There are many things that are important to you, and translating your business documents into a foreign language such as French, Italian, etc is one of them. You turn your quest to Google. This should be something easy; there should not be that many translation companies out there. To your surprise, Google display pages after pages of companies who can translate any document into any languages. More than 3,600,000 claim they can offer a translation.

This is what you should remind yourself before choosing an agency: you want your document translated because you want to build an international presence. The translation is what the native of that country will see. It is really important that you keep your professional image in any language. Mistakes in translation can cost you, your business.

Here are some questions that you need to ask before choosing a translation services agency

Do they have a targeted field? Fashion, Cosmetics, Cooking, Technical, Business, Travel, Legal, etc. If they say they can do it all, you know it is impossible to know everything. So in that case, ask: how many translators do you have and how many years of expertise do they have in that field. After the translation is done, who is checking their work?

Where did the translator learn the language of the targeted country? Was he/she born in that country? If not what is their proficiency? The translator needs to be a native speaker or you are taking the chance that your translation will possibly be inaccurate.

If there is a last minute change, are they flexible enough to allow that change? This will depend on what you are asking them to do. Who do you contact if you have questions?

What type of formatting do they offer? Words, Excel, PDF? Do they charge extra for HTML?

What measures do they take to keep your documents confidential? Will they sign an NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) if necessary?

Request to see a sample of their work. Or even better ask if you can test them on 100 words/descriptions of your choice. Sometimes the jargon is so technical, that a particular agency will not be able to do it.

How long do I have to wait before my project is completed? A 1500 words general document can be done in one business day. A technical page can take longer. A book of 355 pages can take three months.

What will they charge me? Anywhere from $50 to $5000 depending on the scope of the project and the dateline. A 5 pages websites in words format will be different than a 5 pages done in HTML. A 50 pages technical manual will be different than a 200 pages one. To get an accurate estimation, be precise. Tell the agency exactly how many pages, words you need to have done. Do not minimize your project. If your website is complex with 25 pages say that. This will help the translation company in giving you an accurate estimate and dateline. Do not try to cut the corner where you think you can get a 15 pages brochure done for $150. Be realistic. Think in those terms, how many hours did it take you to write your brochure? If you answer more than 10 hrs then ask yourself if you would work 10 hrs for $150?

Choose your translation company on the quality of the services they can provide you and on the answers they give you, not just on rates alone.