Everyone loves PDF files, right?  Although I have nothing against them, they are not the best way to send us the document you want translated.  Here's why.

Translations estimates are prepared based on the number of words in your original, or source, document. Some PDF files can be copied and pasted into Word to determine the number of words that will need to be translated.  The problem is that the original formatting is often lost (imagine your paragraphs being copied in a random order), and photo captions, or headlines may not appear at all.  Other PDF files do not allow any copying at all.

Send your file in the original format you used to create the layout.  That way no one will need to recreate your layout from scratch. The translation can be placed correctly within your layout, captions and all, saving you both time and money.

Photo by redjar. Licensed by Creative Commons.

Someone asked me the other day if I thought her company's website should be translated into Spanish.  Here are some questions to ask yourself before jumping in.

1. What is the primary purpose of your website?  If you sell products online and ship all over the United States, then you can increase your sales with a translated website.  Many Latinos use Spanish when they search for products online.  There are over 13 million Hispanics in California alone!

2. Do you only sell to customers in your city? You should do a little research.  How big is the Hispanic population?  Is it large enough to boost your business?

3. Can your website design accomodate more text?  The Spanish translation of your text will be at least 20% longer than the English version.

4. Do your competitors have Spanish versions of their websites?  If the answer is yes, then you need to consider having your site translated.  Unless you can truthfully say that you don't need any more business.

If the answer is no, you can be the first to develop a relationship with Hispanic customers.  There's an expression in Spanish that says he who strikes first, strikes twice.  Be the first!

5. Can you afford it? Will the increase in your business pay for the translation?  You may discover that you can't afford not to.

Image by cybershotking.  Licensed by Creative Commons.

Today the Louvre is launching an English-language version of its online database.  This will allow English speakers to immerse themselves in 22,000 works of art in the Louvre's online collection.  There's no word yet on plans to expand the project to include the two other languages offered on the museum's website.

The Tate in London provides information in 12 languages other than English, including British Sign Language. 

Looking closer to home to see what information US museums offer non-English speakers, visitors won't have it so easy.  The Museum of Modern Art site is monolingual despite being located in a city where a third of the population is foreign born.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art offers only general information in 9 languages other than English, but at least tourists will know when the museum opens and what it will cost them to visit.   Hats off - or should I say sombreros - to the Frist Center here in Nashville which has had español on its website for years.

When will major cultural institutions in the United States understand that reaching out to non-English speakers translates into more revenue?

Photo courtesy of debaird.  Licensed under Creative_Commons

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Asia's share on the online population is forecast to reach 43% by 2013, while the United States and Canada's share will decrease to 13%, according to a report released by Forrester Research.  The percent of the online population represented by Europe will also decline in this period since internet penetration there is already very high.

Latin America's share is expected to remain stable at 11%.  Marketers who sell there can reach more than 50% of those users by targeting just two countries: Brazil and Mexico.  That means a company's website will only need to be translated and localized for two markets.

What are the implications for American companies? 

Online content in English will not be enough to sustain growth outside of North America and Europe as consumers in regions conduct searches in their native languages.

What else will change?

Image courtesy of cheesy42. Licensed under Creative Commons.