Machine Translation: English may be the lingua franca of the Internet, but customers worldwide rarely shop online if they don’t have, the necessary information in their native language. Find out how machine translation can help companies unlock the full potential of global markets.
The result of a study by CSA Research is clear: 40 percent of consumers worldwide would never buy a product online if the most critical information were missing in their mother tongue. In addition, 76 per cent prefer content in their mother tongue when they can choose the language of the website.
This clarifies that as global online trade increases, so does the need for translations. To master the triangle of online trade – traffic, conversion and shopping cart value – across markets, companies must continuously provide content adapted to their target markets’ local needs.
However, global players like eBay know very well that it is impossible to have all content translated by people – because new content is added every day. When the tech giant automated content translation through artificial intelligence (AI) in 2014, it recorded an export increase of 17.5 per cent.
Machine translation can translate large amounts of text efficiently. The critical question is: How do companies use machine translation correctly to succeed in the world market?
Machine Translation For Straightforward Content
Raw machine translation means that qualified translators do not revise the content. Therefore, natural machine translation is best suited for the rough capture of straightforward textual content, such as:
- Hardly visible or little-frequented content, such as internal documentation, website footers, or social media posts, analyses the mood.
- Repetitive technical content, such as operating instructions, does not have to be 100 percent precise but can only be used in practice.
- User-generated content, such as product reviews, does not expect high text quality.
- Content quickly becomes out of date, such as e-mail or chat messages in service and support.
- Large amounts of content with short turnaround times, such as product descriptions, need to go online quickly.
- Frequently changed content, such as product updates.
If you choose to do a raw machine translation, it is essential to use the Machine Translation Engine (MTE) appropriate for the language pair and content type. To do this, you can let your translation software choose the best MTE. Many MTEs have the option of building in a glossary of fixed translations that apply them consistently – helpful in avoiding incorrect translations of brand names and technical terms.
Light Or Complete Post-Processing For More Sensitive Content
For quality reasons, some content types and in certain situations require light or complete post-processing of the machine translation output by a qualified translator (Machine Translation Post-Editing, or MTPE for short).
The good news: You can support the post-processors work with traditional translation tools such as glossaries, terminology databases, translation memories, and branding books and style guides. In this way, you ensure that the voice and messages of your brand remain consistent across all cultures and languages. This can be implemented very well with MTPE.
Use machine translation post-editing in the following cases:
- Product names
- Item descriptions
- Knowledge bases
- SEO metadata in the backend of a website
Human Translation In Branding And Culture
Highly frequented, long-lasting and brand-related content is best in the hands of professional specialist translators. So when it comes to convincing, delighting, or calming your readership, you should refrain from machine translation.
In these cases, a professional translator needs to localize the message in the target language. The keyword here is “transcription” – the creative adaptation of a source text to the cultural conditions in the target market. This is the case with:
- Home and landing pages
- Blog articles
- Newsletters
- Press releases
- Print and digital advertising
- SEO content
Memsource Accompanies You On The Way To World Success
Professional translators have a keen sense of the language and in-depth specialist knowledge. You can only use both efficiently if you work with modern technology. With a translation management system like Me source, translators and companies become a well-coordinated team.
If you want to bring global content to the stage successfully, Me source provides you with essential insights. In this white paper, you will learn best practices that can support your company in finding the right balance between artificial intelligence and human expertise. World success is only a matter of time.
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