Website Translation Quality: What is Good vs. Great?

There are lots of options out there for translating your website at varying price points. So the question is, how important is translation quality for your website, and how can you tell if a translation is good or great?

Ultimately, your specific content and project needs determine the answer. In this blog, we’ll help differentiate between good and great translations, explore the key elements of high-quality translation, show how translation quality affects user experience and brand perception, and share practical tips on how to elevate your translated content.

Understanding Translation Quality

A good translation will allow website visitors to understand your content without confusion or misinterpretation. A great translation will go a step further — it will capture the nuances of the translated language.

Good Translation

A “good” translation will focus on accuracy and clarity — ensuring your message is correctly communicated. A “good” translation preserves the meaning of your original text and is grammatically correct in the target language. Oftentimes, using standard translation services, such as the ones listed in this blog, will provide a “good” translation. However, quality can still vary depending on which languages you’re targeting.

Great Translation 

“Great” translations will go beyond preserving the meaning of the text and being grammatically correct. A “great” translation will capture the nuances, cultural context, and emotional tone of the source material. Instead of just conveying the meaning of the text, it will make the text feel native to the reader as if the text was written in their language. This level of quality ensures that the content is engaging, persuasive, and aligned with the target audiences’ expectations. 

High-quality translation will improve your users’ trust and satisfaction, and help your website’s engagement and conversion rates. Meanwhile, poor translation quality can have the opposite effect, detracting from your brand’s credibility and even resulting in lost revenue and a poor reputation.

Good vs Great: Translation Examples

Recognizing the difference between good and great translations is easier when you see them in action. Here are some real-world examples to help understand how translation quality affects user experience and brand perception.

Example 1: Leather Wallet — “cartera de piel” vs. “billetera de cuero”
Both of these Spanish translations for “leather wallet” are technically correct. However, depending on which Spanish-speaking region you’re targeting, one is more “correct.” In Spain, cartera is the more common translation, whereas billetera is more often used in Latin America.

Example 2: Call-to-Action – “Don’t Miss out!”
“Don’t miss out” is a common CTA found in English-speaking marketing. The literal (good) translation in French would be, “Ne manquez pas.” However, a more nuanced (great) translation that converts better in French marketing would be “Profitez-en,” which literally means “make the most of it.”

Key Elements for Evaluating Translation Quality

There are several key metrics to help measure translation quality, including linguistic accuracy, cultural sensitivity, functional usability, semantic accuracy, and brand consistency. If your website translations adequately cover these elements, you can evaluate whether your translations are sufficient or if you need to bolster your website with a better translation method or service.

Linguistic Accuracy

Linguistic accuracy means that your translation precisely conveys the meaning of your source text. It requires perfect grammar and syntax, consistent and industry-specific terminology, and correct spelling and punctuation.

Ensuring your text has linguistic accuracy will reduce misunderstandings and preserve the integrity of the information you need to communicate.

Cultural Sensitivity

Maintaining cultural sensitivity in your translations does not have to be complicated. Cultural sensitivity will include natural use of idioms and expressions, culturally specific references such as holidays and currency, appropriate tone, and culturally sensitive imagery.

Taking this step with your translation process will help foster respect and avoid misunderstandings.

Functional Usability 

Finally, high-quality website translations will take into account functional usability.
Functional usability includes technical functionality (properly functioning links, buttons, and navigation cues), layout compatibility (text that fits into design constraints), character encoding (proper display of special characters and accents), and SEO optimization (properly translated meta tags, URLs, alt texts, and hreflangs).

The translation can’t just be linguistically accurate; it should also be practically useful. The translated text should fit within design and layout constraints, and all interactive elements should work correctly — this ensures that the user experience remains seamless and intuitive. 

Semantic Accuracy
Semantic accuracy will ensure that the original message intent is maintained without loss or distortion, the translation fits within the broader context, and that there are no missing or partial translations.

Brand Consistency

Finally, great translations will maintain a brand’s voice and style, will have consistent messaging, and will elicit a coherent brand experience across every market.

Overall, a “great” translation will feel natural and authentic and will bridge the gap between languages.

Best Practices for Great Translation

While it is possible to achieve a “good” translation using generic translation tools, taking the next step and providing “great” translations for your website will take extra time and resources. A few best practices for achieving a great translation are: 

1. Collaborate with native speakers who understand cultural nuances. Native speakers bring an intimate knowledge of your target languages and will help you convey the true meaning and emotion behind your source text. This level of collaboration will go a long way in avoiding cultural misunderstandings and inaccuracies.

2. Invest in professional translation services rather than relying solely on automated tools. Professional translators can ensure that linguistic nuances are not overlooked. While automated tools are useful, professional services will provide the quality and precision necessary for business communications, legal documents, and marketing materials. Services such as Bablic also offer tiered subscription options, allowing you to get the most value for your money. 

3. Review and update your content and translations so everything remains current and relevant. Creating a consistent review cycle will ensure your content remains engaging and accurate — and you can rectify any discrepancies or errors that might go unnoticed otherwise.

4. Incorporate SEO strategies to maximize the reach of your multilingual content. Adjusting meta descriptions, keywords, and search terms will help ensure that your translated content is optimized for search engine algorithms — allowing you to get the most out of your high-quality website translations. 

How Bablic Can Help You Achieve Great Translations

With no-code implementation, you can eliminate the manual work behind translating your website while also being assured that the translations are accurate and high-quality.

Access to editing tools

You’ll also have access to in-context editing tools, automated content translation, and data-driven metrics, allowing you to remain in control of your website’s translations and performance.

Dashboard control and collaboration

Using our dashboard and collaboration tools, you can streamline communication and manage projects among your team of translators, marketers, and developers.

Extended features and services

Depending on your subscription tier, you’ll have extended access to more services and features, such as SEO services, multicultural consulting, multimedia localization, and functional testing. 

As your business continues to flourish and your translation needs become more complex, Bablic will be able to support you as you grow.