A translation company is a company that offers language translation services to individuals, organizations, and businesses. It works with skilled linguists to convert written or spoken content from one language to another while ensuring accuracy, cultural relevance, and context awareness. Some translation companies specialize in technical projects and employ experts in industry-specific terminology, such as medicine, engineering, and law.  

Translators work with a diverse range of materials, including: 

• Website content  
• Marketing materials  
• Legal documents  
• Technical manuals  
• Medical records  
• Software  
• Books  
• Movies and TV shows 

A translation agency plays a crucial role in global communication. It facilitates businesses' reaching international markets, enables governments to communicate with diverse populations, and helps individuals access information in multiple languages. 

A translation company provides services in different languages and ensures that the intended message is accurately conveyed while considering linguistic, cultural, and contextual nuances. The responsibilities of a translation company typically include: 

• Translation services
  • Human translation: Translation without the use of any kind of software
  • Machine translation: Translation done using software tools and AI
  • Blended translation: A combination of human and machine translation
  • Localization: Adapting the content to ensure consistent messaging by making the content suitable and culturally relevant for a specific target audience
  • Literary translation: Translation of novels and other literary work to preserve the author's specific writing style
  • Technical translation: Translation of technical texts that require industry-specific knowledge and familiarity with the terminology
  • Website translation: A combination of translation, localization, and search engine optimization (SEO) to provide a consistent user experience across different regions
• Transcription
  Converting spoken word (audio recordings, videos, etc.) into written text, commonly used to create video subtitles
• Proofreading
  Reviewing and correcting translated material to ensure it is free from grammatical, spelling, and readability errors
• Interpretation
  Translating spoken language into another language in real-time to facilitate communication between speakers of different languages

A translation agency charges for its services based on the scope of work, the complexity of the subject matter, deadlines, and other project variables. The top 50 translation companies on DesignRush charge an average of $62/hour. 26.5% of agencies accept projects with budgets under $1,000 for simple document translations, while 0.6% require a $50,000 minimum budget for complex or specialized projects like software localization or multi-media translation. 

The most common pricing structures include:

• Per word: Between $0.08 and $0.40 per word of translated text
• Per line: Between $1.63 and $2.39 per line of translated text, which is 55 characters long
• Per page: Around $100 per page of translated document
• Hourly: Between $35 and $75 per hour, depending on the subject matter and turnaround time

You should hire a translation agency to ensure high-quality translations and avoid any miscommunication that could arise from poorly translated content that isn't localized and optimized for its audience.

A translation company will know exactly how to approach any challenging project and make sure each translation sounds like a native speaker wrote it, enhancing your business's credibility with potential foreign clients. 

Many businesses understand the benefits of hiring professional translation agencies because they:

• Ensure that the translated content preserves not just the meaning, but also the tone and style
• Offer expertise in technical, legal, and other specialized fields
• Make sure content is adapted to local customs, idioms, and preferences
• Provide faster turnaround and competitive pricing for large or ongoing projects
• Can handle large projects and offer multi-language support
• Follow the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ISO standards 
• Maintain consistent terminology, style, and appropriate cultural context throughout the document
• Provide thorough proofreading and editing for an error-free final product
• Help build brand presence and maintain consistency across translated content 

Success story

Our experts have chosen this case study to present how professional translation services can enable businesses to expand globally, strengthen brand integrity, and boost sales: 

• Challenge: Lempac needed accurate German to English translations of its product information and brand messaging to reach international markets. The primary challenge was ensuring the integrity of its brand across different languages and cultures while adapting to local preferences. Lempac was also looking to streamline its translation process to improve efficiency and reduce costs. 
• Solution: MM Digital provided Lempac with expert English-German translation services, focusing on packaging terminology, industry-specific language, and cultural sensitivities. The translation agency worked closely with Lempac, conducting a thorough review of the source material and applying rigorous quality assurance measures. The approach prioritized cultural adaptation to resonate with target markets while ensuring prompt turnaround times to meet production schedules. 
• Results: Lempac experienced increased customer engagement and enhanced brand recognition. Through effective multilingual communication, the company successfully expanded into new markets, attracted more customers, and positioned itself as a global leader in the packaging industry. 

Choosing the best translation company for your business involves several key considerations. Based on your company's needs, you should focus on the following steps: 

1. Identify your goals
   Define the scope of work, like the number of documents or pages you need translated, the deadlines, and desired outcomes. 
2. Find the right expertise
   Look for a translation service that has experience with the language and the industry you need translation for. Browse through DesignRush’s Agency Directory to find ideal candidates for the job. Some companies provide only human translations while others offer AI-powered machine translation or a combination of the two. 
3. Set a budget
   Determine the total amount you can invest in the translation project so you can filter your search by pricing or minimum/maximum budgets. 
4. Evaluate their pricing structure
   Understand the agency's pricing model. Typically, a translation company charges by the word, by the page, or by the hour. 
5. Review agency experience
   Ask for a portfolio of relevant work, case studies, reviews, and clients you can contact for feedback. Ideally, the agency should have tangible results with companies from your industry. 
6. Ask for proposals
   Send a request for a proposal (RFP) to the shortlisted translation services to get detailed information on pricing, timelines, and service offerings. 
7. Set interviews
   Set up interviews with prospective companies to discuss the project in detail and determine if they’ll fit your team well. 
8. Evaluate communication and responsiveness
   Good communication is vital. Ensure that the agency provides timely and clear communication to avoid any misunderstandings in the future. 
9. Ask about the processes
   Discuss key stages, milestones, and timeline to ensure alignment on expectations, progress tracking, and timely delivery. 
10. Inquire about analytics and reporting
    Ask the agency how it tracks the quality and success of its translations and if it uses any kind of software for reporting. 
11. Make a decision
    Choose the best-suited agency that aligns with your project's needs based on its proposal and demonstrated capabilities. Establish clear project development processes to ensure smooth collaboration. 

If you need a custom-made list of agencies that offer translation services, contact us. Our team will send you the list of the most suitable agencies based on your requirements. Feel free to visit our Marketplace for more details.

Use DesignRush's advanced filters to discover top translation companies for your business. Refine your search by budget, ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 or more, to find the best fit for your translation needs.

You can also explore our directory to compare translation agencies based on location, expertise, client reviews, industries, team size, and hourly rates. This allows you to assess each agency's strengths and capabilities and find the right partner for your project. 

The key success metrics in translation services are related to productivity, quality of work, cost, and translation process. Translation agencies that strive to be among the top players in the industry will understand and implement the right key success metrics to realize whether their work practices are paying off or not.

These are the commonly tracked success metrics for translation services:

• Translation output per hour
  Total words or pages translated divided by the number of hours spent translating
• Translation turnaround time
  Total time needed to translate the project from start to finish
• On-time delivery rate 
  The percentage of translation projects delivered on or before the deadline 
• Translation utilization rate
  Time spent translating divided by total hours spent on the project
• Translation error rate
  The number of errors divided by the total number of words or sentences translated
• Translation rework rate
  The number of translations that needed reworking divided by the total number of translations
• Translation cost per revenue
  Total translation costs divided by total revenue
• Translation tool utilization
  The percentage of translation tasks where translation memory (TM) segments were used
• Translation localization rate
  The number of translations localized for a market divided by the total number of translations

When hiring a translation agency, certain red flags can indicate potential problems with quality, reliability, or professionalism.  

Here are some red flags specific to translation services: 

• Non-native speaking translators
  Don't work with a translation agency if it doesn’t have native-speaking translators for your target language(s), as your project may result in awkward or inaccurate translations. 
• Not using translation tools or technology
  Don't consider agencies that don’t use modern translation tools (e.g., CAT tools, translation memory), as they may lack the infrastructure to handle complex or long-term projects effectively.
• Unclear pricing structure
  Reject any translation company that doesn't provide clear, detailed pricing or quotes and offers vague estimates. Transparent pricing helps you understand exactly what you’re paying for to avoid unexpected charges later. 
• No clear quality assurance process
  Beware of companies that lack a defined quality assurance (QA) or proofreading process because they may deliver subpar translations with errors, omissions, or inconsistencies. 
• Inadequate specialization in your industry
  If the translation agency lacks experience or expertise in your specific industry, it may struggle to accurately translate complex or technical content. 
• High turnaround time for complex projects
  Be cautious of the agency if it promises an unreasonably fast turnaround for large or complex translation projects. Rushing the process could result in lower-quality work. 
• Poor or inconsistent communication
  Avoid any translation company that is slow to respond to your inquiries or lacks clear communication channels. Poor communication will likely lead to misunderstandings or mistakes in the final product. 
• Negative or no reviews/references
  Be careful of companies with little to no client testimonials, reviews, or case studies, or those that have a significant number of negative reviews. Reputation and past performance are key indicators of a reliable translation agency. 
• Unclear confidentiality measures
  Stay away from a translation company that doesn’t offer clear confidentiality agreements or robust security measures, as your sensitive or proprietary information could be at risk without proper data protection policies in place.
• Unrealistically low pricing
  Stay clear of agencies that offer translation services at a price that seems too good to be true. While lower costs can be attractive, extremely low prices often indicate a lack of experience or heavy reliance on machine translation without human oversight. 
• Limited range of services
  Don't hire companies that only offer basic document translation and don’t provide additional services like localization, transcription, subtitling, or content adaptation. An agency with limited service offering might not be able to fully meet your needs. 

Make sure to ask these questions before hiring a translation company:  

Its Relevant Background

1. How many years of experience do you have delivering translation services?
2. What industries do you specialize in (e.g., legal, medical, technical)? 
3. What is your experience working with international clients or in cross-cultural contexts? 
4. Do you have a portfolio of previous projects?
5. What certifications and licenses do your team members have?
6. Do you have experience working in my industry? Are your translators familiar with the terminology used?
7. Do you work with in-house translators, or do you use freelancers? 

Its Services and Processes

1. What types of translation services do you offer (e.g., document, website, video, software localization)?
2. What languages do you provide translation services for?
3. Are your translators native speakers of the language they are translating to?
4. What is the turnaround time for completing a project for a translation service company?
5. Do you have experience with localization projects?
6. Will you provide human, machine, or hybrid translation services?
7. Do you provide interpreter services as well?
8. What is your pricing plan? Do you charge by the word or page, or do you have a different pricing structure?
9. How do you ensure that the translated content stays culturally relevant?
10. How do translators ensure confidentiality and data security during the translation process?
11. Do you offer post-translation services, such as proofreading, editing, or formatting? 

Related to Your Project

1. Can you provide a detailed quote for this specific project, including all costs?
2. How do we define project deliverables? What happens if they still need to be met?
3. How many translators will work on my project?
4. Are your translators native speakers of our target language? 
5. What metrics will you use to define the quality of your work?
6. How often will you provide us with status reports?
7. What is the planned budget? Are there any additional costs we can expect?
8. What kind of additional support can you provide after the project is done?
9. Do you provide any guarantees, such as accuracy or revision policies? 
10. Who will be the project manager and what is their contact information? 

 The best translation companies in the US are:

1. Daily Transcription
   • 4.6 stars on DesignRush (3 reviews) 
   • 4.7 stars on Google (44 reviews) 
   • Top clients: House of the Dragon, Bling Ring, After Yang, Ink Master
2. Language Network
   • 4.6 stars on DesignRush (3 reviews) 
   • 5.0 stars on Google (2 reviews) 
   • Top clients: Oracle, Yahoo, Paramount, Mariott
3. Arriva Translations
   • 4.6 stars on DesignRush (3 reviews)
   • Top clients: AdvancedONE Legal, Cornelia, INC., Enrich Sales, The Sullivan Group of Court Reporters
4. ABC Translating and Interpreting Services
   • 4.6 stars on DesignRush (3 reviews)
   • Top clients: Laurel Tree Apartments, Wooly Burger Productions, Mark Sandburg Marketing Solutions, Johanna Rodriguez
5. TranslateXpress
   • 4.6 stars on DesignRush (2 reviews)
   • Top clients: Boeing, Philips, Sonoco, Mattel