How much does a website translation cost?

The translation of a website is characterised by its challenges in terms of optimisation, brand image, and visibility. It can be carried out using software or by a professional translator. The cost of a website translation varies according to the translation method you choose as well as  other factors. 

Website translation: idiosyncrasies and challenges

Website translation is a powerful way of maximising your company's digital visibility to a multilingual audience and gaining access to international markets. 

However, this type of translation brings with it very specific idiosyncrasies and challenges. 

The idiosyncrasies of website translation 

Website translation is a complex process that involves a number of different elements. A website translated into several languages maximises the number of visits, increases lead attraction and conversion, and therefore boosts your company's profitability.

What's more, the multilingual translation of a professional website demonstrates your company’s desire to create a close relationship with web users and to make your offering more accessible to a wider audience. So it's a differentiating factor and a guarantee of cultural openness. 

The challenges of website translation 

Translating a website represents a particular challenge for the translator, who has to consider the technical aspects of web writing and SEO to ensure good search engine optimisation.

Whether it's a blog, an online shop or an e-commerce platform, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is an essential aspect of web translation. Therefore, the translator should take into account the optimisation of meta tags, the addition of relevant keywords, and the integration of internal and external links adapted to the target audience, etc. 

Website translation should also respect the editorial style, and translators should ensure that the text is readable and consistent, both in terms of form and content. Finally, translating web pages means taking into account the specific features and constraints of mobile devices (smartphones and tablets): the content must be responsive. Similarly, translating mobile apps requires the expertise of a translator who specialises in adapting content to this medium. 

In addition, as with all translations, the translator must preserve the original tone, writing style and message, while adapting the text to the linguistic and cultural nuances of the target language and country. 

Website translation costs

The cost of a website translation varies according to whether you choose a machine translation or a professional translator. If you choose a professional translator you should ask for a personalised quote for the cost of the service. As for machine translation, the price varies according to the software used.

The cost of machine translation 

Machine translation is a quick and cost-effective option for translating your website. The cost depends on the software used: some software such as Google Translate and Microsoft Translator are free but can be imprecise. Other software has to be paid for and offers advanced features and a higher quality of translation. These include SDL Trados, DeepL and MemoQ. Prices vary according to the type of subscription chosen, ranging from £5.99 per month to £49.99 per month for the DeepL platform. Beware, however, that even paid-for translation software has limitations: errors, language clumsiness, lexical, grammatical, or syntactic mistakes, etc. The quality will be even lower when translating a site from or into a rare language. 

The cost of a professional website translation 

Professional website translators usually charge between £0.10 and £0.20 per word. However, prices can be higher. They fluctuate according to the language pairing involved and the area of specialisation required for the site. 

The price of a professional website translation varies according to a number of criteria: 

• The type of translator chosen (translation agency or freelance translator), whether specialised or not, junior, or experienced 

• The number of pages to be translated

• The combination of source and target languages (the rarer they are, the more expensive they will be to translate)

• The complexity and technical nature of the content

• The number of years' experience of the translator

• Estimated delivery times

• The type of translation (medical site, marketing content, financial content, legal content, technical content, etc.).

All these factors can affect the price of a website translation. It is therefore important that you obtain a quote from the service provider to get an estimate for the cost of the translation. 

Why use a professional translator to translate your website?

Using a professional translator who specialises in website translation guarantees you will receive a high-quality translation, faithfully adapted to the source content. Professional translators have in-depth knowledge of the specifics of the web and the marketing challenges. They also ensure a fluid translation, adapted to the target audience and the culture of the destination country.

Professional translation is essential for preserving your company's brand image and e-reputation. It's the surest way of ensuring that the results are high-quality, reliable, and optimised, generating traffic to your site and attracting leads. 

With over 40 years' experience in translation, our Alphatrad translation agency stands out in the field of website translation. 

We offer high-quality translation services in over 100 languages, thanks to a network of over 3,500 professional, native-speaking translators based in the countries to be translated. When you use our services, you benefit from a high-quality translation that respects the target audience and the constraints of web writing. Don't hesitate to request a free online quote to have your site translated by our specialist translators.

FAQ on the costs of website translation