Create Long-Term Relationships with International Customers by Utilizing Localization Solutions

It is a common belief that language barriers can be addressed by employing the assistance of translation services. You have searched for ages, found a perfect language solutions provider, and used translation services, but why are there still roadblocks to effective communication with your target market and consumers? There is still another barrier to get past: the cultural barrier. How? By using localization solutions.

Wasn’t translation intended to break down cultural barriers as well? There are situations where translation can fill that role. There are situations, however, where it is impossible to remain devoted to the source material while simultaneously transcending cultural borders. Culture, history, taste, and customs vary not only between languages but also between countries that share a common language and even between regions of the same country. For example, Americans like sneakers, whereas the British choose trainers.

But the question is, do you require localization, or will translation suffice? Do you need to go one step further from the source text and implement transcreation, or would localization do the trick?

To answer your question, we will first define localization and explain how it differs from translation and transcreation. Then, we’ll discuss why localization is necessary. Next, we will discuss who needs localization and whether or not you require localization solutions. Finally, we will discuss what you should look for in a reliable localization solutions provider, which will be useful if you ever need localization services.

Table of Contents

• What is localization in translation?
• Why is localization important? Do I need localization solutions?
• What are the characteristics of a good localization agency?

What is localization in translation?

Let’s say you’re telling a story to two different audiences: a 4-year-old and a 40-year-old. Would you use the exact words? Would you use the same formal or informal tone? You might even change your voice. Your goal is to engage both of your audiences to the same extent. You don’t want any of them to feel bored or disrespected. It’s the same with localization.

The goal of localization is to make the target audiences (and customers) feel the material was created specifically for them. You should tailor your response to their needs, interests, and knowledge to win them over. You don’t want to push them away the moment they look at your chosen image. Adding a localized version of your website or marketing materials can help you gain credibility in foreign markets and establish an authentic relationship with potential customers.

Any company that wishes to reach customers in different parts of the world, with diverse languages and cultural norms, must localize its products and services. The correct localization strategies can help businesses increase their worldwide reputation, expand into new areas, and win more customers.

The term “localization” refers to tailoring a product’s text, images, videos, and design to a specific market’s requirements. The aim is to make something that will be understood and appreciated by people from other countries by adapting it to their language, culture, customs, expectations, and laws.

It’s important to remember that translation is only a stage in the localization process. The localization process involves translating and culturally adapting content into the target language. Localization isn’t meant to transform a product or text into something completely different. Localization aims to increase the product’s or text’s appeal to a particular cultural group. Transcreation is the process through which something new is created (while retaining the core ideas of the original).

Read more about the differences between translation, localization, and transcreation.

English is the most commonly used language on the Internet, accounting for approximately 26% of all users. The following three fastest-growing languages are Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic, at an annual rate of 2600%, 1500%, and 9300%, respectively. According to this data, more and more web surfers are opting to communicate in their native tongues rather than the global standard of English. This new trend highlights the necessity of translating, localizing, or transcreating your content into other languages to survive in the market.

Remember that translation, localization, and transcreation solutions are all critical to a company’s success. There is also no one-size-fits-all rule for determining what exactly has to be localized, transcreated, or translated. It is determined by your product and target market.

Localization solutions adjust your content and products to a given locale or region. The term “locale” refers to the set of user preferences that vary by language, country/region, and cultural norms. The locale sets conventions such as sort order, keyboard layout, date, time, number, and currency formats. 

When content is localized, it is examined from multiple angles. The orientation of the target text is the first factor to consider while doing localization. Text, images, and videos all look very different when the target language is written from right to left instead of left to right. The following two crucial aspects in localization to avoid a mess are the size of the page or paper and the page layout.

Images and other visuals play an essential role in the localization process. Some symbols and hand gestures can have radically different meanings in different cultures; for example, the OK sign in the United States (forming a circle by curling and linking the index finger and the thumb) is regarded as highly disrespectful in Latin America and represents zero or worthless in France.

Even colors don’t have universally agreed-upon meanings. For instance, the color green is often connected with Islam in Muslim countries, and in the West, it is often associated with the environment and good fortune. However, in Indonesia, a Muslim nation, green can be associated with exorcism.

The visual aspect of the text, including fonts and character sets, is also a fundamental consideration in localization. Words’ visual qualities also include their spelling and capitalization conventions. For instance, in the United States, people like localization, while in Britain, they prefer localisation.

Localization consists of many steps, only one of which is translation. When localizing for a new culture, the translator replaces allusions to myths, rituals, and other aspects of the source culture with those from the new culture. Additionally, idioms and proverbs are not translated or explained, but the accurate target ones are inserted. This is especially true in marketing localization, which places a premium on eliciting emotions, and media localization, where there is little room for explanation.

Geographical references may also require localization, especially in ad localization, where the target audience must rapidly understand and react to the content to be persuaded. Moreover, if the original text includes an address or phone number, it must be localized according to the system used in the intended community. As an example, in some places, the addressee’s name comes first, followed by the rest of the address, and finally, the country name; in others, the country name comes first. Also, phone numbers can be written in a 2-digit or 4-digit format (or other formats), depending on the country.

Date and time formats should also be localized. For instance, although most countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, use the day/month/year format for dates, the United States prefers the month/day/year format. Some Asian countries, however, such as Japan, China, and South Korea, employ the year/month/day format. Regarding how nations display the time, Germany, for example, uses a 24-hour clock, the UK utilizes both a 24- and 12-hour clock, while Pakistan prefers the 12-hour model.

Take holidays and special events into careful consideration as well. As an illustration, December 25th is Christmas Day in the United States and Lebanon, whereas January 7th is the holiday in Egypt. Further, several nations celebrate their new year on various days. For instance, the new year begins on January 1st in Australia, March 21st in Iran, and January 22nd in Thailand.

Legal considerations in the target content are another area of focus during localization to avoid infractions. Countries have different data protection laws; violating them can result in hefty fines or even jail time. Copyright issues can also emerge if local regulations are violated.

Similarly, localization is essential in financial matters. You don’t want to lose potential customers at the very last minute because they cannot understand the product’s price. Further, the user experience can be enhanced by accepting the preferred payment method of the intended demographic. Increased sales can be achieved by improving the purchasing experience. Remembering to factor in the local tax regulations to prevent fines and jail time is also crucial. The shopping experience can be enhanced by using measurement units and sizing conventions that are more acceptable to the target demographic.

If your content includes audio, it’s important to record it with a native speaker who uses the dialect and accent of your intended audience. Involving the audience in this way is a great way to make them feel that the speaker is speaking directly to them as if they were one of their close friends. Also, be aware of whether you’re speaking in a formal or informal tone. When it comes to commercials, the Japanese prefer a more formal tone, while the Australians lean toward a more informal one.

It is also important to adapt the rules for naming order to the target local culture to prevent misunderstandings. For instance, although the Western and European norm is to list one’s given names first, middle, then last, the Chinese standard is to record one’s family name first. In Myanmar, on the other hand, there are no firsts or surnames, and they must always be used in full.

Why is localization important? Do I need localization solutions?

Localization can be a helpful strategy if you want to break into new marketsand differentiate yourself from competitors in the global market. Firstly, it allows you to enter previously untapped markets and attract a greater number of customers. Secondly, by demonstrating to your customers that you are invested in their market, localization can help you earn their trust and become more successful.

You could have a track record of success in international trade. However, nowadays, localization solutions can help you to keep your current customers happy and avoid losing them. Users have a greater sense of appreciation and are more likely to return for additional content due to the localized experience.

New revenue streams in existing markets, increased customer engagement, and a strong foundation for growth are all benefits of investing in localization services.

Localization solutions are required if you are a business owner who wishes to communicate effectively with target audiences while maintaining your original message and brand identity.

You’re a software or app developer who wants to expand your customer base and increase revenue by giving your users a better experience.

Suppose you’re a marketer looking to forge stronger bonds with your target audience in multilingual marketplaces and improve the quality of your users’ experiences in general. In that case, localization is the way to go.

You’re a TV producer and want your international audience to be able to easily engage with your program as if it were made particularly for them.

You are an E-learning course teacher who wishes to avoid communication failures. Despite your best efforts to translate everything into your students’ target language, they may have reported that they still do not comprehend your examples.

You’re a writer hoping to break into the international market with your latest novel. You’ve done the translation, but did you consider whether any of the jokes or relationships in the book are considered offensive in the country to which you’re sending it?

Producers can expand their audience, enter new markets, and raise their profiles through localization. To further ensure that no problems or misunderstandings arise, localization also ensures that your content complies with the legal and cultural standards of the target nation.

As an online educator, you’re interested in reaching the 80 percent of the world’s population that does not speak English by publishing courses in languages other than English. You could try translating it, but localizing it for different students could have a better chance of success.

You are an SEO expert trying to improve a website’s performance for a fresh set of visitors. Did you know that according to a survey conducted by Common Sense Advisory on 2,430 internet users in 8 different countries, 72.1% of users spend most of or all of their time on websites that are written in their native language?

You are a startup manager who wants to demonstrate your dedication to a specific market while also building brand trust and loyalty. Your goal is to reduce the time as well as the associated dangers.

You’ve decided to create a program to educate parents and kids in minority groups about the issue of child abuse. You’ve probably heard that they don’t discuss puberty and sexual matters in front of children. What can you do to assist this area in lowering the rates of child abuse and other health concerns associated with puberty?

Perhaps you’re the CEO of a multinational firm looking to improve its image as customer-friendly and gain an edge in the local market.

You are a sales manager who wishes to improve sales while increasing customer loyalty. You want to boost your consumer base by addressing cultural minorities.

You’ve had a popular app, and now you want additional ad revenue. Localizing your app for a specific market will increase its value to advertisers and earn you a higher profit. Advertising in a localized app improves users’ likelihood of clicking on the advertisement.

It’s common knowledge among online store owners that happy consumers return and spend more money. If your consumers are satisfied, they will tell their friends, and that will help your word-of-mouth marketing approach succeed in bringing in even more new, loyal customers. Did you know that if you provide information in a customer’s native language, over half of them will pay more?

You own a chain restaurant and plan to open a new location in another part of town. You’re well aware that they don’t share the same values or norms as the rest of the city. How do you become those people’s favorite restaurant and enhance your popularity? Localization is the solution.

As a developer, you’re looking for ways to improve the software’s user experiences. By employing localization services, you’ll grant your users a sense of familiarity, ease of use, and comfort. If your present customers are happy, they will tell their friends, bringing you a steady stream of new customers and increased revenue.

You have been tasked with educating a faraway tribe on women’s hygiene. You know that they are closed off about discussing personal matters, especially those about women. How do you know they will pay attention, not be insulted, and do what you say?

You are a European tourism agency with the goal of attracting visitors from Asian countries, and you have your sights set on those nations. Successfully attracting more visitors and consumers from Asia requires respecting the cultural sensitivities of people from that region. For instance, pictures of women sunbathing in bikinis are considered highly inappropriate in some Arabic-speaking countries.

You are a social media marketing strategist attempting to introduce a brand to international markets. You lack awareness of the languages and online habits of the people you hope to reach on their local social media. If you want your message to get to the right people, you need to learn which platforms are most widely used in those areas. Finding these factors is easier with the assistance of localization experts.

Making your product or service more user-friendly and appropriate to the target market through localization can also help it become better. People will always choose a product or service they can connect to and fully grasp. Finally, localization can help you protect your brand by ensuring that your materials comply with local laws and regulations.

What are the characteristics of a good localization agency?

A reliable localization services provider must fully comprehend the distinctions between translation, localization, and transcreation.

The best localization service provider can advise you on which parts of your content need to be translated, localized, or transcreated.

A good localization services provider should have native translators from the target market. When it comes to cultural sensitivity and its evolution over time, natives have a greater understanding. They are more culturally aware and can avoid offensive language.

A dedicated project manager is assigned to your project at the best localization companies. If you want help in avoiding or fixing issues that may crop up during the localization and delivery processes, having an experienced project manager is necessary.

A good localization service conducts market research to learn about the expansion possibilities in the market that you have selected as your desired target. Understanding how rivals in related industries are approaching problems is also essential. The current needs and desires of your target audience can be better understood with some market research.

The perfect localization solutions consider the fact that audiences’ expectations can vary significantly from country to country, region to region, or even between different regions of the same country (especially in countries like Zimbabwe with multiple official languages).

A trustable localization service will be familiar with the rules and regulations in the target country. This is especially important for media localization, as well as ad and marketing localization.

An expert in localization services is familiar with the habits and preferences of the intended audience in the target regions. For instance, what are their favorite search engines? Which keywords do they like to use the most? In which social media are they more active? What are their preferred colors, image types, and tone?

A professional provider of localization services will ensure that your target demographic will not suspect that the content they are reading is a translation or was written specifically for them. You want to offer your audience a firsthand experience.

Customers rank you lower on their preference list if they believe you provided them with low-quality content and didn’t give them top priority.

Your website will perform better in the target market if you work with a localization services provider that offers SEO optimization strategies. The best provider of localization services specializes in the regions you want to target.

Find out about how SinceWordMatter can assist you with localization solutions.

Understanding the concept of localization and how it differs from translation and transcreation is critical in today’s globalized environment. It goes beyond translation while staying behind transcreation to tailor material to target markets’ cultural and linguistic needs. Localization is required for firms and individuals looking to expand their reach into global markets or interact with varied audiences.

Whether launching a product, preparing marketing materials, or building software, localization guarantees that your material is culturally acceptable, user-friendly, and appealing to your intended audience. Partnering with a reputable localization provider ensures that your content is appropriately adapted, culturally sensitive, and engages with your target audience, resulting in improved user experiences, increased brand credibility, and better branding outcomes.