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European markets are big drivers of demand for translation services, and German is a highly sought after language for translation. Germany is one of the leading economic powerhouses in Europe, especially for industries like engineering and manufacturing of automotive products, heavy machinery, electronics, and more.
Contributing more than 20 percent of Europe’s GDP, Germany has the largest economy in Europe. They are also one of the largest exporters in the world, making German to English translation just as important as English to German translation.
Here are some things to consider if you’re translating to German.
German Language Translation for Websites
Writing for websites is different than writing for product and instruction manuals, mainly because of how pieces of content and websites are now found online.
Are you translating English to German, or German to English for websites? Then make sure you consider the following:
SEO
SEO translation is different from typical translation: it combines translation with search engine optimization to make sure the translated content performs well in search engines in its new language. If you want to optimize for specific keywords, be sure to identify those in advance so that they can be incorporated into your translation.
Mobile Optimization during Website Translation
Not only does Google place mobile-adapted websites higher in search rankings, but half of all global web pages served are served to mobile devices. The smartphone is overtaking the desktop and laptop as people’s preferred viewing device.
This preference makes it important to keep mobile optimization in mind when translating content for websites, especially when you translate English to German. In general, text length can fluctuate during translation, meaning that words can appear differently in various mobile scenarios. The German language is notorious for long words with many characters.
Localization
Differences in length between German words and the original text must be taken into consideration as it can affect the way that text appears on your website.
Experienced translation services providers understand that this happens, and that translation involves more than just the front end of your website. Your translation provider will help you identify which file formats work best for exporting content and re-importing the translated text. Learn more about localization.
What Are the Specific German Regulatory Guidelines for Your Industry?
Be sure to consult with your regulatory advisors in order to comply with the specific regulatory bodies applicable to your industry.
For example, the medical device industry must conform to requirements set by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices when bringing medical devices to Germany, as is is the medical device regulatory authority. Using the German Medicines Act, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices creates regulations and authorizes drugs, monitors legal narcotics trades, as well as evaluates the risks of any medical devices.
The European Commission also creates regulations for the EU concerning health, safety and environmental impacts with which manufacturers seeking CE marking must comply.
German Language Translation for Long German Words
There’s a playful saying in translation: “The Germans have a word for that, and it’s very long.” As mentioned before, the German language is filled with lengthy words containing many characters. It’s not unusual for words in German to be at least 30 letters in length.
When completing German language translation, it is important to partner with an experienced translation provider that understands the nuances of the language.
International Language Services is a top provider of native German translation services for a variety of industry sectors. You can rely on our background in localization and our linguistic subject matter experts to produce the most accurate and reliable German translations. Contact International Language Services to learn more about how we can help with your next technical translation project.
