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Translation turns written content from one language into another so that it reads as though it had been written that way in the first place. The commercial demand is broad: websites and online stores, product documentation and manuals, safety and training material, employee handbooks and policies, marketing campaigns, annual reports, contracts and tender submissions. Most of this work is never stamped or filed anywhere. It is judged on whether it is accurate, consistent and comfortable to read.

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Translators specialize. Someone excellent at pharmaceutical regulatory text is not automatically the right choice for advertising copy, and a translator who writes persuasive marketing prose may not be the person to render a technical standard. CTTIC describes translators as professional communicators who transpose a written text from one language into another and convey its content as faithfully as possible, which is a useful reminder that the job is writing rather than word substitution.

LokalMatch treats translation as a normal marketplace service. Set out the content, the language pair, the volume and the deadline, and translators and agencies that cover your subject and area can respond. They pay LokalMatch for the leads they take on; sending the request costs you nothing.

Kinds of translation work businesses buy

  • Website and online store translation, where navigation, product data and page metadata all have to move together rather than just the body text.
  • Technical documentation: manuals, specifications, safety data sheets and maintenance procedures, where a wrong term has real consequences.
  • Marketing and brand content, which often needs adaptation rather than literal rendering so the message lands in the other language.
  • Legal and contractual text, where consistency of defined terms across an entire agreement matters more than elegance.
  • Internal communications: policies, handbooks, training and e-learning for a workforce that does not all read the same language.
  • Subtitling, captions and voice-over scripts, constrained by timing and reading speed as much as by meaning.

How a translation project actually runs

  • Scoping: the translator reviews the real files, counts the words, identifies repetition and flags anything needing a subject-matter answer.
  • Reference gathering: existing glossaries, past translations, style guides and approved product names are collected before anyone starts writing.
  • Translation: a first complete pass by a translator working into the language they write best.
  • Revision: a second qualified linguist compares the translation against the source for accuracy, omissions and consistency.
  • Query resolution: unclear source sentences go back to you rather than being guessed at, which is a reliable sign of a careful supplier.
  • Delivery and layout check: text is returned in working files, then reviewed in its final layout, because translated text rarely occupies the same space as the original.

Human translation, machine translation and post-editing

Machine translation has changed what buyers are offered. Some suppliers quote raw machine output, some quote machine output edited by a linguist, and some quote full human translation with independent revision. These are three different products at three different risk levels, and quotes cannot be compared fairly until you know which one each supplier means.

Match the method to the consequence of an error. Internal documents read for gist, or very large volumes of low-stakes content, can often tolerate edited machine output. Anything carrying legal weight, describing how to operate equipment safely, or representing the brand to customers usually warrants full human translation with a separate reviser. Ask suppliers to state in writing whether machine translation is used and whether your content is sent to a third-party engine, which matters when the material is confidential.

Keeping translated content consistent as it changes

  • Build a bilingual glossary of product names, job titles and recurring phrases, approved by someone in your organization who knows the subject.
  • Ask the supplier to maintain a translation memory of your previous work so repeated sentences stay identical instead of being reinvented each time.
  • Keep a short style guide covering tone, formality, date and number formats, and whether brand names are ever translated.
  • Send updates as tracked changes to existing files rather than as fresh documents, so only genuinely new text is handled.
  • Name one internal reviewer per language who can approve terminology, and keep that person consistent over time.

Common ways business translation goes wrong

  • Text extracted from its layout without context, so the translator cannot tell a button label from a heading.
  • Late source edits that never reach the translator, leaving the two language versions permanently out of step.
  • Different suppliers used over the years with no shared terminology, so one product acquires three different names.
  • Reviewers who rewrite correct translations to personal preference at the last minute, with no time left to check what broke.
  • Content that expands in translation and overflows buttons, table cells and slide templates built for the original language.

What drives a translation quote

Volume is the starting point, but repetition, the difficulty of the subject and the availability of translators in the pair move the number as much as raw word count. A widely served pair with a plentiful supply of specialists behaves very differently from a rare one. Messy source files matter too: text locked inside images or PDFs has to be extracted and rebuilt before translation starts.

Then come the service choices. Whether an independent reviser is included, how fast you need it, whether layout work is part of the deliverable, and how many languages need coordinating all change the effort involved. Deciding these explicitly, rather than accepting a single number, is what makes competing proposals comparable.

Confidentiality, rights and what you get to keep

Translation work routinely involves unreleased products, financial results and personal data. Confidentiality provisions are standard in the professional bodies' codes of ethics, but put your own terms in writing as well: who sees the files, whether freelancers and revisers are bound by the same obligations, where material is stored, and when it is deleted.

Settle ownership before the project begins. The finished translations, the approved glossary and the translation memory built from your content are assets you will want if you ever change supplier. Agree in writing that they are handed over in a usable format at the end of the engagement, and agree how post-delivery corrections are handled if an error surfaces later.

Translators: frequently asked questions

Do I need a certified translator for business documents?

Usually not. Certification matters when an official body will receive the document and has said it requires a certified translation. Marketing copy, websites, manuals and internal policies are judged on quality, not on certification, so choose for subject expertise and writing ability instead.

Should a translator be a native speaker of the target language?

Standard professional practice is to translate into the language you write best, usually your strongest language. What matters alongside that is genuine command of the source language and real familiarity with the subject, since fluency alone will not carry a technical or legal text.

How long should a translation take?

It depends on volume, subject difficulty and whether independent revision is included. A realistic supplier quotes a schedule based on your actual files rather than a flat promise. Be cautious of turnaround that leaves no room for a revision pass, because that is the step usually dropped to hit an impossible deadline.

Can I just use machine translation?

For understanding the gist of incoming material, often yes. For content you publish, sign or rely on, the question is what an error would cost. Many organizations use machine translation with professional post-editing for high-volume material and reserve full human translation for anything customer-facing or legally binding.

How does LokalMatch work for translation?

You describe the project once and translators or agencies working in your language pair and subject area reply to you directly. LokalMatch is paid by the providers who take the lead, not by you, and you deal and contract with the supplier you pick.

Sources

  1. CTTIC — What translators do and the certification exam process
  2. ATIO — Professional categories for translators and terminologists
  3. OTTIAQ — Code of ethics, professional standards and inspection
  4. STIBC — Code of ethics and professional standards in British Columbia

Written by the LokalMatch editorial team. Last reviewed September 14, 2026. How we write and check our guides

What translators can help with

Common reasons people and businesses hire translators:

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What affects the fees translators charge

Fees depend on the work involved and how the professional bills. We only publish fee ranges when they’re backed by real LokalMatch data or reliable sources. Until then, here’s what usually changes the fee:

  • Scope and complexity of the work
  • How the firm bills: hourly, per project or on a monthly retainer
  • Experience of the team
  • Timeline and how urgent the work is
  • Ongoing support after the work is delivered

How to compare translators before you hire

  • Ask for examples of similar work for clients like you.
  • Read reviews and ask for references you can contact.
  • Make sure the scope, deliverables and timeline are written down before work starts.
  • Ask who will do the work: an in-house team, freelancers or subcontractors.
  • Compare two or three proposals before you decide.

Questions to ask translators before you hire

  • Have you done work like this before, and can I see examples?
  • Who will work on this, and who is my main contact?
  • How do you charge: hourly, per project or monthly?
  • What is included, and what costs extra?
  • How long is the contract, and how can either side end it?
  • How will you report on progress?
  • Who owns the work, files and accounts you set up for me?

Licences and registration

This kind of work is often limited to licensed or registered professionals, and the rules depend on where you are. Ask which body they’re registered with, and check their status on that body’s public register before you hire.

Guides about translation

Related professional services

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