Poll: Do you work with agencies? If so, do you check their websites to find out more about them? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you work with agencies? If so, do you check their websites to find out more about them?".
View the poll results »
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Websites say a lot about a business and show a clear picture of the company you will be working with, direct clients or translation agencies. So, checking a website is often the first step in my due diligence process…
| | | | Samuel Murray 
Netherlands
Local time: 09:49
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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| Yes, although | Dec 20, 2023 |
Yes, although the website only negatively affects my decision to work for them if it contains many spelling errors. I mostly try to find out something "personal" about the agency, e.g. where they are or if their leadership team is visible on the site. I also use the website to double-check the contact details.
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I take it you are talking about new clients. I might check out a website or two, but their websites unfortunately don't tell me if they are trustworthy or not, and can be fake. But I do check them out on the different platforms available to us translators, or I call them in person.
Even that doesn't say too much. In the end it is hope and trust. Follow your gut feeling.
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| Yes, always ... | Dec 21, 2023 |
... though checking the ProZ Blue Board and PaymentPractices.net is more important in my due diligence process, as anyone could put up a nice website and then not pay their vendors. I mostly use their own website to see what specialisations/industries they focus on and what the name of their vendor manager or other contact person is, so I can address them by their name. LinkedIn is also very useful for the latter.
| | | | | Just checked | Dec 21, 2023 |
I've been contacted by agencies many times - I look them up on LinkedIn, on Proz, on anywhere else I can find them, including their website, of course, and then on every occasion we fail to agree on terms. But I always check them out as best I can.
I only work with one agency. They pay on time, their rates are good, and they're thoroughly nice people. They didn't have a website in 2000. About ten years ago, they had a site but simply with an "Under construction" sign on it. I've jus... See more I've been contacted by agencies many times - I look them up on LinkedIn, on Proz, on anywhere else I can find them, including their website, of course, and then on every occasion we fail to agree on terms. But I always check them out as best I can.
I only work with one agency. They pay on time, their rates are good, and they're thoroughly nice people. They didn't have a website in 2000. About ten years ago, they had a site but simply with an "Under construction" sign on it. I've just checked again and now even that has gone and the site no longer exists. So that's that.
[Edited at 2023-12-21 10:28 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 09:49
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
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| Overall vibe | Dec 21, 2023 |
Checking the website and social networks is a minimum due diligence, but often times not enough.
Their manner of communication, (im)politeness, spelling mistakes, chaotic project management, utterly unqualified project managers, etc. speak much more about them than a shiny marketing-projected website. So, I agree about the gut feeling and the overall impression regarding their (un)professionalism that doesn’t take long to acquire, it’s usually possible to get during initial mess... See more Checking the website and social networks is a minimum due diligence, but often times not enough.
Their manner of communication, (im)politeness, spelling mistakes, chaotic project management, utterly unqualified project managers, etc. speak much more about them than a shiny marketing-projected website. So, I agree about the gut feeling and the overall impression regarding their (un)professionalism that doesn’t take long to acquire, it’s usually possible to get during initial messages. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:49
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
| Websites are easy | Dec 21, 2023 |
Lingua 5B wrote:
Checking the website and social networks is a minimum due diligence, but often times not enough.
Agreed. There are agencies that have impressive websites and unimpressive ratings on Blue Board or Payment Practices.
Websites and social media is the easy part. The difficult part is running a successful business without having to resort to underhand practices.
Dan
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Kay Denney
France
Local time: 09:49
French to English
Yes of course I look at their website. Not that I've ever learned very much from them, because they all look the same.
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