subject: The Birth of the Translation Directory: The Advantages of Specialized Translation Directories [print this page] The Birth of the Translation Directory: The Advantages of Specialized Translation Directories
The Translation Directory vs. The Major Directories
Why should you spend so much time sorting through other types of services when you only need one? A phonebook filled with every imaginable service is no different from the countless general directories that exist on the Internet they both present a hurdle in finding the services you need, and the services you need fast.
For those of you looking for translation services, or those professionals looking to advertise and market your translation services, the new form of online directory is now emerging the translation directory. The translation directory is becoming the main resource for freelance translators and translation companies who legitimately want their brand to become known.
In many respects, a translation directory is basically an online market of buyers, providers and resources that specifically relate to the translation industry. Imagine a phonebook that only has the type of services you're looking for? This is the translation directory.
A Look into the General Directories While the general directories do have some positives, it is noteworthy to take a look into the negatives too. Consider this:
Known as the "open directory project", Dmoz.org is a community-based website which offers articles and service directories that relate to practically every subject matter and service conceivable.
Positives: Dmoz is one of the oldest directories on the Web. Articles are human edited and range from health and beauty to automotive and dating sites. Also important is that the sites that are listed have been in the market for several years.
Negatives: Lack of enough editors has caused many articles to become outdated and inaccurate. With over 590,000 categories, the website is confusing and not user-friendly. Dmoz has over 4 million general services listed which makes it difficult to find a service you are looking for. Can you imagine being found among 4 million other services? Not the case with a translation directory.
The Yahoo! directory is considered the largest private human-edited directory available today. Consider this:
Positives: Yahoo! pays its editors so the content is not outdated like that of Dmoz.
Negatives: In order to submit your service and have your company listed, it can cost more than $299.00 per year. Compared to a translation directory that is free, this is a huge negative that can be avoided.
Rather surprisingly, the Google directory is merely a copy of the Dmoz directory. No noteworthy positives or negatives here, since Google mirrors Dmoz and presents it under their brand.
Should you choose a translation directory? If you're truly concerned with getting your translation services noticed, join a network of similar translation professionals in a translation directory.
