The Real Cost of Enterprise Localization

Please stop obsessing over Per-Word Rates!

When it comes to localization, many enterprise teams still use per-word translation rates as the gold standard for cost comparison. On paper, it’s simple: take the word count, multiply by the rate, and you’ve got your budget.

But here’s the catch: this metric is misleading! (especially at scale...)

For large enterprises managing websites, mobile apps, legal documents, training material, and real-time notifications in multiple languages, the true cost of localization lies far beyond the rate card.

Let’s break it down.

The Hidden Costs of “Cheap” Translation

A low per-word rate might look like a win, but it often leads to:

❌ Rework & Redoing: Without translation memory or glossary enforcement, you’ll pay again and again for the same content.

❌ Implementation Time: Translation that requires engineering intervention to integrate into your CMS, app, or CRM causes delays and resource bottlenecks.

❌ Manual QA Cycles: If your team has to visually check every translated screen or webpage, you’re burning hours (and goodwill).

❌ Inconsistency Across Touchpoints: Multiple vendors or disconnected workflows result in inconsistent messaging across your app, website, emails, and notifications.

❌ Sync Failures: When updates go live in English but take days or weeks to reflect in other languages, your user experience suffers - and so does your brand.

What You Should Be Measuring Instead

Instead of focusing on cost per word, ask:

• How quickly can we launch new languages across platforms?
• How much manual effort is needed to maintain and QA localized content?
• Can we reuse previous translations intelligently?
• How consistent is the brand voice across all channels and formats?
• Is there a single solution managing everything - or is it a messy patchwork?

These are the questions that determine your true cost of localization...

A Quick Case Example

Imagine a 50,000-word website translation at ₹1 per word in a single language. Total quote: ₹50,000.

Now add:

• Developer time for integration: ₹50,000
• QA and rework cycles: ₹50,000
• Sync delays that lead to a campaign going live late = missed revenue!

Total cost: Well over ₹150,000 - three times the quoted figure!

⚠️And you’ll pay more every time content updates.

⚠️Don't forget to factor adding more languages - because in India, adding a single language is not going to be enough!

⚠️We're also assuming here that no translation memory has been utilised. Industry estimates show that Translation Memories deliver savings of 30-70% depending on the scale of the project.

The Smarter Path: Value Over Price

Platforms like MoxVeda flip the model.

✅ They provide a no-code integration

✅ They come integrated with a translation memory and glossary checks

✅ They guarantee 100% content sync with source

✅ They enable on-screen QA and review

✅ They are SEO and Maintenance-friendly

With this approach, you’re not just translating - you’re building a scalable, cost-efficient localization process that grows with your business.

Word To The Wise: You Can’t Save Your Way to Quality

Choosing the lowest per-word rate might feel like efficiency. But in enterprise localization, real efficiency comes from reducing time, friction, and rework - not shaving cents off the rate.

Next time you evaluate a localization partner, ask not “How much per word?” but “How much to do it right?”