B2B translation services: What you need to know

Global companies need professional translation services to translate their content if they want to achieve international success and forge partnerships across borders.

Business-to-business (B2B) translation services help you quickly and accurately translate content aimed at other companies. These services often utilize AI translation tools alongside professional translators and linguists to ensure translations match the cultural context of the local language—a process known as localization.

In this guide, we’ll explain who needs translation services and the common types of B2B services offered. We’ll also show you how to choose the right translation service for your business needs so you can get the most out of your translations.

Types of B2B translation services

Business-to-business translation services focus on helping companies communicate and do business with other companies rather than directly with consumers. When your services and products are easy to understand in different languages, you build trust with business partners and improve your sales to international organizations.

Here’s an international B2B example: The South Korean company Samsung manufactures advanced computer chips that Apple, an American company, buys and uses in its iPhones. Unlike business-to-consumer (B2C) communications, correspondence between these companies must be highly technical, precise, and standardized to ensure products meet specifications. This B2B partnership would not be possible without translation services that allow each company to communicate and form international operating procedures.

Professional translation services help businesses prevent costly mistakes, such as disputes over poorly translated contracts, compliance violations due to misunderstood regulations, and miscommunication with international partners that could damage business deals.

There are several types of corporate translation services:

1. Legal translation: Translating contracts, agreements, and legal documents.
2. Technical translation: Translating manuals, product guides, and technical documents.
3. Marketing translation: Adapting ads, websites, and brochures for different languages and cultures.
4. Financial translation: Translating financial reports, statements, and business plans.
5. Software and website localization: Translating apps, websites, and software to fit local languages and cultures.

Who needs translation services?

The largest companies in the world all use B2B translation services, including:

• Microsoft (USA): Translates software interfaces, user guides, and customer support content for global users.
• Toyota (Japan): Translates technical manuals, safety instructions, and marketing materials for international car markets.
• Pfizer (USA): Translates drug labels, research studies, and medical instructions to meet global health regulations.
• Siemens (Germany): Translates engineering plans, contracts, and safety documents for international construction and energy projects.

Any business that works with international partners should work with a translation company to translate their content clearly and avoid costly mistakes. There are several sectors where this is especially common:

1. Legal firms

Legal documents are some of the most precise and sensitive. Examples include contracts, patents, court documents, and compliance paperwork. Legal firms must ensure accurate translations to avoid misunderstandings and liability risks.

2. Manufacturing companies

Manufacturers often sell machinery, equipment, and products worldwide. They need translation services for technical manuals, product specifications, safety instructions, and quality control documents. Clear translations ensure customers and business partners understand how to use products safely and correctly, minimizing accidents, product recalls, and legal problems.

3. Technology companies

Globalization connects countless international businesses, providing tech companies with unprecedented connectivity and exposure. Whether they create software, apps, or digital products, they need professional translations to reach a global audience. This includes internationalization for software interfaces and localized translations for user manuals, technical support guides, and product descriptions.

4. Healthcare and pharmaceutical companies

Healthcare and pharmaceutical companies can’t limit themselves to a local market when they produce a breakthrough drug or procedure. Global partnerships let them prevent disease and improve the health of millions of people.

Healthcare and pharmaceutical companies operate under strict safety and health regulations, so they need accurate translations for drug labels, patient information leaflets, clinical trial data, and marketing materials. If this information is not translated accurately, it can lead to health risks for patients.

Choosing a B2B translation services company 

Companies that operate globally can choose from numerous B2B localization services. Some translation providers specialize in translating technical documents, whereas others focus on website translation, and some – like Smartling – specialize in both. Consider these factors before choosing a translation partner:

Expertise

Not all translation companies can accommodate industry-specific language. You need a company that knows your business and can translate important information correctly. Choose one with a track record in your sector to guarantee accurate translations and topical relevance.

Localization and language variety

If your business is expanding into numerous countries, you need a translation company with adequate language options. They should also understand localization, ensuring the translation suits each regional culture.

Quality checks

Small mistakes in translation can cause big problems, including legal issues or lost sales. High-quality translation services institute quality assurance checks in their translation process to double-check their work. They may offer professional translators and editors with ISO certifications to uphold industry standards for certified translation.

Technology and translation tools

Modern translation companies use advanced tools to improve accuracy and efficiency. For example, computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools provide translators with visual context that helps them see how translations will look on the final product, and translation memory (TM) stores frequently used terms for future use. These features ensure high-quality translations that remain consistent across large projects.

Smartling’s LanguageAI™ platform takes translation technology a step further. Smartling uses AI and machine learning to eliminate manual tasks, integrate with existing techstacks, and deliver guaranteed translation quality at scale – all at a fraction of the cost and turnaround time of traditional translation.

Security and privacy

Businesses often share sensitive information, such as contracts or financial reports, so it’s important their translation service keeps this data safe. A reliable company should comply with security standards like PCI, SOC 2, HIPAA, and EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) standards to protect sensitive information.

Transparent pricing structure

Ensure the translation company provides a clear outline of their pricing structure that accounts for different scales of content translation. Some companies may charge per word or per page. Others offer packages that only increase in cost once content volume reaches a specific limit.

Go global with Smartling: Leverage the leading enterprise  translation solution

If your company is expanding into global markets and establishing new business partnerships, B2B translation services aren’t just an advantage – —they’re a necessity. The right translation service provider will help you overcome language barriers, build trust with international partners, and grow your sales.

Smartling is an all-in-one translation solution built to help enterprises scale across the globe with accurate and efficient translations. With AI-powered workflows that deliver translations at double the speed and half the cost of traditional methods, Smartling customers enjoy significant cost savings and translate more content with the same budget. Smartling supports over 450 languages, offering your business unlimited potential to reach new audiences anywhere in the world.

Ready to take your globalization strategy to the next level? Check out “The Complete Guide to Translation Services.” This eBook will help you learn how language services and translation software can better serve your global audience, no matter what language they speak.