Doing business today will inevitably lead to the idea of going international. And the realization of such an idea requires a thing or two to consider. In today’s fast-paced and closely globalized world, the customer sits on top of the things, so making sure your customers feel at home when interacting with your company is very important. In order to achieve that, many successful businesses establish connections with the end-user in another country by creating a marketing campaign and the website and then localize it. That’s when choosing the right translation and localization service, or the LSP becomes a crucial thing to consider.

What is an LSP?

Like WHO, NYC, or FDA, LSP is an abbreviation and it is used in the meaning of the company that provides services related to languages. Those might be the translation or localization services, for example, yet, each service defines its specialization itself. There are many other linguistic services, which you might choose depending on what you need and what language you want to cover. Some of the most common language services include:

• General or traditional translation.
• Editing and / or Proofreading the translated content.
• Localization.
• Rewriting the text in another language. Interpreting. Language training.

Having that many functions, different language service providers might be known under other names, such as translation agency, a localization agency, or a language school. Such companies might also be classified by their direction, size, and subject matter specialization. Some providers might work only with corporate customers, for instance, while others will perform only technical translations. Yet, the two main categories of the LSPs are often defined by the language scope and the workflow model. Depending on the number of languages, such companies work with, as well as the labor they use, they might also be called accordingly.

Useful information: Check for the best birth certificate translation services to make your translation perfect.

Types of LSPs

Depending on the number of languages they work with, LSPs, or language service providers are also classified as single-language, multi-language, and massive multi-language service companies. Of course, there is also a freelance certified translator type, who might often work with a large multiplicity of languages, depending on their region and skill. At the same time, the level of reliability of such specialists varies among freelancers. The companies, on the other hand, usually guarantee the quality and solve any issues that might arise during the translation process. Such companies might be:

• The single-language service company, which obviously works with one language and has a relatively limited list of tasks that they can perform. Such tasks mostly include traditional translation, proofreading, editing, rewriting, and project management.
• The multi-language service usually works with several languages and performs the same tasks as the single-language service firm, with addition of localization services. Being strongly balanced in terms of the amount and diversity of work, this type is the closest to LSP definition and some of the best translation websites prefer to work in the multi-language mode specifically.
• The massive multiple-language service usually specializes in a vast array of languages and provides all possible services, including interpretation and language training. Yet, such providers may sometimes be unreliable as they often employ freelancers who vary in the level of their responsibility and quality of work.

Benefits of Working with Smaller LSPs

As a rule, when people work with a smaller amount of work, they tend to concentrate on it better and, as a result, complete it providing higher quality. The same applies to the language services companies. When looking for an LSP, try looking for quality rather than quantity. You might see that some companies offer all possible service translations and work with 100+ languages, all of which is great, yet, should make you look closely before making a decision.

The smaller providers will more likely make you feel comfortable and deprive you of the unnecessary stress. That is mainly due to the higher linguistic and technical skill levels that such companies provide on the average. Such LSPs don’t usually employ many workers, yet, they do employ some of the best ones. By choosing the smaller provider you can rest assured that your task will be done exceptionally well and the work translated correctly within the needed language pair.

Choosing a Linguistics Company: Essential Tips

While understanding that having an LSP doing your translation work is good enough, it is also important to choose the right agency that would accommodate all your needs. Nobody’s perfect, of course, yet, there are a couple of things to look at when choosing a company that works with languages professionally.

• Study their field of expertise. Aside from working with language, the agency has to work with different types of content. Study well what they are focused on and decide whether that fits you. For example, if you need to translate the documents to visit a doctor in a foreign country, you should check out medical translation companies for that. Or if you need to localize your website, you should check whether the company does not only website translations but also provides localization services.
• Lookup for the track record. Naturally, you’d like to work with a certified and reputable translation service provider. A really good one will certainly have the respected clients to show off as well as have lots of positive reviews.
• Check out the transparency of the agency. The provider must be honest with its customers. The rating system should be visible or at least quickly and easily obtainable and there should be no possible hidden fees. The same applies to deadlines it is ready to perform by. Finally, the company should allow its customers to see all reviews, even those coming from unsatisfied clients.
• See what technology they use. Every truly great language service will certainly be innovative and use only professional tools to meet your requirements. Most likely, such an agency will allow you to list everything you need to get done on its platform and then contact you to clarify all the additional details.
• Test out the customer support. While it’s great when using certain services is convenient for you, it’s also great to know that the provider of such services understands you. As customer support directly represents the company, having a professional talk with them is a great way to test that out.
• Test the company’s response time. If you request any help from the company, see how fast they are ready to respond. If they do that fast enough, that likely reflects the company’s overall attitude towards time and deadlines.
• Make sure the company charges you fairly. Some translation works are easier to complete than others, especially for a professional LSP, meaning that the company won’t deliberately overcharge. For instance, if you need a translation that is very monotonous, the company might offer you an edited machine translation, which will likely be cheaper.
• Check their linguistic range. While covering a large range of languages is often considered a great move for translation companies, it might have some downsides too. One of which relates to the quality that gets damaged because of the excessive quantity. It is always best to stay safe and sound and use the services of a separate Korean translation service or the Turkish translator who’ll definitely perform well within the requested timeframe. Some companies might hire great professionals for many languages, but those professionals might not be many.
• See if the company has a database of translators. Such an option greatly combines the features of transparency and convenience in use, so having it is a huge plus for an LSP.
• Analyze their price. Higher fees don’t always mean higher quality and don’t always define LSP’s professionalism. If a certain company satisfies you in all the parameters above, you might want to consider doing business with it even for a slightly higher price.

To Sum Up: Picking the Best LSP for You

Of course, there’s no such thing as the best translation company in the world, yet, there might be a perfect match for you. When searching for the LSP, this should be a top priority for you. If you check out the company more closely and see that it fits you, go ahead and request their services. The most important things to do before that are clearly defining your translation needs and checking for the best-reviewed global language services providers at PickWriters.