Within the field of languages and translation, localization is one of the most crucial concepts since it goes beyond simple word translation and instead seeks to deeply connect writings with the target culture.
To achieve successful communication that makes the one who receives it feel exactly like the text was written specifically for him, localization involves adapting the content to suit the linguistic and cultural environment of the target audience. As a result, this requires a deep understanding of cultural and linguistic contexts as well as the ability to react sensitively to the language’s unique expressions and details and smoothly transform them into the target culture while preserving the meaning. We will explain this in more detail in this article.
What is the meaning of localization?
Localization is the process that occurs when a translator seeks to adapt the information he is translating to fit the target audience’s linguistic and cultural context.
This definition of localization extends beyond text translation to include changing the text’s overall style, pictures, symbols, and designs to better fit the target audience’s expectations, culture, and tastes.
The importance of localization
The following are only a few of the many advantages and benefits that localization offers to organizations:
1. increase credibility
The process of localizing your website indicates that you respect and appreciate all people from different cultures by translating and localizing the website to suit their ideas and habits.
Some studies also confirm that 60% of people who do not speak English as a native language rarely buy from English-speaking websites only; therefore, major institutions tend to localize their sites in more than one language, which enables them to gain the trust of many target audiences because they are trying to culturally adapt their site.
2. boost your brand engagement
What people are exposed to daily—such as the content they view on social media platforms, websites, and other platforms—has a significant impact on their lives.
As a result, localizing your content for the internet in multiple languages across all platforms guarantees that your business reaches a wider audience, which helps to improve the user experience for users in various nations, fosters brand trust, and ultimately boosts sales.
3. Improve search engine results on the internet
Localizing everything on your website, including photographs, videos, files in different formats, and other content, is an important part of making your online presence more localized.
You can enhance your marketing efforts and make them reach a global scale by localizing the keywords you use in your content, the metadata of the content, the media you use, etc. This will increase traffic to your website from various countries and raise your search engine ranking.
4. Establish a positive brand image
Website localization gives you complete control over how your brand is communicated to customers in other countries. Localization in Translation considers the cultural sensitivities and preferences of each location to guarantee that the message is understood as meant rather than being twisted by outside businesses or agencies.
5-customize the content for the target audience
Website localization services make it easy to share customized content with customers in various global markets, where you can control your messages directed online while matching the needs of customers in different regions; enhancing the effectiveness of messages and achieving their goals accurately.
6. support local sales teams
The benefits of localizing sites are not only that they are a great resource for consumers, but they also play an important role in helping sales and support teams located in various countries.
The localized website offers comprehensive details about the goods and services that are unique to this market, that follow national laws and regulations, and that contain all the information needed to communicate with customers and address any issues they may have. This makes it easier for those teams to communicate with the target audience.
read more about Localization glossary
Translation vs Localization
Many people wrongly believe that localization and translation are two separate expressions of the same process, however, in fact, there are significant differences between the two because:
Translation is the process of transferring a text’s meaning and content from one language to another. A translator has to keep the text’s original meaning and spirit while doing so, which may involve interpreting words, phrases, and expressions to fit the target language’s linguistic and cultural structure. The meanings must be done accurately and effectively.
Thus, we can see that localization involves moving content from one culture to another in a way that merges language and culture to create a deeper understanding and a larger impact on the target audience, while translation concentrates on transferring content only from one language to another.
Types of localization
Sometimes you can get by with just the translation process for certain documents, but other times you might need localization, particularly in the following situations:
1. software localization
The process of software localization depends on adapting that software to suit a specific market, as this includes adapting the user interface, the start screen, and other contents that appear in front of the user, such as registration, error messages, and help links, while maintaining the software functions unchanged.
read more about how Software internationalization is done
2-website localization
The importance of websites is that they are often the first points to introduce your services and products to potential customers in foreign markets, so website localization is essential to ensure that potential customers enter the site and stay there long enough to learn more about your company and services.
3. Game localization
To ensure a fun and inspiring gaming experience in all aspects, localization of games involves modifying images to express the beliefs and ideas of players, as well as translating existing texts in various game parts and converting them to local dialects if necessary.
4- localization of marketing strategies
Compared to other forms of localization, marketing localization focuses on fully adapting your marketing strategy to meet its objectives in a particular market. This involves knowing the local culture, customs, and trends to take advantage of in the strategic plan.
5-App Localization
Pretty similar to website localization. App localization is for any business big or small that is expanding to other regions that have different traditions, languages, and customs. It’s such a great way to ensure customer satisfaction and earn respect in new markets.
The steps of the translation localization process
The following stages are included in the localization process translation to accomplish the goal as effectively as possible:
1. Outline the localization strategy
First, you should create a well-defined localization plan that includes defining the primary localization objectives and success criteria, researching the target market carefully to make sure its demands are properly met, and analyzing competitors.
This is the point when you will list every resource and expense you will require for the localization process and create a comprehensive work plan that each team member will follow.
2. Forming a skilled team for localization
You should choose a specialized team that includes translators, developers, designers, and marketers, as each of them has a crucial role in the successful implementation of the localization strategy.
3. choosing the right tools for localization
In this phase, you should select every translation tool you will require for the localization process. You should select the best tool for each specialty or the one that best fits the cost of the particular material in a way that ultimately achieves integration and helps you reach the goal as best you can.
4. Getting the material ready for localization
To ensure that the localization process maintains access to any material, the content that has to be localized has now been carefully chosen, extracted, and established into a single file for ease of translation from the many available file types.
5. content translation and localization of various media
In this phase, the written content is translated in a way that aligns with the objectives and plan of the localization process; additionally, the images and videos utilized on the website are changed to better fit the ideas and culture of the target audience.
6. Quality monitoring and adjustment
At this stage of localization in translation, the quality of the content is ensured after translation by reviewing the language used and its compatibility with the culture of the target audience, and then making adjustments and improvements if necessary, preferably at this stage using a group of experts and native speakers of the target language; to ensure the quality of the work.
7. preparing the localized content for publication
The stage of uploading the localized content to the website, social media platforms, or other platforms follows the completion of all necessary adjustments. It is then placed in a design template that closely resembles the original template, thereby fulfilling the process’s goal. Once published, the content is then awaiting user feedback so that it can be improved further.
Practical examples of localization for global companies
Global brands depend on localization processes when targeting new markets to make the target audience feel close to the brand and achieve greater success.
Airbnb
One of the prominent examples is Airbnb With 6 million properties worldwide, Airbnb is an e-commerce platform that specializes in short-term residences and lets visitors interact with locals.
Their localization took great care to fully comprehend every one of their target users. This ensures that the user experience is tailored to each market, with a local feel and flavor. The localization team also ensures that the content resonates with the local culture and that the wording and imagery are appropriate for the target audience
Regardless of the language or location, Airbnb users receive the same experience.
The organization provides a customized user experience across 26 languages. The website also takes into account local credit cards and currencies.
Spotify
Spotify is one of the most famous music applications. They depend on image localization, so the listener watches localized images written in his language, which enhances his experience.
Revolut
Revolut is a fintech company that provides pay solutions that require a high level of trust. So they localized their website to match more than 30 languages, as they understand the importance of localizing content and services, and their team is committed to providing the best localization experience.
How do you choose a localization company for your business?
After we have familiarized ourselves with the aspects of translation localization, it’s time to figure out how to start the process of localizing services, and the first thing you should pay attention to in this matter is how to choose a professional translation company that will help you in this matter.
1- Define your needs accurately
At the beginning, you should accurately determine your needs from the localization process, and why you need localization, not translation. At this stage, it is preferable to write down your needs clearly and directly and add them to the translation file to help the company understand your goals and work to achieve them accurately.
2- Select the languages you need
Before hiring a translation company to localize your website or content in general, you should decide which language or languages you want to work on and which dialect or dialects you are targeting. In some languages or dialects, a company may stand out from its competitors, while in others, it may not. By choosing a language, you can narrow down your options and make the best decision for your needs.
3- search for professional translation companies
Start searching for translation and localization companies online, review the certificates and recommendations related to the localization services provided by those companies, and we advise you to look for professional companies with long experience to shorten the distance for yourself and save a lot of time at work.
But first, make sure that the company you are communicating with already offers localization services, as not all translation companies provide this service, and it is the same when working with specialized freelance translators.
4- Request referrals from acquaintances and friends
You can rely on referrals from friends and coworkers on businesses they have worked with, as well as testimonials from previous customers, which frequently represent real interactions with the business.
To ensure that the content has high quality and to help you ultimately make the right choice, you can request to visit the websites that the company has already localized and evaluate their content by yourself.
5- agree on all procedures
To prevent future issues during the project from the start. So, when selecting a company, you must agree with its management on all processes and steps of the localization process, review, etc.
How fast-trans helps you with the localization process?
If you previously believed that localization procedures in translation are difficult to perform with the desired quality, now knowing of a fast-trans certified translation company should completely change your perspective.
All you have to do is get in touch with us immediately to ensure that you receive the best possible service at the lowest possible cost, resulting in a seamless experience for you from a variety of perspectives. Our team’s goal is to assist all brands in expanding into new international markets by helping them localize their services and content in a way that meets their objectives and enhances their success in the target markets.
