Apr 22, 2015 | Blog, Tips, Worldwide
Massive Differences In The Living Costs It is amazing how drastically living costs differ around the world in modern-day. Whether you choose to live in America or Asia, your budget calculations can look very different. Let’s have a look at a few examples. Living Costs In North America Living in a tiny studio apartment in Vancouver could cost a small fortune. Meanwhile, the same amount of money could buy you a family-sized house somewhere halfway across the world. America is well known as an expensive country to live in. However, cities in the United States have climbed in the ranking due to the relative stability of the US dollar against other major currencies. This is in addition to the significant drop in cities in other regions. It resulted in US cities being pushed up the list away from one of the most expensive places to live. European Living Costs Four European cities remain in the top 10 list of the most expensive cities. Paris is the most costly European city on the list, followed by Zurich and Geneva. Switzerland remains one of the most expensive locations for expatriates following the slight strengthening of the Swiss franc against the US dollar. Asia and Huge Cities vs. Rural Towns In Asia, it is no surprise that Hong Kong tops the rankings as one of the highest living costs on the planet. Singapore and Tokyo not too far behind. To clarify, it is evident that the more popular and population-dense a city is, the higher the living cost will. In rural areas and farm towns in Canada specifically, the price of a...
Dec 19, 2014 | Blog, Language Services, SEO, Tips, Translation
Translation of a Website and SEO: How Important Are They? Dear language friend, the holidays are here and the LingoStar team wishes you and yours all the best this holiday season! We hope that the upcoming celebrations bring joy, happiness, and love. We also hope that you enjoy this newsletter and find a lot of useful information regarding the translation of a website to help your business prosper in 2015. Have you ever wondered why certain websites immediately pop up in Google when you are searching for information, and others fall behind even though they contain more useful content? It is not just a random ranking. The way websites are ranked is a result of the work of web developers and language specialists. In today’s world of globalization, where websites play such an important role in business and communication, it is crucial to always improve your website, so that it meets the interests of the target audience. What makes websites successful and attractive for international communities is website translation. The company that invests in the translation of its website gains credibility and trust and draws clients’ attention. However, translation of a website isn’t as simple as it seems. To target a specific audience, companies should create a strategy for search engine optimization (SEO). This is a wonderful tool that helps websites become visible and more appealing to customers. Search engines like Google rank web pages, videos, and other content based on what it considers to be most relevant to users. When translating a website, it is not enough just to translate its content into other languages. To...
Jul 22, 2014 | Language Services, Tips, Translation
Trends in Voice-Over Translation Businesses and organizations entering international markets naturally spend considerable time crafting their message and translating that message with care until the most fitting words and expressions can be found. Yet the act of translation is enhanced by voice-over translation professionals, artists that lend elements like tone and expressive nuances of voice to deliver the carefully-wrought message with an actor’s sensibility and a translator’s ability to convey meaning directly and accurately. Just as new technologies have complemented the field of translation services, voice-over translation has benefited from various trends that many companies with international interests may want to consider when they seek this viable service. It used to be that the main end of translation was to simply convey meaning between two languages. This is still the heart of translating services, but translated communication involving voice-over technique has advanced to encompass no small degree of art. While some will say that translation has always enjoyed an artistic component, it now features voice-over translation professionals who are also performers. Voice-over experts, for example, can embody a character that can bolster a marketing message. The voice-over translator may convey empathy in some way or create a connection with the audience that goes beyond translated speech. Performance elements aside, today’s voice-over translation and its translators are also increasingly supported by digital solutions that shorten or alternatively lengthen the performed translation. When a corporate video voice-over is needed, it’s important that the voice-over performer remain in sync with the video. Luckily, the technology allows for more ease of the syncing process. The result is a seamless representation...
Jul 7, 2014 | Blog, Language Services, Tips, Translation
How valuable is website translation? Do you know how much international traffic your website gets? Have you ever asked yourself how much more it might receive if it was translated into multiple languages? A world class translation service with linguists and professional translators at its disposal can be worth its weight in gold. The fact is, in today’s global markets, a multilingual website is increasingly valuable. Its importance is such that it requires the dedication of professionals–human and not simply machines–to craft and perfect its message to appeal to local markets and effectively market to them. On the importance of human, professional translators There are many benefits to a well-translated website. Firstly, it has an authoritative advantage over competitors who may not rely on a professional service. They may rely on crowd-sourced or automatic translation. This is risky, however, because incorrect and even improper translation can undermine a company’s authority by making them appear ignorant or inept. Few would call the Coca-Cola brand and its marketers inept, of course, but even such major companies have endured language faux-pas and accidental mistakes that actually made headlines. Not so long ago, Coca-Cola spent a considerable amount of money printing signs that sounded like their brand name in Chinese but the wording actually told consumers to ‘bite the wax tadpole.’ Why use a translation agency? Some companies may choose to hire their own translator, but there are added benefits to working with a translation service. For one, website translation typically requires ongoing maintenance. Each time you add new content to the site, it will require professional translation. A translation service has teams...
Jun 12, 2014 | Blog, Language Services, SEO, Tips, Translation
Everyone is concerned about search engine optimization today. Whether based on Main Street or in foreign capitals near and far, businesses and organizations value their page ranking immensely. Every company would prefer to be found on page one of a Google search and not buried ten pages deep where few searchers take the time to reach. Therefore, companies that want to maintain their ranking or climb to that number one spot must regard SEO seriously. While the placement of video content on a website is a great way to diversify content, and most likely the best way of interacting with your potential audience, that video might not be working as hard as it can if its translation isn’t prepared with SEO in mind. Just like text-based content, your online video translation can benefit from SEO where it can better support the website ranking. Many companies wish to have their video content translated for use in international marketplaces. The most professionally wrought translations, of course, can be obtained by working with professional translation solutions providers. Not only can you expect accurate translations, you’ll benefit from their SEO know-how. The fact is if you are going to have your video content translated, you may as well make sure the translation is SEO -friendly in order to better enhance your online presence. Whether it is voice-over translation or use of multilingual subtitles, your online video translation will support your website when that translation is made with SEO in mind. Because search engines like Google will index the video translation, this translated text can influence page rank. With more traffic to your website...
