language tools good or bad for site and reader??

[Steven1976a]

Hi, I wanted to ask peoples opinions about using language translation tools. I wanted to set up our site www.bodyjewelryshopping.com with 4 languages in addition to english.


French
Spanish
Italian
German


We created the files for example http://www.bodyjewelryshopping.com/french.htm which had been translated through a translation tool. I have a friend who is French to proof read the French page and he said that it is understandable but only really 70-80% correct.

I can get the first page for each language translated to read properly and try and optimise these pages for the key words in them languages but the internal automatically generated translated pages may only read 70 % correct.

My question is to everyone is it better to have the pages on the site and optimised for Key phrases in the above languages for traffic or should I remove them all together.

Your thoughts??

Steve

[minstrel]

Is there a good business reason for having these translated pages?

If so, get a translator to do the job properly -- I think it's worse to have a bad translation than none at all. And anyone who wants a bad translation can run it through one of the online translators (I see a few visitors to my sites doing that regularly). I think if you use an online translator, you expect it to be bad, but if you have a choice for a page on a site in the language of your choice, you expect more professionality.

If not, dump the pages.

[Steven1976a]

Thanks for the reply that was kind of the response I wanted. I suppose if Im going to do it I might as well get it done properly. I have friends here in Bangkok who will help me with the Spanish, French and German translation but I dont really know Italian nationals. Does anyone know of any good online resources where I can get good translations made?
Steve

[cspelts]

I've seen sites that on each page had a link to translate that individual page - it's still only 70% right, but at least the user knows that the service is the problem and not the site. I think it would be very difficult to make any sales on a site that used broken English - and I assume it's the same no matter what the language.

Setting up a translation button does not help you with SEO - but if you already get visitors from other countries, it might help you make more sales.

[Steven1976a]

Hi Cspelts

"Setting up a translation button does not help you with SEO - but if you already get visitors from other countries, it might help you make more sales."


As our business is export and therefore not based in one area we just feel that we are missing out on people who may search within their own language by this I mean we were wanting to optimise the home pages in the relevant language so that if someone in Germany was searching for Jewelry (our product) they may be looking for a local wholesaler using the german word for jewelry "Schmucksachen" (i think).
If we only keep in the english language then obviously they will not find us so what we were considering is to Optimize the home page in each language and then the links from these pages link through to the language translation.

Any thoughts from anyone?
Steve

[minstrel]

It appears you need (or think you need) the translated pages for your business.

This being the case, you should do the job properly and hire a translator.