How to Get Better Translations for Your Business: 5 Smart Strategies

Bad translations don't only sound awkward, they can also damage your brand, confuse your customers and cost you real money. But here’s the good news: better results don’t always mean bigger budgets. Often, what companies need is a smarter approach to how they collaborate with translation providers.

Whether you’re working with a freelance translator, a translation agency, or even handling translations in-house, these five practical strategies can help elevate quality and efficiency across the board.

First, let’s address the elephant in the room: “Isn’t translation dead because of AI?”

It’s true, machine translation has improved dramatically. Tools like DeepL, Google Translate, and yes, even ChatGPT can produce remarkably fluent results. For casual use, producing drafts, or getting the gist of something, they’re excellent.

However, they are not:

• A replacement for expert human judgment.
• A safeguard against legal, cultural, or technical errors.
• A reliable source for brand-sensitive or high-risk content.

Think of AI as a powerful starting point, not a finish line. In fact, many professionals now use machine translation with human post-editing to combine speed with quality. But if your content needs to be accurate—clear, consistent, legally sound, or persuasive—you still need humans in the loop.

The smartest businesses are learning how to integrate AI wisely, not rely on it blindly.

1. Share What Matters Most: Market, Tone, and Audience

Who are you talking to? Where do they live? What matters to them?

Tone, formality and vocabulary shift depending on the region and demographic. For example, Spanish used in Colombia differs significantly from the one used in Argentina. German spoken by teenagers sounds nothing like German spoken by lawyers. If you're vague about your target audience, your translations may miss the mark entirely.

And while AI might “guess” at tone or intent, it doesn’t know your brand’s voice or audience unless you define it. Be specific about who you’re trying to reach, and your translators (human or AI-assisted) will make better decisions.

2. Professionals Only: Don’t Gamble on Language Skills Alone

A bilingual employee or a friend who studied abroad isn’t the same as a professional translator. Translation is an activity that requires domain knowledge, writing skill, cultural awareness and specialized tools.

Even AI needs qualified supervision. Just like you wouldn’t publish a legal contract generated by ChatGPT without a lawyer’s review, you shouldn’t publish AI-translated product copy or safety instructions without a translator’s input.

Want high-quality results? Work with trained professionals and if you’re using machine translation, pair it with post-editing carried out by an expert linguist.

3. Provide Editable and Accessible Source Files

Sending non-editable PDFs or screenshots is still one of the top productivity killers in translation workflows. Professional translators (and translation software) work best with structured, editable files, such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, HTML, InDesign packages, etc.

Modern translation tools also track repetitions and build translation memories, smart databases that store previous translations to increase consistency and reduce costs over time.

While AI tools can quickly process large word volumes, without structured input, they can miss the context or misinterpret layout-sensitive content. Help them (and your team) by providing accessible source files from the start.

4. Context Is Essential: Give Translators the Full Picture

Even the most advanced AI can’t guess the meaning of “Press here” if it doesn’t know what “here” is. Whether you’re using humans or machines, having context reduces the risk of making errors.

Here are some quick ways to help your translation provider to gain context:

• Share screenshots of UI elements.
• Explain the purpose of the document.
• Provide reference materials, brand guidelines, or prior translations.

Clear context empowers translators and improves machine translation outputs alike. Think of it like giving your GPS the right destination: it makes the whole journey smoother.

5. Leverage Internal Experts, But Keep It Balanced

Your sales team, distributors or international branches know your products and markets better than anyone. Their insights on terminology, tone and cultural preferences is invaluable, especially for adapting your content to the local market.

Involve them early in the process, but don’t overburden them. Establishing a streamlined feedback loop with clear and defined responsibilities ensures that their input enhances results without causing delays. You or your language service provider can even use structured review platforms or translation management systems to handle this efficiently.

The final takeaway: translation quality is a strategic advantage

If your content shapes how people see your brand (and it almost always does), then translation deserves more than a last-minute slot in your workflow. It should hold a priority step in your marketing strategy.

To this end, you should:

• Know your audience.
• Use professional linguists.
• Share context and assets.
• Embrace smart tech.
• Build feedback into your process.

Translation isn’t dying. It’s evolving. By working with a specialised translation agency, your company can communicate better, faster and more confidently in every language that matters.