norm across the planet. True, for some countries this is the rule and not the exception, but it isn’t always the case.
For those who speak languages more prominent in business, they are privileged in a particular manner. Rather than having to learn others’ languages, it will more often be the case that others learn their languages in order to do business in these regions or have a common language. This means less of a need for some to learn foreign languages to the same level as those with whom they do business.
Quality translation services remain vital to helping businesses continue to solve their challenges and ensure clear communication among people.
Automation
Automation remains one of the most striking and rapidly growing areas of business. Whether in big data, AI, or more everyday instances, automation has ascended to a permanent place in business.
Considering the need, difficulty, and uses of automation, it was natural for translation through automated services to appear. They provide quick and easy access to translate small sentences or phrases, but a program cannot replace the knowledge, experience, and feel for a language that a learned translator possesses.
For this reason, quality translation from a human will always trump that of an automated service. This is especially important for businesses, where high degrees of accuracy and awareness are often imperatives.
Keylingo: Quality Solutions
If you are looking for a deft translation service to navigate your business challenges, Keylingo offers you quality translations with a skillful eye attuned to sharing solutions. Contact us to talk more about how Keylingo can help you.
AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:23:10.117Z):
Read MoreHow Incorrect Language Usage and Translation Can Alienate Your Audience
Sometimes, very small differences in intonation can make a big difference to the meaning of a phrase. Comedian Loyiso Gola, who is from South Africa, talks about how this happens in the movie Black Panther in one of his comedy shows.
Incorrect Usage of Xhosa in Black Panther
The language spoken in the mythical country of Wakanda in Black Panther is Xhosa. And as Loyiso points out, Xhosa is a tonal language. So even a small mistake can alter the meaning completely. And since most of the actors in the movie were American, they couldn’t speak Xhosa fluently, and people who actually spoke the language had difficulty understanding it.
Incorrect Usage of Foreign Languages in Hollywood
Of course, this is a mistake that’s constantly made in Hollywood. You’ll come across various actors acting as if they can speak a language which they have absolutely no training in. If the audience is one that doesn’t understand the language either, then that’s fine. But the moment that movie reaches an audience that actually understands, it ends up alienating that entire audience.
The whole point of using that language was to find common ground with the audience that spoke it. And the movie fails to achieve that.
Don’t Alienate Business Associates or Customers
Similarly, when you translate something for business reasons, you have to get a good translator. This is because a small mistake in translation can lead into long-ranging consequences. You don’t want your business associates in a different country to get the wrong impression. Neither do you want to alienate an entire nation of potential consumers!
A Good Translator Conveys Meaning and Tone
So you need a good translator who is conscious of the nuances of translation. You need someone who will be able to maintain a positive tone in your message. And they should also be able to convey your meaning accurately. You don’t want to end up in a Black Panther type of situation. Although people who spoke Xhosa appreciated the effort to use a real African language, they were mostly put off by the fact that it was done incorrectly throughout the movie.
Contact us to learn more about translating your document in an accurate and positive manner.
AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:36:31.471Z):
Read MoreWhat to Look for in a Legal Document Translation Service
Contracts and other legal documents are notorious for their complexity. They typically feature long, complex sentences and legal terminology. As a result, legal documents can be very difficult to translate. Because of how important this documents can be, you should entrust them only to the most qualified legal document translators that you can find. Here are some of the qualities that you want when seeking translators for this kind of work:
1. Legal Expertise
Simply being fluent in a language is not enough when it comes to the skills required to translate a legal document. In addition to being fluent, a legal document translator will need the necessary legal knowledge for a correct translation. They must be able to translate from the resource language to the target language while retaining the intent of the original document. Legal document translation is not an area where you can afford to overlook errors. A single poorly translated term could result in your firm being legally liable and could also ruin your reputation.
2. Experience in the Relevant Fields
In cases where the legal document pertains to technical or scientific fields, the translator will need education in those areas as well as translation experience in addition to their legal knowledge.
3. The Ability to Work Quickly
One of the challenges of legal document translation is that it must be performed according to a schedule. There are usually strict deadlines, which means that a translator must be skilled enough to handle a complex task in a short period without sacrificing accuracy.
4. The Ability to Maintain Confidentiality
Many of the legal documents that require translation also require confidentiality. Failing to keep them private can affect the outcome of business transactions, which means that the translator’s trustworthiness is paramount.
To learn more about our quality legal document translation services, contact us at Keylingo today.
AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:37:26.218Z):
Read MoreProfessional Translation Services and Localization Are Needed In Growing Industries
Today, even the smallest businesses will have a client base or target audience that is scattered across the globe. With so many businesses catering to a global client base, this means more than one language, demographics, and culture will be used. However, things can become complex and confusing when cross-context communication is used. It will become very easy for one or both sides to become confused during communication.
When things are lost in translation or when there is any type of translation errors, the failures can result in more harm than one may realize. While there can be financial errors due to improper communication, there can also be legal errors and business disasters due to information that has not been received and/or translated accurately.
There are major differences in languages, demographics, cultures, etc., and recognizing these differences should be a top priority for all businesses, regardless of the size. Businesses need to have the right tools to share data and other information with their target audience, vendors, clients, etc. There are many products and services are adapted for any type of use within or outside an area, and we refer to this as localization.
Localization is not a simple process because it involves the translation of various types of material, including documented material and audio material. This process also involves software and documents to also be modified in order to accurately reflect the different protocols. When localization is used, businesses will have to repeatedly analyze the various products and services in order to stay within the guidelines and requirements that have been set by each city, state, and/or country.
We expect translation services to grow significantly in 2020, especially as more documents and communication are completed digitally. Growth in this industry will continue to rise at a rapid pace and this means businesses of all sizes need to be prepared to communicate efficiently and effectively as their target audience increases.
For more information on professional translation services and localization, please do not hesitate to contact us today.
AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:37:30.674Z):
Read MoreDon’t Get Marketing Campaigns Translated the Wrong Way
You run a successful business in the US and your target audience has always spoken perfect (or nearly perfect) English. Crafting marketing materials for them has always been easy because you share the same culture and speak the same language. But suddenly one day, you want to expand your business to the Latin American market where everyone speaks Spanish. Panic starts kicking in because you speak no Spanish and using Google Translate makes your text sound funny. That’s when you need help from a translation service.
Reach Your Market Segment with the Right Translation
Nothing kills a marketing campaign faster than a message translated in the wrong way. Don’t be one of those brands who learned how to translate the hard way. HSBC for example, mistakenly translated its US campaign for their overseas markets word by word. The original slogan was “Assume nothing”. But in one language, the translated version was read as “Do nothing”. The bank then had to spend $10 million to correct their costly mistake. Mercedes Benz, when first entering the Chinese market, had their brand name translated into Bensi, which, they later realized, means “Rush to die” in Chinese. Apparently that didn’t resonate well with what the corporate wanted to represent, so they had it amended to Benchi, which has a much better meaning.
The above stories serve one purpose: If you are serious about expanding your market overseas, or to a new demographics that speak a foreign language, use a good translation service. Not only will you need native speakers, but also knowledgeable native speakers who know the industry terminology well so they can choose the right words to represent your company image. Different word choices add different tones to the message. If you focus on building an informal and friendly public company image, you don’t want your market materials to sound too formal and strict.
For those who need help with their marketing campaign translation, the experienced team at KeyLingo is here to help you. Don’t hesitate to contact us today!
AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:37:34.616Z):
Read MoreIntegrating Your Marketing Efforts with Translation Services
What do you expect when you get translation services? Most people want to be sure to preserve the meaning of the original while still maintaining a good writing style in the destination language. And preserving meaning is probably the most important facet of translation. However, there are also other things that must be considered, such as how your audience is going to react to a certain translation.
Cultural Biases in the West
Sometimes, you can use a certain advertising/marketing campaign in one country/region, but you can’t use it in another. This is because every advertisement uses cultural biases in order to sell a product. For example, you might have an advertisement featuring a blonde woman in order to sell a certain brand of hair dye. This might be very effective in the West. In the United States and in many parts of Europe, women like to dye their hair blonde.
Cultural Biases in the East
When you’re trying to sell hair dye in India, a picture of a blonde woman is unlikely to work because women just don’t dye their hair blonde in India. They might go with various shades of brown or auburn instead. So there’s a cultural bias at work here, in the states as well as in India. This cultural bias has to be considered when you’re selling a product in a different country.
Changing Your Marketing Message
So you could take your brand of hair dye to India but you would probably only be able to sell it in shades of brown and auburn, not blonde. And if your marketing message is based largely on the lighter shades you’re selling, then you will need to change it completely rather than just translating it into a different language.
Integrating Marketing and Translation
A good translator will probably be able to tell you what type of cultural bias you’re dealing with. They’ll also be able to tell you which marketing slogan is likely to work and which isn’t. The best idea, however, is to also get your marketing team involved and do some research about how your product will go over in the country where you’re trying to sell it. Once you understand the cultural biases you’re dealing with, you’ll also be able to come up with the best marketing slogan and translate it in a way that appeals to your clientele.
Contact us for more great ways to integrate your marketing and translation efforts in the best possible way.
AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:38:01.562Z):
Read MoreWebsite Translation Services: Reach Your Global Audience
When it comes to translating a website, there are many things you will need to consider. One of the important things you should know is that 25 percent of internet users are English speakers. This means over 70 percent of the users on the internet are not native English speakers. It is not surprising that over 3/4 of users shopping online will not purchase a product if the language of the website is not in the language of their native land.
After businesses have a better understanding that internet users prefer to shop online on a website that allows them to shop and contact someone from your website in their native language the business should take the correct steps in creating a plan and strategy that will improve the level of customer service.
One of the things businesses should do to ensure they are able to create a strategy that increases your visibility increases your growth, and increases the number of satisfied customers you have is to invest in website translation services. If you are not familiar with website localization, you should know that it is the action of making adjustments to a website in terms of language and culture. Website localization can be completed by doing the following:
- making adjustments to the design and/or layout of the website
- making the proper adjustments as it relates to dates, currency, etc.
We also recommend selecting and presenting your content in an appropriate manner due to the differences in culture and language terms. When you use the right website translation services and when you use website localization services, your business and the products/services you sell will be introduced to a wide range of people who live in places you may have never visited.
When you have a better understanding of the people who are more likely to visit your website, you will be able to have a better understanding of the type of content, images, layout, etc. you should use on your website. You will be able to create an effective marketing strategy that will allow you to have the global presence you want to have.
When you have the choice of browsing a website that is written in your native language or a website that is written in a language you do not understand, which option do you choose? The majority of people will make the decision to choose the website that is written in their preferred language.
Professional translation services will provide businesses with the tools they need to ensure their website’s content will not get lost in translation. As easy as it may be to use a free language-translation tool, we recommend using a professional translation service that has experience in translating websites that want to reach a global audience.
For more information on our translation services please do not hesitate to contact us today.
AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:38:14.072Z):
Read MoreHow a Good Translator Goes About Perfecting the Craft of Translation
When you’re translating something from one language into another, it’s necessary to be conversant in both languages. Of course, it’s impossible for a person to speak two languages with the same exact degree of fluency. There are always going to be some differences in the way they speak, read and write the two. For example, a person may be more comfortable speaking a certain language than reading and writing it, but they may be more comfortable with reading and writing another language rather than speaking it. For someone to be an effective translator, a written understanding of both languages is necessary. Here are some more characteristics of good translators:
- They try to understand the gist of things. A good translator isn’t just one who understands the meanings of various words. Of course, the meanings of individual words are important but it’s more important to understand the overall meaning of a sentence or a paragraph and convey it to the reader who will be reading the translation.
- They understand the difference between writing and speaking. When you’re speaking in a certain language, your speech is likely to be more casual. You may repeat things and you may not pay close attention to the rules of grammar. However, things are different when you’re writing where you have to form sentences correctly and follow the rules of grammar more closely.
- They are not biased in favor of any one language. Most of us walk around with a bias in favor of our first language and we may feel a bit impatient when we can’t understand something which is in our second language (assuming we have one). But a good translator is one who understands and respects the differences between languages. S/he treats translation as a craft which it is up to him/her to perfect.
Contact us to learn more about the characteristics of a good translator.
AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:39:27.021Z):
Read MoreHow to Achieve the Golden Mean in Translation
You may think that anyone who is bilingual can translate a document from one language into another. However, there are many differences between a professional translator and an amateur translator. A professional translator is going to have a lot more experience in the field, so they’ll know what kinds of things are likely to trip someone up in the process of translation. And they’ll know how to avoid them. An amateur translator, on the other hand, might make rookie mistakes because they haven’t worked long enough in the field of translation. Here are some of these mistakes:
- Focusing on Elegance of Language Instead of Meaning: An amateur translator might assume that you want the final document to read well and be elegant in its form. And although most people would be happy to have their translations read this way, they are obviously more concerned about the meaning of the document rather than how it sounds. A professional translator knows that it’s more important to convey the right meaning to avoid misunderstandings.
- Trying to Maintain the Original Grammatical Structure: Sometimes, it’s possible to maintain the original grammatical structure of a document in translation. It might come across as sounding a little stilted or archaic, but it won’t be completely incorrect. At other times, it’s not possible to maintain this type of structure because it doesn’t exist in the destination language. In both cases, however, it would be better to go with a structure which is more widely used in the destination language, and a professional translator would know that.
- Making Too Many Changes to the Original Grammatical Structure: On the other hand, there are amateur translators who think that the original document has to be completely slashed and changed. If you’ve put something at the beginning of the document, they might put it at the end. They might combine sentences which were not combined in the original or break up a compound/complex sentence into simple ones. The danger of this type of translation is that the document might lose all sense of meaning. But a professional translator would realize that this is not the way to go.
In general, it’s a fact that the simpler you keep your translation process, the better. Rather than aiming too high and wanting to achieve an elegant result or being too rigid and trying to maintain the exact meaning of the original, it’s better to go for the golden mean between these two extremes. Contact us for more information.
AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:39:31.376Z):
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