Poll: What's the best type of website to represent a translator?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Apr 27, 2017

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "What's the best type of website to represent a translator?".

This poll was originally submitted by Alistair Ian Spearing Ortiz. View the poll results »



 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 06:14
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Lots of content Apr 27, 2017

It persuades your prospective clients that you're serious.

Mine's at www.murieltranslations.com. It's a work in progress, but at least it's got plenty of content.


[Edited at 2017-04-27 08:38 GMT]


 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 14:14
Spanish to English
+ ...
Bare bones Apr 27, 2017

Time is money. So nothing "TLDR", no mission statements, and at the slightest mention of "synergy" I am out of there like a shot, especially if it's used in plural (synergies). I don't even have a website myself. Too much fiddle, faff and bother.

PS: Ditto what Chris says

[Edited at 2017-04-27 10:19 GMT]

[Edited at 2017-04-27 10:24 GMT]


 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Both Apr 27, 2017

I imagine the most effective solution would be bare bones at the front and plenty of underlying meat to click through to.

However... I don't have a website. I'm not in the phone book. I don't advertise at all.

I'm not an ambulance chaser. I don't work for random people wanting CVs and birth certificates translated, and I'm not interested in one-off jobs. The kind of long-term customers I'm after aren't going to go hunting for a translator on the Internet. They'll ask a
... See more
I imagine the most effective solution would be bare bones at the front and plenty of underlying meat to click through to.

However... I don't have a website. I'm not in the phone book. I don't advertise at all.

I'm not an ambulance chaser. I don't work for random people wanting CVs and birth certificates translated, and I'm not interested in one-off jobs. The kind of long-term customers I'm after aren't going to go hunting for a translator on the Internet. They'll ask a colleague or a friend for a recommendation.

The trouble with websites, like all marketing, is that every translator inevitably says the same thing, so nobody takes any notice.
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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 13:14
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other Apr 27, 2017

I don’t know, as clients’ needs might be quite different, some are just looking for the bare essentials while others may require more detailed content. One cannot please everyone…

 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 14:14
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
Other. Relevant Apr 27, 2017

The bare bones can do it, if you choose the right bare bones.

Languages and subject areas you work in, an e-mail address or link if you prefer.
Qualifications and certifications - are you sworn, State Authorized, or whatever your country calls it? Show your FIT stamp, perhaps?
An address or VAT number that can be checked to show you really mean business.

A little colour is a good thing, so make sure that important headings stand out, but don't hit the
... See more
The bare bones can do it, if you choose the right bare bones.

Languages and subject areas you work in, an e-mail address or link if you prefer.
Qualifications and certifications - are you sworn, State Authorized, or whatever your country calls it? Show your FIT stamp, perhaps?
An address or VAT number that can be checked to show you really mean business.

A little colour is a good thing, so make sure that important headings stand out, but don't hit the viewer in the eye. Flags are fine as symbols of a language, but please, not flapping in the wind - movement is a distraction. You have caught my eye, so please leave me in peace to look at what you have to offer!

A USP - Unique Selling Point - or at least a brief explanation of what you specialize in and why you are so good at it.
A good photo of you and/or a well-designed logo, so that people can distinguish you from all the others.

I think generally, less is best when it comes to slogans and anecdotes, though a short, memorable motto that sums it all up can be a useful punchline.

PS I have no website myself and my profile here is not carefully constructed - it just grew. Clients find me anyway, most by word of mouth or recommendations these days, but the profile does actually work.
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DEVANATHAN RENGACHARI
DEVANATHAN RENGACHARI  Identity Verified
India
Local time: 18:44
English to Tamil
+ ...
Translator website content. Apr 27, 2017

In my opinion, it should be as short as possible, but should convey the details effectively.
Regards,
Devanathan.


 
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Yetta Jensen Bogarde  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 14:14
Member (2012)
English to Danish
+ ...
Other Apr 27, 2017

Not too bare, in fact I think Christine sums it all up very nicely.

Anyway, it has to be something you are comfortable with yourself, then you should automatically attract the customers that are on the same page. And by the way, I find it very useful to have this business card on the Internet.

Mine is www.J-JTranslations.com


 
DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
a business card Apr 27, 2017

Considering its purpose to refer a prospect to a specific translator regarding a certain project and terms, it would be "WH- & HOW" to the point -- WHO - WHAT - WHICH - WHERE - WHEN - WHY and HOW. All the rest (including blogging, rewriting, the news and so on) is but to make one re-visit the resource and re-consider the offer, which implies the first impression and data wasn't enough.

 
Ventnai
Ventnai  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 14:14
German to English
+ ...
Beefed-up bare bones Apr 27, 2017

You need to be wary of providing too much detail - your prospective clients may nod off while reading through all the bumf

 
Philippe Etienne
Philippe Etienne  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 14:14
Member
English to French
Other Apr 27, 2017

Whether concise or verbose, I suppose the main purpose of a website is that serious prospects contact you and discard your competitors!

Philippe


 
Michael Harris
Michael Harris  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 14:14
Member (2006)
German to English
Other Apr 27, 2017

No idea, I am not looking for one. But it is probably the same a job application, the less stories you tell, the more believable you are....

 
Bora Taşdemir
Bora Taşdemir  Identity Verified
Local time: 16:14
Member (2012)
English to Turkish
+ ...
Neither of them... Apr 27, 2017

Home page should be bare bones - like quick-view and also detailed, if the viewer wants to get some more information. This would be optimal!

 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 10:14
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
It depends Apr 27, 2017

First of all, I'm quite doubtful about the effectiveness of a trasnlator's website. The most efficient sites for translators are the ones like ProZ, Abrates, etc. I get 95% of communications from clients from the latter, and very very few from my website.

As to the contents, it depends on the target. People in Brazil are lazy, and don't like detailed sites or CVs. In North-America, on the other hand, outsourcers valuate everything, even activities not related to the profession, such
... See more
First of all, I'm quite doubtful about the effectiveness of a trasnlator's website. The most efficient sites for translators are the ones like ProZ, Abrates, etc. I get 95% of communications from clients from the latter, and very very few from my website.

As to the contents, it depends on the target. People in Brazil are lazy, and don't like detailed sites or CVs. In North-America, on the other hand, outsourcers valuate everything, even activities not related to the profession, such as Charity. So the ideal situation is to have a summary home page, with the option to a detailed page, as well as a summarized CV and a complete CV. According to the client, you know which one applies best.
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Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 06:14
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
@ Chris, Mario, and other skeptics Apr 28, 2017

I got my best client ever through my website. One very good year they accounted for more than half my income. Others have come to me through the site as well.

 


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Poll: What's the best type of website to represent a translator?






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