You’ve got a website that you’re proud of, and the time has come to get it - and your business - seen and understood across the globe.
But with so many different ways to translate your digital content, it can feel a little overwhelming. Which is the simplest way to do it? How much will it cost? And will the quality be there?
At LinguaLinx, as translation and localization experts, we certainly have a view on how best to translate your website.
After all, we’re the trusted Language Services Provider (LSP) for many of the globe’s leading companies, institutions, and governments, and have translated documents in over 98% of the world’s languages. But really, it all comes down to what’s best for your business.
In this article, we’ll be looking at two solutions - a translation proxy and CMS integration - and talk through the pros and cons of each.
Proxy vs CMS: What's the Difference?
First, let’s define what both translation proxy and CMS actually are.
A translation proxy is often described as a ‘linguistic mirror,’ which requires the user to select their preferred language. The proxy then serves a real-time translation of your original web content through machine translation.
A CMS (Content Management System) integration requires a team behind the translation to create, upload and maintain the content, oversee the translation workflow, design a quality assurance process, and troubleshoot any technical issues that may pop up.
In short, a proxy is an automated, one-size-fits-all solution and a CMS is tailored and personalized to your specific content needs.
But which one is best for your business?
Benefits of Translation Proxies
It’s time-efficient
Short on time? Then a proxy may be a good option. It’s fast to deploy, and you won’t need to make any significant changes to your existing website.
It’s cost-effective
Typically, you’ll pay a monthly fee for your proxy service so you can set it up more cost-effectively than having to put a full localization program in place.
This is an advantage if you’re just dipping your toe into a market with a new language, but may not want to make a large financial commitment.
Your users are in control
Because we’re talking real-time translation with a proxy, it means your users can select whatever language they wish at the click of a button.
Hosting costs are low
If a particular language is popular, you may need to create and host a new website. However, the proxy works directly on your original site, which means savings on those extra costs.
Problems with Translation Proxies
Little room for flexibility
Proxy services are basically a one-size-fits-all kind of deal, which means you can’t (or can’t without additional charges) create custom translations for dynamic content.
Google isn’t a fan
Content that’s been automatically generated comes with SEO penalties, and you may see a dip in SEO rankings if you use them.
It takes time to load
Proxies can make your site longer to load, contributing to a bad user experience (UX).
There may be hidden costs
You’ll likely only pay a monthly fee; however, some proxy services add additional charges if there’s an increase in website traffic or you require any customization.
Double-check your customer service expectations
A lot of translation proxies are third-party services, so there might not be someone on hand to help with any questions.
However, at LinguaLinx, we offer proxy and pride ourselves on our customer service, so just make sure you consider this when you’re going down the proxy route.
Benefits of Connecting to a CMS
Greater flexibility
From tone of voice and style to layouts and even colors, connecting to a CMS means you can be super prescriptive with how your content looks and feels. You can even revise it as needed before it goes live on the website.
Multiple teams can get involved
And with it, they’ll bring their expertise and knowledge. CMS integration means teams from a variety of regions can collaborate on a website at the same time, providing contextual information as well as their translation skills.
You can strategize
If you have a content strategy in one location, you can tailor this and create unique content for other target locations.
You’ll always be up to date
A CMS allows you to keep your website updated with the latest technology like certain apps, file formats and functionality.
Problems with Connecting to a CMS
It can be pricey
More expertise and time to configure, design, and manage migrating content between servers can come with a price tag.
It takes time
Managing multilingual content can be a complex process that requires sufficient time to be sure everything remains in sync and aligned with the original content and strategy.
Quality assurance needs to be key
You’ll likely publish new content regularly, so you’ll need to have a process and quality assurance checks in place to be sure all new uploads or content changes roll out across each language.
Get a Quote For Your Website Translation Project
As you can tell, there are a lot of things to consider when choosing whether to go down the proxy or CMS route.
If you’re thinking of translating your website, we’d love to talk with you about it.
Consultations are free, and there’s no obligation.
With LinguaLinx, you won't ever have to worry about your message getting lost as it’s translated into multiple languages across your website.
You know you're in good hands with our ISO 17100 and ISO 9001 compliance, twenty years of professional translation experience, and the organizations whose trust we've earned.
