Can you translate my certificate?

At Web-Translations, we provide B2B translations to help our clients trade internationally and do not normally work with individual customers.

We cannot provide what is known as ‘sworn translations’ or ‘certified translations’; please check if that is what you need before getting in touch.

For more information on what requirements the UK government has for translations submitted in support of visa/passport/residency applications, please follow this link to the www.gov.uk site.

We can provide translations with a statement on company letterhead stating that the document has been professionally translated. For some requests, we can provide a statement that the translator is a member of the UK’s Institute of Linguists (IoL) or the UK’s Institute of Translation & Interpreting (ITI), or is a member of an official body in a different country. However, this is not always possible.

Please note that our minimum charge for translations under 300 words is £60 (VAT inclusive) for most languages.

How can I translate for Web-Translations?

If you are a professional translator with at least 3 years’ experience of translating into your native tongue and a translation qualification in addition to a university degree, we’d love to hear from you! You can fill out our translator contact form here and read more about our requirements here.

When will my translation be ready?

This speed with which we can get your translated document(s) back to you will depend on the file type you provide, the number of words in the original, the subject area and the preparation required to make it look like the original.

Once we have prepared your original documents, they go through two stages as standard: translation followed by proofreading. As a rough guide, an individual translator can translate around 2,000 words per day, with a proofreader handling around 6-8,000 words a day. These figures will depend on the availability of the linguist and on how technical the content is.

Who will translate my document?

We work exclusively with native-speaking freelance translators and proofreaders, who have postgraduate-level translation qualifications and specialise in the relevant domain. They must also have at least 3 years’ professional experience.

What languages do you translate into?

We translate into 140+ languages, so we’re sure your language pair won’t be a problem for us! Click here for a list of our most common languages.

Can't I just use Google Translate?

At Web-Translations, we believe that if you’ve decided to communicate with an international audience, you really want to do a good job of it. While Google Translate’s free service has improved over the years, its accuracy is still nothing close to what a professional and experienced translator can offer, and the results can sometimes be embarrassing to your business.

Try to recall the last time you purchased from, or browsed, a website that was obviously not written by a native English speaker. That’s the experience a visitor to your site will have with a non-human translation. If you can’t remember the last time you used such a site, that’s probably because the site was difficult to read, and hence difficult to use.

Internet users make fast decisions, and increasingly so. When you communicate with them in their own language, saying “yes” becomes a lot easier and more automatic. Don’t put unnecessary hurdles on the track; a misplaced word from a free engine like Google Translate can send the whole thing back to the starting blocks.

Let us help you get started.

Why use an agency? Can I not just do it myself?

Web-Translations has all the requisite skills, experience, infrastructure and technologies at its disposal – plus of course the qualified and vetted professional translators. Localisation is not a simple process. Peace of mind and assured accuracy is guaranteed only if you choose a dedicated and experienced agency such as Web-Translations.

Even the multi-nationals run into trouble because of linguistic and cultural differences:

• Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an American ad campaign: “Nothing sucks like an Electrolux”
• In Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan “Come alive with the Pepsi Generation” came out as “Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead”
• In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into “Schweppes Toilet Water”

At Web-Translations we ensure you avoid embarrassing mistakes like these, which can cost you your reputation and potentially damage your brand.  As a multi-award-winning service provider, Web-Translations delivers outstanding online marketing solutions to well-known brands including: South African Airways, QuietPC.com, Heatmiser and HolidayCheck. We also have a proven track record of achieving excellent results for our clients, making us the partner of choice for clients from a range of sectors – we can do the same for you.

Why should I work with Web-Translations?

End to End Service

• Our services range from helping you plan an international eMarketing strategy to strengthening relations with local offices.

High Quality Service

• We take quality control very seriously, and our quality assurance procedures include proofreading as standard, regular translator testing and post-project reporting.

Language Asset Management

• Save money and improve consistency by reusing previously translated content.

Project Management Excellence

• Our multilingual project managers maintain excellent relationships with our translators.  Happy translators = more time dedicated to your text and better service for you.

Breadth of Industries and Clients

• From chocolate makers to car manufacturers, our experience in many industries means that we have the skills and experience you need.

Flexible and Scalable

• Need one or a hundred translators for your project? Have a small informational website, or a large eCommerce site? No project is too small or too big – our services range from a 1-page microsite creation service to localisation of bespoke eCommerce sites.

What is website localisation?

Website localisation is the process of adapting a website for a linguistically and culturally different audience, making it appropriate to local tastes. Expressing prices in a particular currency, formatting dates and measurements, adapting links to point to pages in the same language and ensuring that the material is culturally relevant and appropriate are all examples of website localisation. Read our Localisation Advice articles for more information.

What are the best languages to localise into?

This depends entirely on your industry, your target market and many other variable factors.  The best way to find out is to contact us and discuss your requirements with one of our consultants.

Do I have to change host, ISP or use your servers?

No, it is not necessary, although it is advantageous to have your translated sites on a server located in the target country.  It will be quicker for your visitors, and search engines prefer it too, so local rankings will improve.  Let our expert web consultancy team guide you through the process.

Can you translate off-line material?

Yes. As long as it is supplied in an electronic format we can translate it. Web-Translations offers professional translation of brochures, manuals and documents for information or publication.

Can you translate images?

Yes.  Web-Translations can localise almost any graphics file. We prefer to work with the .psd files used to create the images, so that we can simply replace the English text with its translation.  If the source file is not available, we can still work with your .jpg or .gif files.  We offer a range of typesetting / desktop publishing services.

Do I have to pay for a quotation?

No, all quotations are FREE! Standard translation projects are simple to quote for, and will often be returned within two hours. However, some quotations must be more detailed to be able to cover the full project.  For example, the localisation of an eCommerce website is divided between static content, the product catalogue, project management and development time, technical localisation and Search Engine Optimisation, and as such a quotation will require more preparation time.

How do I localise credit card processing for my website?

Our technical experts work with systems that allow transactions in multiple currencies.  We have localised eCommerce sites for a variety of currencies, including Japanese Yen and euros. Visit our Portfolio for recent eCommerce examples.