How to Create a Website Translation Budget
Before embarking on a website translation project, you’ll likely want to know how much it will cost. Website translation costs vary from project to project and depend on several variables. So how do you create a website translation budget? And, more importantly, how do you save website localization costs when possible?
Each website translation project is different. However, there are a handful of tasks within the website localization process that remain consistent. Here we’ll look at what goes into a website translation budget as well as how to save website localization costs along the way.
Component of a Website Translation Budget
To prepare your website translation budget, you will need to account for the following:
- Translation: Translation is usually priced per word, and its cost depends on the complexity and style of your subject matter. In the industry, this phase of the project is referred to as Translation-Editing-Proofreading (TEP).
- Design: Your translated website content may require new navigation tools or templates to accommodate differences in text size or direction. Multilingual website design is calculated per hour. Graphics may also need to be localized; graphic localization is also priced per hour.
- SEO: Your keywords and metadata need to be localized in order to reach your target audience. In addition, your Content Management System (CMS) may need to be optimized for these changes. These duties are billed on a per-hour basis.
- Engineering: Your website translation budget needs to account for both preliminary and post engineering. Preliminary engineering prepares source documents for localization, while post engineering transfers documents back into their source files and original format to ensure no code or markup has been changed. This is priced per hour.
- Quality Assurance: Your website is tested for quality and functionality before it goes live. This process ensures your translated content will resonate with your target audience and is priced per hour.
- Project Management Fee: Clients pay a project management fee to account for project coordination, client review and approval process and maintenance of a client’s translation services portal.
Save Website Localization Costs
There are a few ways to save website translation costs.
For starters, make sure you’re only translating content that needs to be translated. Since translation is priced per word, smaller projects will cost less. Do a content analysis to see which pages perform the best; low-performing content might not need to be translated.
Sharing commonly used terminology with your translation provider will also save money. Work with your translation partner early to incorporate common terms and phrases. This terminology can then be inserted into your Translation Memory, which will identify “repeated” terms, which are charged at a lower rate.
Using technology like Globalization Partners International’s (GPI) Website Translation Connector can also save clients time and money.
Request a Website Translation Quote Today
GPI offers comprehensive website localization services and prepares solutions that meet clients’ specific needs. Request a quote today to learn more.
