The magical Spanish Translation Machine

This year 50 million Hispanics in the US hold nearly $1 trillion in purchasing power. As the US Hispanic population and purchasing power grows, it has become increasingly important for companies in certain industries to translate their websites into Spanish. At face value this seems like a pretty simple proposition. However, it quickly becomes apparent that there are several ways to go about translating content. Which is best? This is a difficult question to answer. There are two basic methods of translating a page, using software or by hiring someone and there are instances where either method is superior.

In this article we provide a description of each method of translating a website to Spanish for you to consider when you’re faced with the tough decision of how to communicate with your Spanish seeking audience.  We listed the time it would take as well as an approximate cost for a typical 10 page website.

Option 1 – Machine Translatation

Time: 15 minutes
Cost: Free

Machine translations, such as Google Translate are increasing in popularity as they have continuously improved in accuracy.  Google for example uses statistical machine translation which uses an evolutionary method for translation by drawing on a large database of existing accurate translations.  Many companies use machine translation when they know they have only a small Spanish seeking audience, and that the cost of professional translation outweighs the potential benefit.  Add to that that the implementation of Google Translate is quick and painless.  All that is required is adding a few lines of code to your site and you have a complete Spanish version (as well as other languages).

So what are the drawbacks of using machine translation?  Most students will tell you that using Google Translate to finish one’s Spanish homework often causes contextual issues and sometimes translates text in a comically literal and incorrect way.  While great in many instances, machine translation is still not (and may never be) perfect.  If your content needs to be close, but not bulletproof then Google Translate is a good option for you.

Option 2 – Straight Translation

Time: 1 Week
Cost: $2,000.00

Do you know how many words there are for the word “car” in Spanish?  About a dozen.  And do you know which of these dozen words are best when communicating with Mexicans, but don’t mean anything at all to Argentineans?   Probably not.  And this is precisely why a translation firm is necessary to provide accurate translations that will be relevant to all your Spanish readers.

Hiring a professional is a more expensive and time consuming option.  There are many firms and freelancers today that can produce translations for your entire website.  Additionally, if precise translations are critical, than you may look for the hired firm to hold certain accreditations specific to your industry.  “Many translating firms hold accreditations,” states Brandi Young-Sharp of Advanced Language Access, Inc. “These accreditations come from associations such as the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters &  Translators and the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care organizations.”

Option 3 – Trans Cultural Adaptation (TCA)

Time: 2 Weeks
Cost: $5,000.00

So what about brands that appeal to a general American market crowd by sponsoring a traditionally American activity such as football, but that want to engage with Hispanics through an activity more popular with Hispanics such as soccer?  How does a brand hire a company to not just translate their content but adapt it to a Hispanic audience?  This is what is known as Trans Cultural Adaptation (TCA).  TCA is used when simply translating content is not adequate.  TCA requires reviewing English content and rewriting it to make sense for a Spanish reader.  A good team will take the time to fully understand the English campaign before producing an equally engaging campaign for the Spanish speaking audience.

When considering TCA, a brand also must take into account how dynamic their content is to be.  If the pages are going to be updated weekly or daily, TCA is a far more expensive option than straight translation.  “Many marketers view TCA as the first step into considering localization,” adds Mrs. Young-Sharp.

Option 4 – User Translation

Time: 1-3 Months
Cost: $5,000.00 for programming

User Translation may well be the most accurate method, with the significant drawback that it is very hard to actually implement. Websites like Facebook and Wikipedia have their users translate their content. Users can edit translated content and vote on translations in order to create the best content in a new language. Not only does this potentially lead to the most correct overall content, it is also free to the website as the users providing translations are typically unpaid.

But don’t get too excited yet thinking users are going to flock to translate your Pre-paid Legal website into Samoan. This type of exchange is tricky to achieve. This method of translation assumes that users have interest in creating translated content for the site with minimal or no compensation. While this is possible for some well known and respected websites, it is the exception.  Here, is an example where the web application Wibiya allows users to translate Wibiya’s content to other languages.

While in theory this method is “free” as users themselves volunteer to translate the content from one language to the other, it can actually be quite costly.  Creating the application to allow users to translate your content will cost you the money as will creating the incentives to convince users to take the time to do this.  This method is really only a viable option for well known brands, organizations, and applications such as those previously mentioned.

The Best Solution?

There is no easy answer to how best to provide a Spanish version of your website.  It really depends on the content you have, how dynamic it is, and what are the expectations of the Spanish seeking audience.  Machine translation can be used if the message is less critical, for a small audience, or if only a temporary solution.  However, when the message is critical, a trans-cultural adaptation is more likely to get the precise message across to the Hispanic market.