Stefanie Weber Netherlands Local time: 22:02 English to Dutch + ...
Jan 3
I came across this issue the other day and since I only have experience with translating documents where it's easy to run a wordcount, I am stumped and need some help! How do I decide on a rate for the translation of a website with both front-end content (the website itself, with the website's content and menu items etc., so all the text that a visitor to that website can see), back-end content (so all the text that anyone maintaining the website can see), and things like error messages and system messages?
Do I run a rough word-count and give a quote based on a rate per word (which is quite time-consuming), do I quote them a rate per hour, or do I give them a set price? And if the latter, what would that be based upon? An estimate of the time I will spend on this assignment combined with that hourly rate?
As I said, I am quite stumped, and am hoping you, established professionals, can give me some advice!
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Adam Łobatiuk Poland Local time: 22:02 Member (2009) English to Polish + ...
Use a CAT tool
Jan 3
CAT tools are the best for translating web content because of their tag protection and analysis features. I don't know what exactly the format of your files is, and in some cases (XML, PHP) it may require some preparation, but you should be able to get an analysis log with a wordcount. Some tools also present the number of words and characters, which you can add and then divide by, say, 1800 to find out the number of pages if that's what you prefer.
Once you're set up, the translation isn't very different from translating documents. You do need to take tags and their function into account, but it's not that difficult and you'll learn them quickly. I never charge more for web-based content.
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Stefanie Weber Netherlands Local time: 22:02 English to Dutch + ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks!
Jan 3
Thanks for your reply! Hm.. So I guess I really should look into a proper CAT tool. I've been doing some research and am thinking of trying out a free one first (have signed up for the free version of Across, and am looking into Anaphraseus because I use OpenOffice), but I guess I should look into features that will make it easier to work with php files.
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Hi,
I wrote a piece on the costs from a company perspective, but it will give you a good idea how to consider your own pricing model. Hope it helps, let me know if you have further questions.
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Samuel Murray Netherlands Local time: 22:02 Member (2006) English to Afrikaans + ...
Very difficult, very difficult
Jan 3
Stefanieweber wrote:
How do I decide on a rate for the translation of a website with both front-end content (the website itself, with the website's content and menu items etc., so all the text that a visitor to that website can see), back-end content (so all the text that anyone maintaining the website can see), and things like error messages and system messages?
If the web developer can export all of that to a translatable format, then you can use a CAT tool to translate it, but if the web site was never really designed with translation in mind, you may have to do some coding yourself. Make sure the client knows what you can and can't do.
Don't assume that a CAT tool can translate it -- try one or two pages first, to see if all text is displayed correctly. Remember, there is often no single standard way of containing translatable text in a dynamic web site. Some CAT tools may claim to support PHP, but what they really support is one or two very specific methods of PHP, and not all possible ones.
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Bernhard Sulzer United States Local time: 16:02 English to German + ...
do a thorough analysis
Jan 4
Stefanie Weber wrote:
I came across this issue the other day and since I only have experience with translating documents where it's easy to run a wordcount, I am stumped and need some help! How do I decide on a rate for the translation of a website with both front-end content (the website itself, with the website's content and menu items etc., so all the text that a visitor to that website can see), back-end content (so all the text that anyone maintaining the website can see), and things like error messages and system messages?...
Hi Stefanie,
I would first ask for the website content in a translatable format, such as Word, including every single word that the client wants you to translate. Only then can you be sure that you can use a CAT tool making your job easier.
If they don't want to do that themselves, your task is much more than that of a translator (placing text at specific spots can be quite tedious, so can be working with repeated text). You would really have to determine exactly how many steps there are for you in this project.
You can figure an hourly rate and give them a quote. But be sure to give yourself enough time. Do a thorough analysis of the work involved. Estimate the word count, estimate your entire work involved and then specify your price. Most importantly, don't do it for cheap. List the tasks you have to go through in your quote so they know what they are paying for.
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Julie R France Local time: 22:02 French to English + ...
additional questions
Jan 12
HI everybody, and thank you Stefanie for raising this question - one which has been making me think a lot lately.
Having translated a website into English last year, and having seriously under-estimated the work due to the complexity of the backoffice (totally not logical, maybe to the IT guys who created it, but certain pages were just not to be found !) and of counting words and copying and pasting into Word, etc., not to mention the few grey hairs that have all of a sudden appeared too, I need to rethink the whole process for future requests of this kind.
One question I have is that if one is able to export all the site content into a translatable format (e.g. Word) and translates in that format, what does one do when it comes to putting it all into the site and on line ? And if the client generally wants it to be done by the translator him/her self ?
Do you charge extra per hour or add onto the per word rate ?
I have been faced a few times now with people asking me to do it for as little as possible, to make a rough translation (yeah right), etc, etc. The list is endless, I won't bore you with the remarks and comments I have heard coming from erroneous conceptions about translation...
And what about translating the meta text, etc.
Many thanks for your input !
Julie
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