How Much Do Website Translation Services Cost?

It requires building the necessary infrastructure to expand into new areas. Your website, which serves as your online storefront, is one of the most important components for your global adaptation. So, how much do website translation services cost? Or how much will it cost to translate and adapt your website to a new market?  

Moreover, according to the Washington Post, only 5% of people worldwide are native English speakers. Therefore, you must communicate with your target clients in their language if you want to reach a larger audience, enhance your local SEO ranking, and increase your website conversion rate.

In this post, we’ll show the key elements that affect the website translation services cost so that you’ll be prepared for your next website translation and localization projects.

#1. Types of website translation services

1.1. Machine website translation

The term “machine translation” (MT) means exactly what it says. The words are inserted into software and translated into your desired language before coming out the other. Although plugins for machine website translation are free or quite inexpensive, you risk coming off as less professional if you don’t hire someone to undertake serious post-editing and proofreading. 

Even if you order a proofreading service for your machine website translations, your translators or translation providers may suggest you translate from the beginning because the machine website translation is often of bad quality.

1.2. Human website translation 

Working with human translators or website translation companies is a good choice to get a qualified website translation. The human website translation services cost will be higher than machine translation cost, but the results will be of high quality.

When you collaborate with a translation agency and they help you through the website translation process, that is professional website translation. They provide you with a quote and then handle everything, making sure you’re at ease at all times. 

For more details, you can read this post: Professional Translation Agencies Or Freelance Translators – Which One Is Your Match?

#2. What are the key factors that determine website translation services cost?

Each website translation and localization project has its own cost. When a translation provider gives you a quote, they rely on various related factors as listed below.

2.1. Website content volume affects website translation services cost

The website translation services cost is often based on words or pages. 

It could be a good idea to do an audit to check if there is any information that is superfluous, out-of-date, redundant, or whether your site metrics indicate doesn’t attract many visitors.

Before you start spending money on translating this material into other languages, get it perfect in your source language first. By doing so, you can save a lot of time and money.

2.2. Choice of languages also affects website translation rates

Due to the nature of the source and target languages, the website translation cost for each language differs. 

If you require popular language pairs such as English to Spanish, English to French, English to Chinese, Polish to English, Italian to German, etc., it will cost less to translate than the rare language pairs.

Some languages may affect the site’s design (which could result in costs) or the User Experience (UX). For instance, you must take into account that Arabic is read right to left rather than left to right like English when creating a website in that language.

Like all translations, the website translation service price will increase as the language becomes more specialized.

2.3. Website translation services prices: Number of languages

How many target languages are necessary for your next project? The website translation cost increases as the number of languages increases since more translators are required. Therefore, the issue to ask is perhaps not about how many potential target languages there are, but it would rather about how many languages you need to succeed in that market.

You could create a different version of your website for each of the 10 main varieties of Spanish, but would you see enough return on your investment? Or is it preferable to follow a more conventional path and stick to standard Spanish until the necessity arises to go deeper?

The more languages you choose, the more website translation services costs you encounter. 

2.4. Website translation packages and quality

There are three website translation packages including Translation only (TO), Translation + editing (TE), and Translation + edit + proofreading (TEP). 

With the TO option, your website project will be translated and reviewed by only a native translator. Meanwhile, two translators will translate and edit your website if you select the TE option. And your website content will be translated, edited, and proofread by three translators if you request the TEP plan. 

As you can see, the more translation steps require, the more website translation services cost. 

Up to your purposes, you should choose the right website translation package for your project. If your brand requires accurate and high-quality website translations, it is essential to get the TE or TEP plan.

2.5. Industry expertise

Another factor that has a huge impact on website translation services cost is industry expertise. If you hire industry experts for your website translation projects, the website translation rate will be higher. Generally, the more specialized the translation needs are, the more technological the industry is.

For example, website translation is typically more difficult for businesses in the marketing or product-based sectors, law firms, medical practices, technology enterprises, etc. To handle such website translation projects, your translation providers will need to devote more time, affecting the overall costs. 

2.6. Delivery time

There’s a saying that goes, “The faster you need something, the more expensive it will be”, especially if precision can’t be compromised.  

For urgent translation projects, translators/translation providers need to work extra time on evenings or weekends to meet the deadlines. More translators will work on your website translation projects and your project managers also need to work overtime to create a proper workflow to meet the delivery time, so the website translation services prices will be raised. 

2.7. Website media forms

Nowadays, websites with lots of media elements take more cost to translate than those that only use text. 

Does your website solely contain text and pictures? Is the text the only thing that needs translation? Or should the budget take into account translating any videos, audio, infographics, charts, or other media?

Images may require localization for a new market other than their text. If you’re entering a Muslim nation, it’s possible that your appearance doesn’t comport with the Quran’s teachings. You’ll need to find fresh pictures while still upholding your brand that respects the culture. With this part, you can count on native translators and desktop publishing providers to get the best outcomes. 

2.8. Website links

Do you connect social media profiles with your business website? Forget Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn if you’re localizing into China, though LinkedIn has released its InCareer app for the Chinese mainland, which the South China Morning Post claims is “Tailored for China, which has rigorous standards on content filtering and data protection.”

Depending on your target market, you must design a new version of your website if you don’t want to risk offending your local audience by displaying a lack of understanding of their culture.

Be cautious with your website translation and localization. It is essential to work with professional translation providers to ensure your website translation is of high quality and meets the target market’s standards and requirements. 

For more related information, you can read these posts:

• How Much Does Online Korean Translation Cost?
• How To Effectively Determine Your Chinese Translation Rates?
• How Much Do English to Vietnamese Translation Services Cost?

#3. Website translation service costs for several language pairs

The following are the minimum website translation service costs for several common language pairs which are charged per word:

let’s take a look at the minimum website translation service costs which are charged per page:

If you have a complex website translation project, let’s contact our team to get a detailed and free translation quote right away.

#4. Get your website translation services cost right away

There are many things to know when planning for website translation services cost, and there isn’t a simple answer to the question “How much does a website translation project cost?”. So what would be the best action? Consider using a translation agency for your project.

As a suggested translation company on GoodFirms, GTE Localize is a one-stop language company that has completed website translation projects consistently and effectively. We are aware of the significance of websites for businesses going international. This is your storefront and frequently the place where new potential clients come to contact your brand. We support all types of websites including Magento, Zoomla, Shopify, WordPress, etc., and all types of translation formats such as HTML, PHP, C+, etc. 

You won’t ever need to be concerned about how well your message will be received with GTE Localize. With our many years of professional website translation experience, as well as the organizations we have gained the trust of, you can rest assured that you are in excellent hands for your website translation and localization. With a topic as significant as website translation and localization, the project scope might vary, which also affects website translation prices. GTE Localize works to offer the most accurate website translations possible at the best rates in the market, starting from $0,04 per word.

To receive free website translation services cost, please send us your messages.

Website translation is not the only service we provide for our clients at GTE Localize. If you’re interested in learning more about translation services, please get in touch with our localization team.

If you want to learn more about website localization tips, download our white paper “All You Need To Know About Website Localization” today.