ICanLocalize review

Recently I had some translation work that needed to be done related to some online projects, and looking for a place to get the translations done I bumped into ICanLocalize. That is how I ended up writing this ICanLocalize review. Based on that I am now ready to write a review based on my own experience using their services. Is ICanLocalize a good option if you have translation work that needs to be done?

ICanLocalize is a part of OnTheGoSystems, the group behind the popular WPML plugin for WordPress, a great tool if you want your WordPress site made available online in several languages. We are fans of the WPML plugin, but is the ICanLocalize service as good as the plugin?

ICanLocalize – our experience

On the day we registered for ICanLocalize we immediately created two projects that we wanted to translate to Finnish and Dutch (from English). We create the project and made them public, and within 30 minutes we had offers from one/one translator who wanted to do the translation. The minimum price is 0,09USD per word at ICanLocalize, and we offered almost exactly that. In the system we checked up on reviews made by earlier clients of the translators, and based on those we accepted both translators and gave them the job. They both had a 48 hours deadline (which we added to the project). The translator we used to get the document translated to Dutch (1000 words) had the translation done within 6 hours and the Finnish translator did the job within 24 hours. It is possible for a 50% higher price to add the “professional review” function to the translation,, meaning that another translator will review the job done by the first translator before you get the final work, but we skipped that in both cases.

Since we know some guys in the Netherlands we sent them the translation made to Dutch to make them take a look at it, and their response was that is was a good and solid translation. At the moment we have had no way of controlling the Finnish translation, but hopefully that will run with the same quality!

ICanLocalize – negatives

We were very satisfied with the translations, but there are still some negatives to ICanLocalize. The biggest problem, that almost scared us away before we even started… the messy language at the ICanLocalize site. It is a disaster that a site dealing with translations should be that messy, but it is. Some examples:

1) As we create a new project we often end up at a site where the language is 100% in German. This does not happen all the time, but very often.
2) As we created a new project and added our information there suddenly came some Spanish sentences into the translation

These were just some minor bugs, but they were annoying in the start and almost scare us away. As we now try to recall such errors they sometimes show up, but not always. So, be prepared, but hopefully these errors will be gone by the time you register and try ICanLocalize yourself.

[stextbox id=”info” caption=”Language bugs fixed”]These language bugs have been fixed by now, so I no longer suffer from these bugs as I use ICanLocalize nowadays.[/stextbox]

ICanLocalize – positives

• There are lots of things we like about this service. It is quick and it is personal, as you can personally write messages and communicate with your translator. You can publish a translation project and choose from translators applying to your project, meaning that you can pick the one you believe to be the best. If you have once found a translator you like you can make him a favorite and send future projects directly to the translator, making them your permanent translator in the future (very useful if you are satisfied).
• Another advantage is that it is quick. Since you communicate directly with the translator and set a time limit as you create a project, you will not have to wait for weeks for the project to be published and started, but if you are in a hurry, you can release a project and set the translation deadline in 24 hours. Only translators willing to do the job in such a hurry will apply, and you will get the job done.
• The review function is also very useful, making sure that if you are in need of a great translation of high quality and without typos and grammar mistakes, this will guarantee that.
• Let us not forget… ICanLocalize is cheap compared to large translations offices. You can do most translations at a price of 0,09USD per word, which is an amazing price. Most translation companies have normal rates, and if you are in a hurry they add some heavy costs to get the translation done even faster. Here you set the price and the translators run to you to get the job done!

ICanLocalize review conclusion

ICanLocalize is a solid product which will help you get the translation work done easily. They also have functions making it possible to directly translate from within WordPress, meaning that you do not even have to really visit their site. There are lots of options and ways in which this can be done, so just read more on the ICanLocalize site if you want some more high tech translation, instead of the typical Word-document translation.

– ICanLocalize website –

Check this out for yourself and if you have thoughts on ICanLocalize or an experience that you would like to share, write a comment!