Categorizing broadly, website translation can be divided into aesthetic issues and technical issues. This is true whether the project includes a website, software or support documentation.

Culture and Content Aesthetics
Good website translation vendors will tell you that there are many content and cultural factors to consider when creating a translated product that the users will appreciate. This may take the form of internationalizing source content—the text, icons, graphics, layout—to gain uniformity in presentation and a reduction of expenses.

Conversely, your product or service may benefit from a more uniquely translated feel. This is usually accomplished using templates in which graphics and text change, but the basic layout remains the same for all languages.

Either way, cultural aesthetics is a human issue. Even those of us who are not “technical” people can understand the particulars involved in this aspect of website translation. The challenge for the website translation vendor in cultural aesthetics is to develop a substantial body of cultural information and a depth of understanding. We have acquired knowledge based on experience and compiled much of it into a website translation databank.

The technical side of website translation is another matter….

Online Material
A typical business website these days may encompass more than text, graphics and multimedia files. There are associated intranets, databases and online help. Some of the additional issues today include:

Single-sourcing
Using XML, single-sourcing is the latest buzzword in the translation industry. Advantages of single-sourcing are that it facilitates reuse of terminology and glossary-building, combines multiple types of existing content, and allows simultaneous update and deployment of various media.

Code issues and translation memory (TM)
There are code issues involved with single-sourcing where source material may be pulled from various types of files. For instance, how does your content management tool interface with your portal and database? With the widespread use of translation memory tools, website translation vendors must be aware of the interaction between TM and scripting within files—what will be recognized and protected? What will not? What text within script must be extracted for translation?

In-country technology
Clients who have a long-established global presence may already be aware of specific technical issues that have to be addressed in their website translation projects. These issues include Internet connection limitations, software version behavior problems, bidirectional or Asian font support, prevalent user hardware—you get the picture. Other clients are growing their businesses or nurturing new partnerships globally and now have a need for website translation of web-based and/or support documentation. They rely on us to know how the technical situation in-country impacts their choices.

Design support
McElroy Translation offers expertise in website translation redesign or construction of your website and marketing materials. Designers and artists are assigned to projects on a case-by-case basis, determined by the needs of our clients and individual areas of staff expertise.  

Quality Control
Currently, globalization and e-commerce are two driving factors affecting activity growth. McElroy Translation helps clients reach new markets with translated communications and websites. Our quality control process includes an analysis of the technical and cultural accuracy of the translated content and code by translators and editors who are native speakers of the target language and specialists in their fields. Your customized solution may also include complete functionality testing, multimedia and graphics recreation, and ongoing content revision.

• McElroy Translation project management of website translation includes project planning and scheduling, client communication, team coordination, cost control, project tracking and reporting, change management, troubleshooting and problem-solving, and a project wrap.

• The first step in website translation is analysis and preparation of files for translation. This may include text extraction for a variety of graphic, shockwave and PDF files, as well as certain client- and server-side scripts.

• A glossary of terminology can be imported or created, and a TRADOS translation memory built. This step ensures consistency in terminology and reduces turn time.

• Working within the TRADOS environment, tags and script code (HTML, SHTML, XML, and so on) are recognized and protected during the translation of content. Thus, web page formatting and presentation are preserved, eliminating production steps that are necessary without the use of TRADOS technology.

• After the initial translation and website translation step, an editor reviews and polishes the content.

• If editable graphics are provided, translation and website translation takes place within those files. If graphic recreation is required, our production team will use state-of-the-art desktop publishing tools to provide high-quality files in the most up-to-date and compatible formats.

• The translated website is independently reviewed and tested once again before delivery, ensuring language accuracy, cultural sensitivity, and complete functionality.