The Internet has fundamentally changed the way we shop and the way we do business. No doubt about it. People are spending less time going to stores and more time shopping online. The geographic location of a business and its proximity to your home or office has become much less significant than it was in the past. Whether you are shopping for groceries, shoes or travel services, getting it online can save you time and effort. And the goods can usually be delivered to your doorstep.
The same holds true for translation services. Everything is done online today and rarely do you need to physically go to the translation office yourself. Everything is delivered by email and if something needs to get delivered in hard copy, there are overnight courier services for that.
Having said that, some people still seem to prefer to order translation services locally. They want to call up on the phone, perhaps even visit the office. Pick up the translated documents in person. That’s why keyword searches like ‘translation companies near me’ and ‘translation agencies near me‘ are very popular in search. According to SEMrush (a popular SEO and digital marketing tool), these two searches alone are made over 1,000 times a month. In addition, there are thousands of monthly searches for phrases like ‘translation agencies in NYC’ and ‘translation companies in Atlanta.’
When is it to your benefit to order translation services locally?
If you have an important document and only have one copy of it, like a birth certificate or a last will and testament. And if you are worried about sending it via courier because it may get lost or damage. Then it may make sense to take the document yourself to a translation agency. Or if you are computer illiterate or have a fear of the Internet. Getting into your car and driving downtown to the translation company office may be more convenient for you.
Of course most hard copy documents can be scanned into an electronic file and sent via email or uploaded to the Internet. No travel time or paying for a parking spot is needed.
If you need a signed translation certificate or affidavit, then using a translation agency near you may be beneficial as well. Some authorities will not accept a digitally signed translation Statement of Accuracy and want a signed, original hard copy. In those cases, using a local translation company may be better since you can stop by and pick up such certificates yourself. Many online translation companies do not offer physical delivery. And even if they do, they will probably charge you a handling and delivery fee.
When is the location of the translation agency irrelevant?
When you need to order any document that it is an electronic file format, like a PDF or Powerpoint file. Especially if it is not a scanned document. Then the location of the translation agency makes absolutely no difference. If you need to translate a brochure, a technical manual, a legal contract, a patent, an informed consent or any document which was created in software-then it makes 100% sense to order it online. It is faster, easier and cheaper. Because you are not limiting yourself to a translation company that is located in your city or state, the competition for your business becomes much larger which means better prices for you as a customer.
GTS Translation is an online translation agency with customers in every state in the US, in every European country and in most Asian countries as well. No matter where you are located, GTS delivers your translation services quickly and efficiently. Translation agency near me? Order translation services from GTS.
