Thread: Scope of a website

Suppose you are asked to localize a website ..... and in order to provide a comprehensive service how far do you go?

Yours is a broad spectrum of answers' question.
There is a thin red line between what is a purely technical translation advice and one with a marketing insight. When the client has a clear idea on the second one, you just need to push them to define the limits as they may just be looking for a translation service and the aspects of localization related to it (language flavor, metrics use, decimal notation, currency symbols, etc.).
If they are lost and have no idea, you may need to offer a marketing research support that goes as far as a usability testing of the website to assess the acceptance of the target user.
I apologize for my summary, but a lot could be written and maybe you could help with a description of your specific problem.

It would be best to be able to get in touch with the web developer in order to gain access to the source files. Without access to these files, it is virtually impossible to accuartely quote a project as multiple links to the same page will result in a much higher word count than had we analyzed the source files for the actual word count.

I agree with Neoyorkina because the common practice on the client's side is to send you the rough link. Once you have explained the practicality of providing the source files to the to the client, they should feel more comfortable with the situation.

Originally Posted by TopNotch

Suppose you are asked to localize a website ..... and in order to provide a comprehensive service how far do you go?

In order to provide a good website localization service you need to understand what are the cleint's needs and what is the best option in terms of website format for that particular target market or country. For example, you may choose a dynamic site over a static one depending on the characteristics of target market.
Any web page that is saved to disk and passed back to a requesting browser without changes is a static one. Even today, probably most web pages are static pages though the balance is certainly shifting.
A dynamic web page is any web page which has content that is changed by a program or script at the time the page is requested. Common examples of trivial dynamic pages are those that display a visitor counter or the current date and time.

I think it if foremost important to educate the client on the steps involved in quoting and translating the website.
I usually send an emailing outlinging the different options for having the website quoted (sourcefiles, access to the server or content manager, or the text extracted into an MS word file) and the different advantages or disadvantages to each one. I also explain why it is often impossible to achieve an accurate word count or quote if they only supply with the link.

Then, I call them and see which of these options fits best with their needs.

Its also important to know WHY the client wants to have her or his website translated. This will help you better cater to your clients needs.

Hope this helps!

Originally Posted by Clare Bakota

It's also important to know WHY the client wants to have her or his website translated. This will help you better cater to your clients needs.

I agree with Clare and it goes back to my point: would a prospect be prone to accept a marketing advice? For very large sites I would also offer that service with the chance for only translating/localizing a certain part of the site (e.g. Home page, About us, Contact us pages, etc.), up to a plan to have the whole site translated in subsequent stages.

Have you any experience with this approach? Have you ever been successful?

So far, I find that it takes patience and a long "educational/training" process with the prospect.

Hello everybody,
I completely agree with all of you regarding the educational/training process with the prospect.
We know that it takes time and a lot of patience but it is really important getting to know what the client wants and mainly WHY he/she needs to have his/her website translated.
Once we know that, it will be much easier to find a complete solution for the client who is looking to have his/her website translated. He/She may not need to have the whole webpage translated but just the main important things so all of thier clients (no matter their language) will be able to take advantage of his/her website.
Now, I have a question for you all... how important do you think it is knowing the target market of the website in order to provide an efficient website localization?

Obviously, what matters most to the cleint is that the website reaches its target. However, the target can be, for example, all spanish speaking population. In that sense, it is important to internationalize the content of the website and try to avoid any wording, nomenclature or others particular to any one country.

I see a key point in trying to get in touch with the web developer. I may say I am usually rather disappointed with my request. I try to explore ways to get the prospect/client to trust me, as I have the feeling they do not want to be kept aside at any time during the negotiation.
I always place the need for a conference call. In this way, the clients are there to act as a liaison and feel they keep control of the situation.
Have you used this approach? Do you have any other ideas or any other experiences to share? Thanks!!!!