Updated Guide to Reducing Translation Program Costs in 2027

You know you need to adapt your content for an international audience, but how can you keep costs down and stay on budget? With the correct approach to translation, the ROI you’ll realize from investing in translation services will far outweigh the costs. Translate your product or service the right way, and you’ll reap the benefits for years to come. To this end, we’ve outlined four key steps you can take when planning the next translation project that can help you reduce translation program costs and improve returns.  

1. Prioritize Content

You don’t have to have everything translated at the same time. By mapping out a long-term localization strategy, you can set your company up for sustained success in your target market(s).

Here are some questions to ask yourself when determining what to translate first: 

• Which product or service generates the most revenue? 
• What are the most viewed pages on your website? 
• What is the most important information your customers need to know? 
• Are there legal or regulatory requirements you need to communicate? 

2. Provide Source Files

Another way you can save time and money is by sending all original source files, fonts, and graphics from your publishing software application to your language service provider (LSP). This simplifies and accelerates the file preparation process and enables the LSP to: 

• Detect and repair any potential issues upfront  
• Identify reusable content for future projects  
• Provide a more accurate project proposal and schedule 

3. Consider AI Translation Technologies 

SimulTrans leverages the full range of modern AI translation technologies, including large language models (LLMs) and Neural Machine Translation  (NMT), so you can choose between having your content translated using either AI (Artificial Intelligence) or Neural Machine Translation.

AI translation is the process of using LLMS (Large Language Models) engines to automatically translate content from one language to another, without human input.  Neural Machine Translation  (NMT) is the use of software to translate text from one language to another. They are both versatile localization tools that can help lower costs, increase productivity, and reduce timelines. But neither is appropriate in all cases. This may be a viable option if:  

• You have a large-scale project with vast amounts of content 
• You’re working with a limited budget and/or a tight deadline  
• You need to translate materials not directly tied to your core product/website/app, 
  e.g. user documentation, technical manuals, and help systems 

Whichever you choose, it should always be followed by a linguistic review or post-editing.

4. Quality Verification and Post-Editing 

Nowadays, SimulTrans uses a piece of technology called an Orchestrator to help connect translation, post-editing, quality verification, and delivery into a single process.  This means that before content reaches a human reviewer, AI-powered quality estimation can evaluate output, flagging segments that need attention and directing post-editing effort where it matters most.  Then experienced linguists post-edit and refine the output, optimizing engines over time through continuous corrective feedback. The result is enterprise-grade translation at greater speed, without compromising on accuracy or tone. 

5. Use Cost Calculators

Cost calculators are a handy tool that can help you determine whether a given project falls within your allocated budget. Online calculators  can estimate the initial translation and subsequent monthly maintenance costs – and expected ROI – for your localization project based on the following inputs: 

• Total initial and updated monthly word count 
• Number of target languages 
• Translation method/quality (human translation, MT, etc.)  

As you can see, reducing translation program costs isn't about making huge changes. What’s most important is taking the time to carefully plan your project in a way that maximizes efficiencies and minimizes waste. With a combination of small steps and best practices, saving money on translation ultimately comes down to little changes that make a big difference. 

Contact us today to learn more about reducing costs for localization services and other translation cost-cutting ideas that can really pay off for your business. 

This blog article has been updated.