Do Not Use Automated Translations
An automated translation service will produce a language translation quickly, but the outcome may not be desirable.
The translations may not sound natural in other languages, they may be incorrect or culturally insensitive.
Translation is more complex than a literal swap of words from one language to another. Words, phrases, idioms and jargon acceptable in one language may convey a different meaning in another language or culture.
Employ a professional translator to perform and/or audit translations.
The Number of Translations Depends on the Market
How many translations do you require?
The number of languages you need translation for depends on the markets you wish to reach. For example, a French company selling into English speaking markets uses French as the primary language and requires only translations into English. An American company selling to European markets requires translations to many different languages.
How Much to Translate?
Do you translate all the text in the application?
The whole application will operate in its primary language, but you may not need to translate the whole application for each international context.