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When you’re entering a new marketplace that requires you to communicate with customers in a new language, one of the first things you’ll want to do is localize your website and collateral business materials. Localization involves translating content into the target language while ensuring its message reaches across cultures without losing its meaning.
The impact of localization on purchasing decisions can’t be underestimated. Studies show that 72 percent of consumers are more likely to buy a product that contains information in their own language. A whopping 56 percent say obtaining information about a product in their own language is more important than price.
 
Localization is more than translating words
There are several steps to localizing content, and word translation is only one component. A myriad of assorted tasks make up the professional localization process.
Images, graphics, and other visual assets may need to be adapted to suit the target market’s cultural nuances and tastes.
Phone numbers, addresses, and other contact information could require reformatting to meet local expectations.
Content may require conversion to match local currencies and units of measurement.
Depending on the original and target language, online and printed resources may need design and formatting alterations to accommodate right-to-left languages like Arabic and Hebrew.
 
What should you localize?
When deciding what materials to include in your localization project, you’ll want to look beyond marketing copy and website content. Don’t forget about: You’ll want to put your best foot forward when entering a new global market and for that you’ll need the services of a professional localization team. The average business owner has limited access to translation technology and automated translators simply aren’t up to the complexities of important projects of this kind. Localization professionals bring a strong combination of technical expertise and reliable tools that are required to retain the subtleties of the message, understand the nuances of the culture, and the manage the technicalities of translation. Professional localization teams also help you create style guides so your project stays consistent no matter how large it scales. Learn more about how to make the most of your website localization project or contact us today for a free, no obligation quote. Image: ©istock.com/oaltindag

Terminology is the study of terms and their use. However, to a translation company, terminology refers to a specific group of descriptive words used by an organization to describe commonly used terms within their own business “language.”  Different organizations will have different terms used to describe their products, services, concepts and ways of doing things. These may include preferred acronyms, jargon, product names, tag lines, industry-specific terms and more. These approved terms are often grouped into terminology glossaries so that users can use the same terms to describe the same entities consistently. For translators, terminology glossaries are critical, because they must translate terms across languages and ensure that they are using the same translated term in the same way every time the word or phrase is used. For this reason, many organizations have terminology glossaries prepared specifically for use by translators. At Avantpage, we encourage our clients to maintain terminology glossaries that contain commonly used terms and their preferred translations into the target languages they use most. We help organizations set up and maintain these glossaries for use by translators through our Linguistic Asset Management services. Terminology glossaries help linguists to ensure consistency across projects, especially when a number of different translators are working on a project concurrently. Setting up a terminology glossary from scratch takes coordination between an organization and their chosen language services provider or translator. Lists of terms are created, definitions finalized and translations defined for each target language. The glossary generally evolves over time, as new terms are added and older ones revised or deleted. Terminology glossaries are invaluable business tools for all organizations whether they use translators or not. These glossaries help employees maintain consistency in every form of written communication by providing specific information regarding an organization’s personal preferences. When used by language service providers, terminology glossaries provide translation guidelines for a company’s terms, enabling translators to maintain consistency and accuracy across every project. Glossaries generally provide the term, its translation (in different languages as needed) the term’s grammar (gender, noun, verb, etc.), its definition, and an example of its use in context. Glossaries also typically include a list of terms that are not to be translated into foreign languages. These are usually product names or acronyms. Terminology glossaries are constantly evolving to reflect a company’s growth and expansion. Most companies prefer to review their glossaries every six to twelve months with their language services provider to ensure all updated material is included.

Chinese translation and localization projects are among the most common requests our clients make, and with good reason.  More than 1.2 billion people worldwide speak Chinese and it’s one of the fastest growing consumer markets in the world. Chinese is the second most commonly spoken non-English language in the United States, with over 2.8 million speakers across the country. Translating written materials and web content into Chinese requires translation professionals to employ techniques that accommodate the differences in between Latin letters and Chinese characters. Care must be taken to convey the content’s original meaning while keeping in mind cultural implications and the nuances of the written language. Lots of factors affect the way content is translated into Chinese. However, the first decision you must make before launching your translation or localization project is whether to translate written text into Simplified or Traditional Chinese. Let’s take a look at the differences between the two. Traditional Chinese is used primarily in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and also among the Chinese speaking population of Malaysia. The Traditional Chinese writing system dates back to the 5th century and uses about 13,000 characters, some highly complex. It's a nuanced and visually beautiful language, but quite difficult to learn -- even for native Chinese speakers. Many organizations find value in providing Traditional Chinese-translated printed or digital content to consumers. For instance, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art created an iPad app in Traditional Chinese and the Museum of Modern Art distributes maps in the language to help visitors find their way around. Likewise, most healthcare providers in the United States translate their materials into Traditional Chinese because of the history and demographic of the Chinese population in this country. Simplified Chinese is commonly used in mainland China and Singapore; Chinese speakers in the United States generally use Traditional Chinese as well. The Simplified Chinese writing system, introduced by the Chinese government in 1949 to reduce illiteracy in China’s population,  uses about 8,000 simplified characters and is easier to write and understand. Many significant translation projects use Simplified Chinese. Starting in May, the New York Times will begin publishing a condensed version of its newspaper in Simplified Chinese. “The use of simplified Chinese characters will accommodate tourists from mainland China where the writing system is more widely used. Hong Kong and Macau typically use an older, more complicated form of script although simplified Chinese is understood,” reports the Times’ Lukas Alpert. Which type of Chinese you choose greatly depends on your goals and the audience you wish to reach. To ensure messages reach the entire Chinese target audience, many companies opt to translate documents and web content into both Traditional and Simplified Chinese concurrently for maximum impact. Let Avantpage help you create a style guide and translation roadmap to keep your Chinese translation project consistent and on track.

For organizations that translate large volumes of material, style guides can be a godsend. Style guides are created collaboratively between the language services provider and the organization, and they are then used by linguists to communicate an organization’s “style” consistently and accurately with every translated piece. For translators, style guides make the translation process smoother, easier and faster. For clients, style guides ensure that every translated project contains a consistent style, tone and format, no matter the target language or the individual working on it. Style guides provide translators with a list of standardized elements that must be handled the same way every time. These can include capitalization, grammar, measurements, acronyms, dates and numerals, text never to be translated, company trademarks, formatting (bold, italic, font use, etc.) currencies, and formal versus informal “voice” and tone of language. Style guides are unique for each target language, and larger organizations may maintain style guides in numerous languages. Microsoft has some excellent examples of style guides adapted to reflect the different target languages this organization caters to By using style guides, organizations can ensure that translated content communicates the same consistent message, no matter how many translators end up working on a particular project. Style guides save time as well, since translated work already conforms to the organization’s stylistic and cultural norms and does not have to be corrected for style, tone or standard elements. Style guides can initially take ten hours or more to create, as well as additional time for maintenance. However, this relatively small investment poses big rewards in acompany’s future. Once you have your style guides created, they are owned by your company and stored with your translation assets. Your language services provider can help you create and maintain style guides in the target languages you translate into most. At Avantpage, we have experience creating style guides. When our translators set to work on a project, these style guides are a critical piece of the translation process, enabling translators to work faster, more accurately, and more cost-effectively.  Less wasted time and effort translates into significant client cost savings.

Now that access to quality medical care in the U.S. has become easier under the Affordable Healthcare Act, health providers are increasingly faced with the challenge of treating patients with limited English proficiency (LEP). Fortunately, there are several healthcare translation options that help ensure patients receive information and advice in their native language. In an ideal world, each patient would have access to a native speaker of their language throughout their medical journey. Patients often use family members to help interpret during medical visits, but the risk of translation error is quite high. Some hospitals provide on-site professional medical interpreters, but staffing for every possible language need is nearly impossible. In many cases, the cost of professional in-person interpreter services is prohibitive. According to Modern Healthcare, “an American Medical Association survey found that costs of $150 or more for interpreter services often exceeded a physician's payment for the visit, presenting what the AMA called a ‘significant hardship’ for practices.” In an effort to keep costs down while still providing professional language services, many hospitals are turning to video technology. “West Chester Hospital [in southeast Ohio] since November has used a handful of iPads at patients’ bedsides to access certified translators in over 10 languages through LanguageLine Solutions. The iPads are on wheels and stand about three feet tall, said Rosemary Bake, interpretive services coordinator,” reports Hannah Poturalski of the Journal-News. Video interpretation is a more cost-effective way for healthcare facilities to provide language services without sacrificing the quality and expertise professional interpreters bring to the table. It also provides access to a wider range of languages without requiring hospitals and doctor’s offices to be staffed with several different in-house interpreters. While in-person or video translation options are helpful, they aren’t practical for every healthcare environment or budget. Furthermore, they’re of little use once the patient leaves the facility. This is where written documentation has a serious edge over other types of language services. All 50 states have laws regarding language access in healthcare settings. Some simply require medical providers to provide basic translation services while other state regulations are far more comprehensive. For instance, all California health plans must provide translation and language assistance services to enrollees with limited English proficiency. As of 2011, hospitals and healthcare facilities seeking accreditation by the Joint Commission must translate all forms, documentation, signage, and patient care instructions into languages appropriate to the community it serves. Written documentation that has been translated by professional linguistic experts is not only the law, it’s an important step in providing safe, quality patient care. Professional healthcare translation doesn’t have to be a daunting process. Read our case study on how the Avantpage team translated over 600 pages (and 205,000 words!) of English medical documentation into Spanish in just 30 days. You will also want to download our brochure on healthcare translation services.

If you’ve ever used an online translation app to translate snippets of text, you know it can be unwieldy at best. At worst, the results can be downright wrong. Basic translation tools are fine for content that’s not mission-critical, but for large projects like website localization it just won’t fit the bill. Professional website localization entails much more than simply changing words into another language. Skilled translators work with your existing content to make sure its original meaning is preserved while also ensuring it is culturally relevant and meets the expectations of people who visit your website. If you’re planning to localize your website to reach new target markets or to compete on a global level, there are several things to keep in mind. Here’s what you need to know to make your website localization project shine. Even before the first word is translated, it’s important to map out your organization’s mission and strategy for the globalization project. Decide what markets you want to target first and consider what cultural factors may impact your brand’s messaging. In some cases, you may discover that transcreation is a more appropriate approach for your needs. Proper planning lets you hit the ground running with whichever method is best for your company. It’s tempting to hand over every page of your website for translation but, in some cases, that may not be economical or practical. In fact, some of your web pages may not require localization at all. Certain product, shipping, or delivery information may only be relevant to limited geographical areas so what matters to customers in the U.S. may have nothing to do with customers in South America. Limit your first round of localized content to the main pages of your website that best highlight your product or service. You can always add additional pages down the road. Be sure to let your localization team know what your goals are so they can make the best choices when translating your content. The goal of the project is to make the new content look, feel, and function as if it were produced in the target country. This may involve creating additional content, color schemes, and visual elements to reflect the expectations of the target demographic. You know your business and customers best so don’t be afraid to give your translation team a bounty of information about your brand so they can provide the best results. Conversely, translation professionals will give you excellent advice about how to make sure your website localization project puts its best foot forward. By working together, expertise from both sides will help create solid localized content that speaks directly to the culture and the customers you’re targeting. To learn more about how Avantpage can help you with your website localization project, download our free guide, AvantWeb: Essentials of Web Localization. For a free quote, fill in our online quote request, or call or email us today:

By Rocío Haskell, Delta Dental
Republished from GALAxy Newsletter: Q1 2015 Five years into a well-established client-vendor relationship, in autumn of 2013, Delta Dental and Avantpage realized a revised roadmap could take their collaboration in a new, positive direction. One year later, both organizations have seen their relationship evolve into a real partnership. Sometimes, even with the best business practices in place, a client-vendor relationship needs to be revitalized, as project requirements evolve and changes take place within the organizations themselves. This is the story that Delta Dental and Avantpage have to tell: Five years into a well-established client-vendor relationship, in autumn of 2013 both organizations realized a revised roadmap could take their collaboration in a new, positive direction. Fortunately, their story is one with a happy ending: One year later, Delta Dental and Avantpage have seen their relationship evolve into a real partnership.  An additional consequence of this growing relationship was account revenues that saw an increase of 88%, with projections for even more growth in 2015. So how did this all happen? When I joined Delta Dental in 2013, it was my goal to establish an enterprise translation process based on industry benchmark standards. As an experienced localization manager with a background in multicultural marketing, I was accustomed to running a well-oiled machine when it came to translation of marketing content. What I encountered at Delta Dental was very different: a multiple-vendor model with no shared translation management system (each LSP had its own TM) there was no centralized terminology management and essentially no TM maintenance was in place. With multiple vendors often working on the same language and TM exchange (TMX), content was not being leveraged and the translations were full of inconsistencies, resulting in increased costs and poor overall translation quality. I knew what needed to be done to guide the organization into the next stage of the maturity continuum. I was ready to explore a number of new initiatives, including regular client-vendor meetings, glossary maintenance, and increased linguist participation in the terminology process. 2013 was also a pivotal year for Avantpage. The company had taken a new direction in leadership, with the goal of building stronger client-vendor relationships. David Serra, long-time industry veteran, had just signed on as Senior Director of Client Services. Like me, Serra brought years of experience and knowledge to his company. Both of us understood that enforcing good communication between the key stakeholders was essential to a productive collaboration, and so the conversation began. The first step was to define the essential challenges: to assess exactly what needed to be done to produce high quality translations that would continue to meet market expectations. An experienced communicator, Serra knew how to ask open-ended questions without defensive comments and rationalizations: the goal was to identify any problems and fix them. When client and vendor were able to sit down together face-to-face (as opposed to scattered email and phone calls), both of us could engage in a genuine, frank exchange of ideas. Both of us also realized that any realignment could not be completed during one meeting. Taking a leap of faith together, we outlined our goals and scheduled a series of follow-up sessions. We then began a thorough, systematic assessment of the situation. We started by taking a close look at our project resources to identify possible areas for improvement. For Avantpage, that meant finding the right mix of project managers to execute day-to-day operations while still finding time to actively engage with the client. It was understood that Delta Dental required experienced PMs who were versed in both the client history and internal processes, including an optimal application of tools and technology. We also found that there had not been a proper transfer of knowledge between Delta Dental and Avantpage: no TM, no glossary, no style guides, and no review of previous translations. Avantpage responded by empowering a new Director of Operations, Vera Hooijdonk. She and Serra worked together to guarantee that the client’s expectations were being met at every point throughout the translation process, and that PM assignments, responsibilities, and performance were more closely aligned with client needs. Hooijdonk appointed a new project manager, Dominica Woszyck, who was in command of the skillset required by Delta Dental. Now, Avantpage had the resources at hand to effectively standardize and oversee operational and delivery processes, while addressing project management issues on an individual level. At the same time, I brought on Yi Yao, an experienced PM and highly qualified Chinese linguist, to manage day-to-day project operations. Yao and Woszyck crafted a productive relationship in which they communicated freely to solve issues and jobs.  New efficiencies were initiated: for example, linguist-to-linguist communication was no longer routed through the Avantpage project managers. By having the linguists interact directly with their counterparts at Delta Dental, a smoother workflow emerged with less risk for bottlenecks and misunderstandings. Next, there was an identified need to cut back on the number of vendor translators, and Avantpage also had to ensure that the right vendors were being used. In particular, the quality of Chinese was identified as a problem. To rectify this, the vendor prerequisites needed to be clearly spelled out, underlining the level of subject matter expertise required by the translators. The quality of Spanish being delivered by Avantpage was much different, essentially very good, although inconsistent. This became a good case study to understand what was being done right. With in-country offices, Spanish quality was being monitored by in-house lead linguists, and Delta Dental also had similar resources in place on our end. I already had the ideal resource on staff with PM Yi Yao, who was a native speaker of Chinese. While language quality assurance (LQA) was being executed by outside vendors, the volume for both these languages was so high that in-house expertise could only add value. Most importantly, the issues surrounding terminology management required immediate action. I understood that by contract, the enterprise owned the content of their LSPs as it related to their translations and that my team was not keeping up with due diligence. With no real TM maintenance, no regular sharing of TMs between the LSPs, ad hoc glossaries, and no style guides, there could only be one expected outcome: inconsistency. Each language was using a glossary that was full of errors, unilaterally imposed on the LSPs by the enterprise. This led to translator confusion, as well as significant cost inefficiency with time-consuming QA and rework. I knew it was time to put my plan to build new glossaries for Spanish and Chinese into action. The improved glossaries would best be developed in close collaboration with the vendor, with signoff from all stakeholders. Yao was tasked with driving the initiative for Chinese, while the Avantpage team took charge of Spanish. I initiated weekly glossary meetings where linguistic experts from both parties worked to identify, research, discuss, and confirm the appropriate terminology for the targeted markets. With the newly approved glossaries, TMs could be cleaned up and the vendors could provide the desired consistency and overall quality. The improved results immediately showed up in the QA process, as well as a significant savings in recycling. TM maintenance was put on a regular schedule to keep pace with the ongoing glossary development process. After many months of hard work and close cooperation between Delta Dental and Avantpage, the new roadmap had been implemented and a new synergy developed between the two organizations. This case study of Delta Dental and Avantpage underlines a broader industry trend of 2014 as LSPs moved away from their traditional role as "Language Services Providers" to "Language Solutions Providers." With a greater need for translation quality to vie in competitive markets, LSPs found themselves working towards a deeper understanding of client requirements to provide them with solutions tailored to their specific needs. Communication lies at the forefront of building this relationship, as well as putting the right team in place, defining clearly stated objectives, and leveraging the right tools and processes. This eventually leads to a “trusted advisor” relationship, a true partnership of both trust and empowerment. Moving ahead, the Delta Dental/Avantpage team has even more on our agenda. There are plans for the needed style guides and quarterly business reviews, and very importantly, the enterprise is looking to a single translation management system (TMS) across all vendors. Efforts to improve, monitor and report on quality control are being put in place as another industry veteran, Lori Ann Reinhall, joins the Avantpage team as Quality Manager. Keeping up with industry innovation, the Avantpage team continues to take advantage of “the cloud” with the implementation of state-of-art TM and TMS technology—and they’re taking Delta Dental with them. No longer will client, LSP, and freelancers work in separate silos, resulting in even better collaboration and sharing of language assets and, ultimately,  even higher consistency and translation quality. Rocío Haskell is currently the Hispanic Marketing and Localization Manager for Delta Dental Insurance Company. She joined Delta after many proven successes in developing, championing, implementing, and managing marketing and customer experience programs for numerous Fortune 500 companies. Rocío’s areas of expertise include customer experience, loyalty, co-branding, retention, small business, multicultural marketing, translation, localization, project management and strategic planning.

The term translation and all it entails is familiar to most people, but transcreation isn’t as well understood. Both have their place in the professional world but are used to produce very different results. Let’s unpack the differences between translation and transcreation and take a look at when to use each language conversion method. At its most basic, translation is simply the process of rendering words from one language to another. Professional translators use their deep knowledge of their native tongue to retain the nuances, subtleties, linguistic quirks, and direct definitions of the translated material. For example, the Spanish spoken in Latin America and Spain are distinctly individual. Though similar, they each have their own unique vocabulary, grammar, and colloquialisms. Indeed, even Spanish spoken across different regions of Latin America vary enough to each require their own translation considerations. When translating materials into Spanish, it's critical to match the correct word to its regional meaning. It’s very important to establish positive communication in Latino and Hispanic communities by creating Spanish language messaging that’s on target culturally as well as linguistically. The same goes for most languages across the globe. Whether you’re translating materials for a Spanish, Chinese, Dutch, or Vietnamese audience, translated content should always match the expectations of the ethnic audience you’re trying to reach. The transcreation process is most often used by marketing professionals to build the targeted-language messaging for a concept or idea from the ground up. It takes into account not only the technical aspects of translation, but also embraces the intended audience’s cultural and societal norms. Transcreation is used to help marketers convey the meaning behind their message. It’s most effective when the pre-translated content contains idioms, puns, and jargon that doesn’t easily crossover from one language to another. Transcreation professionals help businesses identify when translated phrasing may be misunderstood or, worse, be considered offensive in the new language. One of the most unfortunately famous examples of a transcreation blunder occurred when KFC opened a slew of its restaurants in China and retained its marketing slogan, “Finger-lickin’ good.” The fast food company was chagrined to learn that the phrase actually encouraged Chinese diners to “Eat your fingers off.” For some language transition projects, simple translation may be all that’s needed. The process is ideal for the direct translation of educational, election, and insurance material, as well as technical or medical documentation. For projects where the success of a marketing or messaging campaign is heavily reliant on cultural understanding in the country where it will be used, transcreation is the way to go. Translation agencies employ transcreation professionals who possess the additional translation skills necessary to translate more than words. They also translate the emotion and intent behind them. Image: Simon Shek

The preservation of endangered languages is a mission critical task for linguistic and translation professionals around the world. Beyond the historical implications of protecting indigenous languages, it’s important to safeguard the native tongue of global cultures for individuals who currently speak the language. Let’s take at what’s involved in preserving languages and what it means for the translation industry as a whole. Human language is a fluid, ever-changing form of communication. It’s content and structure changes over time to reflect the culture of its native speakers and holds clues to its history. “Every language has poetry,” says Bob Holman, host of PBS program Language Matters. “Each [one] holds a little piece of information or a lot of information, can hold information about medicines and health, can hold information about the constellations in the sky. And that’s information that, if you lose the language, you lose that connection with that place, with that way of thinking, with tens of thousands of years of that language’s lineage.” As with any avenue of historical study, researching a language’s past can provide clues to its future. Endangered languages are particularly vulnerable, so it’s important to learn all we can from them before they go extinct. Naturally, one of the biggest benefits of the preservation of endangered languages is the impact it has on the understanding of how languages grow and develop. Since communication is a fundamental part of human interaction, the study of indigenous languages offers limitless insight into humanity itself. As languages grow closer to becoming extinct, the circle of people who speak them grows smaller. However, whether the language is as common as Italian or as rare as Pitkern, existing speakers still need access to translation resources. Efforts to preserve endangered languages help translators provide services to people in communities where their native language is not primarily spoken. Through crowdsourced or direct translation projects, speakers of endangered languages can access community resources like health care, education services, and other necessities that directly impact their quality of life. Organizations like The Enduring Voices Project and the Endangered Language Project are making great strides in language preservation. However, the continued globalization of the internet is positively impacting efforts as well. “While the dispersal of speech communities across the globe has led to the demise of some languages, technology popularized by globalization is playing an equally important role in their revitalization. Through the internet and mobile communications, people are reconnecting with fellow speakers using digital tools to revive languages on the endangered list,” writes Yale linguistics expert Mark Turin. UNESCO’s Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger lists 576 languages as critically endangered, but thousands more are threatened. It’s important for the translation industry to support measures that slow down or mitigate the loss of an important part of global cultures. Equally, businesses that provide resources to individuals with limited English proficiency must do what they can to help lessen the impact of languages that may be lost forever. Image: Retlaw Snellac Photography

Website localization is the process of translating and adapting the language of a website for foreign markets. It’s a hot topic right now in the translation industry, and with good reason.  Converting site content to a second (or third) language is clearly tied to more effective strategic marketing and higher sales. For instance, the UK-based mobile app development company Triggertrap saw 750% increase in sales after localizing its website into a second language. While search engine-powered online translation tools are handy for short passages of text, they are simply not designed for the heavy lifting needed to localize multi-page, content-filled websites. At best, the subtle nuances of your message may be lost. At worst, a bad translation job may drive visitors away from your site entirely. In some cases, poorly translated websites may even attract national attention. Translation agencies have the tools and resources to get the job done effectively and efficiently while protecting your companies image and branding. Localizing a site seems like a huge undertaking but it doesn’t need to be intimidating. Let’s take a step-by-step look at the process. It’s always a good idea to do some due diligence before committing to a localization project. Can your intended market support your product or service? Are there any laws and regulations that will impact the new market you’re entering? How will you communicate with non-English speakers in your new target market? Make sure you have plans in place to address the new opportunities and challenges a localized website may present. Here’s where you decide what language or languages you’ll focus on along with which parts of your website will be localized. It’s tempting to tackle several languages at once and apply them to every part of your site, but the reality is that’s really not necessary. It’s usually better to strategically localize only the main sections of your site in one or two languages and slowly build out from there. An added bonus? That approach is easier on your pocketbook, too. You’ll probably want to invest in a local domain name or web address specific to the language you’re targeting to give your site a local feel. Now is also a good time to get a local telephone number, mailing address, and imagery associated with the country or region you’re focusing on. In the meantime, your translation company will check your existing website for several things, including hard-coded text, third-party scripts, and plugins that may need to be removed. The team will also assess any needs unique to the project itself, such as special text direction flow. When you work with a professional translation company, it’s common to have several people working on your localization project at one time. In addition to the translation team, you’ll typically find a project manager, linguistic lead, localization engineer, and even a graphic designer to make sure all your images are consistent with the rest of your site. Of course, you’ll have a project contact of your own and may want to consider bringing in a language proofer at the end of the project to ensure the delivered product meets your expectations. Website localization can be a minefield of issues if not managed properly so human-powered methods are definitely the way to go. Fortunately, translation agencies are skilled at handling the complexities so you can focus on what you do best -- delighting your customers. If you would like to learn more about website localization, don't hesitate to contact Avantpage today: David Serra | Sr. Director of Client Services | [email protected]
530.750.2040 x12 | cel 530.400.2890| fax 530.750.2024
Avantpage | Connect with Language® | www.avantpage.com

Avantpage is excited to report that in 2014 over 97% of our clients in the healthcare vertical were fully satisfied with our medical translation services, and 100% of them would recommend us to a colleague. At Avantpage, we are always committed to providing our customers with exceptional, high-quality translation services, including on-demand “Rapid Fire" translation requests, ADA Compliant PDFs, SBC and EOCs, digital media, web services and marketing materials. Our medical translation language services, coupled with our state-of-the-art translation technology, allow healthcare providers to provide documentation, signage, forms, letters, and medical instructions in numerous languages to meet the communication requirements of Limited English Proficient (LEP) clientele within a healthcare setting. Our services also ensure compliance with government regulations for healthcare entities, including SBCs, EOCs and ADA requirements. Download our “Medical Translations Best Practices” PDF now for more information! Our professional translators are fully fluent in English and their target languages, with expertise in medical, health plan, insurance and benefits terminology – critical for producing accurate, high-quality translations within the highly specialized healthcare market. Through our adoption of cutting-edge technologies, we are poised to handle a greater number of complex projects, deliver faster results and provide even better customer service to our healthcare clients. At Avantpage we look forward to forging productive, mutually beneficial partnerships with healthcare providers around the country, and can’t wait to get started on a new round of  translation programs in 2015 and beyond. Visit our website to read more about healthcare/medical translation, or call/email us directly to discuss our translation services, receive a free quote, or have any of your questions answered.

Our 2014 survey has been completed, and once again respondents have provided us with valuable feedback we use to measure, analyze and improve our performance. At Avantpage, goal #1 is to provide exceptional service at every level, to every customer, through every step of the translation process. Our customers are our greatest asset, and keeping them satisfied is our first priority. After all, without them we wouldn’t even be here! Clear, honest communication, unwavering commitment to “getting it right,” prompt attention to details, issues and concerns  –– it’s all part of our dedication to delivering quality, service and value. Once a year, we like to check in with our customers via our survey, and let them tell us where we stand. When asked about their overall level of satisfaction with Avantpage, 97% of respondents indicated they were “satisfied” with Avantpage services. When asked about quality of translation, 95% indicated they were satisfied with this attribute. Turnaround time earned a 97% satisfaction rate, and when it came to customer services, 98% of respondents indicated they were satisfied with Avantpage’s performance in this area. One of the greatest compliments we receive is when we learn that a satisfied customer has recommended us to a friend or colleague.  If a customer values us enough to recommend us to others, we must be doing something right!  This year, 100% of our respondents indicated that they would recommend Avantpage to a colleague, an increase over last year’s percentage. In the “Comments” section, we were immensely gratified at the positive feedback we received, including: In conclusion, we’d like to offer a huge thank you to all who participated!  We appreciate the time, energy and effort it took to respond. We look forward to making 2015 another stellar year for both our customers and our organization. David Serra | Sr. Director of Client Services | [email protected]
530.750.2040 x12 | cel 530.400.2890| fax 530.750.2024
Avantpage | Connect with Language® | www.avantpage.com