The Comprehensive Guide to Localization: How to Localize Your Content

What is Localization?

Localization is a translation and adaptation of your product to a new language and culture. It goes beyond the translation and puts the linguistic and cultural elements in context. 

Localization allows you to compete in a global business environment. Translated texts alone are not enough to survive the fierce competition with local and international companies. That’s why It's worth going the extra mile and paying attention to the details that separate localization from translation:

• Common Phrases
• Jokes
• Payment Systems 

Not only that, but localization requires adapting all the content elements to the local or regional perception. That is exactly what makes customers feel at home.

Who Needs Localization?

Localization makes your product and content more credible and visible. It expands the horizon of the target audience and increases the chance of converting sales. 

Therefrom, everyone who is trying to reach a global audience and improve sales need localization.

For example:

• CEO
• Marketing Manager
• Content Manager
• SEO Manager

Translation vs. Localization

The translation (T9N) is the type of localization, just like basketball is a variety of sports. 

Translation converts text from one language to another. Localization implies various techniques, including translation, to modify content for a new culture. 

Even though the US shares the same language as those in the UK, words that define one thing here can mean another across the pond. You can avoid potential linguistic lapses by taking localization into account.

For example, the word jumper refers to a knitted top in the UK. But in the US, a jumper refers to a person attempting to jump from a bridge or building. That said, if we want to sell knitted wear in the US market, we should use the word Sweater. 

Localization defines the essence of the message and finds the best option to describe something. Thereupon, localization strives to make the content fit cultures and different targeted markets.

Internationalization vs. Localization

Internationalization (i18n) is a strategy that makes products and services localizable. Internationalization refers to pre-actions that ensure how easily your product or content can be localized. Hence, internationalization (i18n) simplifies the process of entering new national markets.

Let's say a company wants to enter the Arabic markets. The internationalization steps may include:

• Supporting the local Unicode for character encoding - as you may have already known, Arabic texts read from right to left.
• Designing layouts, navigation, and buttons to leave room for text expansions - the sentence in English can take a smaller place than in Arabic.
• Speaking in a universal language with the help of illustrations.

Internationalization is a common practice among furniture and technology producers. They only use diagrams and illustrations to explain the process of product usage. But, there are situations where written forms are unavoidable too. So, try to make your text as culturally neutral as possible.

• Tailoring products and services for local markets.

The worldwide famous fast-food chains successfully tailor their products to local markets. KFC's restaurants in Asia serve unique products that are only available to Asian markets. You will never find Blueberry pancakes in America's KFC. But, In Singapore, there is a wide variety of choices of early AM sets: including pancakes, waffles, soups, etc. 

Transcreation vs. Translation

The translation is part of transcreation. As the word describes, transcreation is a mixture of translation and creation. 

When writers transcreate, they think about the tone of voice, the cultural references, and the factual details it contains. Then they convert it into an accurate translation tailored to a completely different cultural context.

For example, Haribo is a well-known German company that produces gummy bears. The slogan of the gummy bear is: "Haribo Macht Kinder froh, und Erwachsene Ebenso" which translates into "Haribo makes children happy and adults too". 

This slogan left translators all over the world baffled. But, in Italy, they found a brilliant solution and translated the catchphrase like: “Haribo è la bontà che si gusta ad ogni età,” (Haribo is a treat to be enjoyed at any age).

What is Globalization?

Globalization (G11N) is an adaptation of products/resources to fit other contexts and cultures. This way organizations become connected to customers around the globe.

Globalization takes care of processes needed for the product launch and operations. Your action plan for globalization may look like this:

• Deciding which product to sell in a specific country
• Developing partnerships with local resources and suppliers
• Come up with an internal operations plan

So, globalization and internationalization share the same goal. They proceed with pre-phases necessary to undergo before localization.

Why is Localization Important for Businesses?

Enter International Markets

Thanks to the superpower of the internet, any brand can tap into every market around the globe. It gives you a unique opportunity to expand the brand awareness borders as far as possible. But, initially, you have to tackle the language barriers and then greet new markets with an open arm. 

By overcoming the language barrier, we do not only consider the translation of words but also the integration of the local touch too. 

If you have everything set up for localization, then there is less to sweat on.

Localization avoids the same potential cultural shocks as American Motors experienced in Puerto Rico. In the 1970's they launched a car, "Matador" in Puerto Rico, without looking at its Spanish translation -  killer.

Expand Your Audience

Adjusting products to the new markets is crucial to ensure ever-green growth. Localization fits the product in a specific market context to invest in the growth of the customer base. Certainly, every manager from the previous century would have dreamed about this opportunity.

Improve Customer Satisfaction Level

Localized content is the sign of responsibility you take to your customer. It makes them feel exactly like at home! And they will surely come back all the time because nothing beats that feeling.

Strengthen Global Brand Image and Loyalty

As have already mentioned, your efforts will not get lost. You will receive back one of the greatest investments - reputation. 

Thereupon, you will gain trust, which is fundamental for brand loyalty and long-term success. Satisfied customers will stay loyal to your brand and become advocates of your product.

Localization puts a human face on companies in different markets. Hence, it helps brands to connect on a deeper level with customers. But, trust is hard to gain and easy to lose, so be consistent with your localized content and product.

Satisfied customers stay loyal to the brands and are more likely to stick around longer. Not only that, they may advocate your product within their communities too.

Increase Revenue

All the above-mentioned factors will finally result in multiplying sales. Even though English is an international language, only 25% of the internet's population are using it. Plus, think about countries with high populations: China, India, and Indonesia. Imagine how many customers can only come from them if localized?

The possibilities of attracting customers, thus increasing sales are high.

Which Industries Need Localization?

Travel

One of the essential aspects of developing your travel and leisure business is localization, as tourism and leisure can attract customers across the globe. Undoubtedly, no travel company can succeed by interacting in a single language.

If you want your brand to be global, people around the world should understand you. Today, the first customer touchpoint occurs while contacting companies online. People would not refrain from reaching you when provided the information in their language or the language they understand. 

So you have to be ready to speak the language of your customers. Otherwise, you may lose potential users or increase the chance of inconveniences.

Software

Delivering an excellent customer experience is what software producers should dwell on. Typically, it depends on how fast customers can understand the software and interact with it.

What if customers interact with industry-specific technical phrases? The chances are high that they might get distracted and never use the app again. That is why modifying a product to the linguistic, cultural, and technical elements is vital for success. Not only text but visual aspects vary from country to country too.

Developers should localize language, colors, and images to make sure the product fits the targeted location. The more you care about language and cultural familiarity, the better customer satisfaction level you have. Therefore, localization has a role in the early foundation of long-term development.

Banking and Finance

The financial sector, including banks and insurance, belongs to one of the rapidly localizing industries. The reason is that customers need to receive services and read industry-related content in multiple languages. Even if the financial sector is about numbers, relevant content is in high demand. 

In the past, people would visit the local bank and insurance branches to see their latest products and offers. But since then, the internet has taken over all spheres of life. And now specialized websites with valuable content are the first choice internationally when making crucial financial decisions. 

It is worth mentioning that financial content localization requires working with the language service provider. They can provide you with relevant data on the technical and legal standards of the targeted location.

E-commerce

Geographical barriers are not a problem in today's digital world. You can do business everywhere, even across the continents. It gives you the unique opportunity to expand your business and promote it globally. 

So why not localize an e-shop? Having a tailored approach to each target location will help you acquire more customers as they are more likely to trust your company if you speak their language.

Some might say that English is an international language and there is no need to localize the shop. But according to CSA Research, 75% of people want to purchase products in their native language and 92% - in their local currency.

E-Learning

E-learning usage is steadily increasing since it is a cost-effective and convenient way of studying. Many companies have benefited from eLearning and taken care of their employee's growth.

People in different parts of the world can enjoy e-learning in various languages. Since people desire to expand their knowledge within eLearning courses, they must be localized.

However, the process does not solely include the translation of texts. It modifies other ore elements:

• Image
• Fonts
• Colors
• Date formats

For example, in North America and Europe, the color yellow is associated with warmth and hospitality. However, in Latin cultures, yellow symbolizes death.

What are the Latest Trends in Localization?

Neural Machine Translation

Neural Machine Translation (NMT) is a technique that combines machine translation with an artificial neural network to predict the likelihood of a word sequence. NMT technologies can predict the tone and word choice based on context. NMT is the foundation of Google Translate and DeepL, whose translation results are already effective. But not as good as those of language experts.

Translation services tend to combine neural machine translations with a human touch to ensure that translated product is perfectly tailored to the target location. The content incorporates the fitting expressions and social references of the local market. 

• Culture
• Expressions
• References

For the past few years, neural machine translations have been hitting the trend spots among content makers. As technology and AI improve swiftly, the method will become even more popular and effective in the translation field. Though, we doubt it will entirely erase the need for a human touch.

Multilingual Support

According to the CSA research, 75% of customers are more likely to make a repeat purchase if provided post-sales support in their native language.

No surprise, people love hearing their native language and feel valued. That's why localized support will help you improve customer loyalty and build long-lasting relationships. 

Customers contact support when they face trouble and need instant help. 

So, they need to understand the meaning of every single word without a shadow of a doubt. Multilingual support will save customers from any language inconveniences and increase the service satisfaction level.

Videos with a Subtitles in Different Languages

Video content has been growing exponentially, with the popularity of YouTube and social media over the past few years. Moreover, 84% of people have been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video. 

On top of that, subtitling is the trend that keeps on rising, especially now since educational and entertainment content is more accessible than ever. 

You should gain momentum and keep up with the latest consumer trends. Without multi-language subtitles, you are missing millions of potential viewers. Also, subtitles add SEO value to your videos. If you reach a lot of people, it will increase the visibility of your content in search results.

Also, there are other factors worth considering. People tend to watch videos in public without a sound. So providing subtitles, even in their native languages, can delight them. The wish to watch a video comes momentarily, and if the video does not feature subtitles, customers won't be able to watch it in public. They may keep it in the Watch Later playlist yet forget to do it.

Getting Started with Localization

Planning

Internet access is the window that allows you to reach customers around the world. There are more than 4 billion people actively using the internet. But it does not mean that all speak English. Moreover, according to Statista, only 25% of internet users are English speakers. 

So if you want to expand the horizons of your business, you should communicate with the market in your native language. As CSA Research states, 75% of people want to purchase products in their primary language. 

Before jumping on a specific action, ask yourself what your goals are for localization? Without it, you will engage in simultaneous non-resulting activities.

You increase the likelihood of achieving your goals if they are verifiable:

• S = Specific (specific, that is, your goal should not be "more success," but for example, "more revenue")
• M = Measurable (measurable: Choose clear and quantifiable key performance indicators)
• A = Accepted (objectives must have a recognizable meaning to be accepted by all parties)
• R = Realistic (realistic, workable; the goal must be achievable)
• T = Timebound; ( Specify a time when you reach the goal)

Identify Target Market

As already mentioned, more than 4 billion people use the internet every day. Most of them come from Asia, America, and Europe. The size of the markets is tremendous since they unite over 200 languages and dialects.

Firstly, you should identify the target market where your product or service will be successful. Narrow down your choices by conducting specific regional research and creating international buyer personas. 

Here are some questions that will simplify the research process

• Is there an interest in your product in the targeted country?
• Who are your competitors?
• Can locals afford your product?
• What are customers' buying preferences?
• What is the market growth rate?
• What is the cost of localization? (putting a team together, producing content, transporting products, etc)

Form Your Team

You will indeed need people on board who understand the specifics of the target market. If you want to create high-quality localized content, you should hire the best translation team that will resonate texts to a local audience. That's because even the least important mistake can cost you a fortune - damaging your global image.

No need to look further! greatcontent marketplace unites the hand-selected, best-in-class transcreators who transform the same tonality, wit, and charisma from the original text to the adapted one.

Local SEO

Conducting keyword research and optimizing for local SEO is a fundamental part of your localization plan. You have to get under the nose of search engines to reach new customers and provide them with valuable content. 

• Identify the Popular Search Engine in Targeted Market

The first step would be identifying a preferable search engine for the specific target market. Not everyone in the world uses Google as the primary search engine. For example, people in China use Baidu, while in Korea Naver is the number one platform for searches. 

• Develop the List of Targeted Keywords

Local Keywords matter. They attract the attention of search engine algorithms as search engines detect pages based on their relevance to specific searches.

Using the right words in your localized content will help you connect with the local audience, which will improve brand awareness. 

• On-Page SEO Optimization

Do not forget on-page and off-page optimization. You should not leave on-page elements like title tags, headings, alt text, and URL structure the same as the original web page.

Cultural Elements to Consider (Time, Date, Currency…)

Choose Translation Management Software

Select the translation management software that will accelerate your localization process with ease. When choosing the translation management software take these elements into the consideration:

• A translation memory (TM) - The database of previously translated content. Whenever text is translated and approved, it is stored in the translation memory. So you speed up the operations and reduce the manual tasks. 
• Direct Website Translation - Direct website translation will enable you to translate the texts directly from the website. Thus, you will be able to raise the tempo of your workflow.
• Collaboration functions - Behind the content creation lies the hours of teamwork, cooperation, and revision. Thus, make sure that your software has all the necessary functions for successful collaboration: notes, feedback section, tags, etc.

Localization Processing: How Does the Localization Team Work?

After you set up clear targets and define milestones, it is time to get things moving towards content localization. Let’s see how you can scale up your localization.

Content analysis

Localization experts will research the content and develop the list of adaptations required for your target market: changing format, dimensions, keywords, currencies, etc. 

Also, different writing systems require various characters, symbols, or letters. Even the writing direction could differ as in boustrophedon one line goes left, while the next goes to the right.

Content Management

After all the necessary details are explained, the team, alongside a client, develops an editorial plan. From here, you can set:

• Start Dates
• Due Dates
• Publication Dates
• Name Responsible Person
• Assign the Writer

Translation (translate, edit, proofread)

Once the team is acquainted with their duties and deadlines, transcreators start transcreating the text. They adapt all content elements to local perception while keeping the original text sense constant. 

Aside from drafting the copy, they edit and proofread the text to avoid any kind of linguistic lapses.

Quality assurance

What will follow the previously-mentioned processes before handing the work to the client is the 3x plagiarism check, validation, and editing. It guarantees 100% originality of the copy and 0% plagiarism.

Brands with Exceptional Localization Strategy

Netflix

Could you believe that in 2008 Netflix was only available in the U.S? Since then, the company has smashed records - as of 2021, Netflix has more than 214 million active users from 190 countries. 

The localization strategy has played a massive role in transforming Netflix from a local streaming service to a global production giant. With locally produced and worldwide distributed content, Netflix tailors cultural elements perfectly through subtitles and audio dubbings. That is why they achieve tremendous success even in culturally differing countries such as U.S and Japan.

Fast Food Chains - McDonald's, KFC, Dominos

These fast food icons have an adaptable localization method for their menu choices. Three of them: Mcdonald's, KFC, and Domino's localize fast foods to seem more appealing to the local and regional markets. That way, they deliver a golden mixture of traditional and foreign foods. 

For example, Mcdonald's easily walks into any market by adapting the traditional cuisine elements in their menus. In Japan, you can taste unique burgers alongside teriyaki sauce, seafood, and exclusively Japanese rice cheese balls.

Airbnb

Airbnb has taken the travel industry by storm. Their localization strategy has made it feasible for users to maintain a universal sense of belonging. Customers can search homes and bedrooms in their preferred languages.

Moreover, visitors gain the local experience coming from local customer service and payment options. That's how Airbnb taps into markets of 190 countries.

What are the Language Industry-Related Abbreviations?

People closely related to localization tend to use various jargon and abbreviations to describe the processes. You may have already run into the terms like:

• L10N - Localization
• T9N - Translation
• G11N -Globalization
• 118N - Internationalization

How to Measure the Success of Localization?

Pageviews

Compare pageview stats before and after localization. Furthermore, you can track metrics per page too and take these metrics into account:

• Organic traffic by location
• Unique visitors from localized market
• Average time on page by localized market
• Bounce rate on localized content

Engagements

Keep monitoring the engagement and see how customers are interacting with your content:

• Bounce Rate- The percentage of visitors who leave the content after viewing only one page
• Average Time on Posts
• Popular Pages by Views

Conversion Rates

Every business wants to generate leads and also convert visitors into customers. So it is crucial to measure how the localization affected the growth of the customer base and sales. 

Make sure to measure:

• Number of New Leads
• Goal Conversion Rate
• Lead Conversion Rate
• Click-Through Rate
• Number of Purchases

Site Rank

Your team has identified the local keywords they want to rank for. Tracking your SERP ranking per keyword will give you an insight into what is working and where the improvement is needed.