Localization
The process of translating literature into another language so that the meanings are equal is called "translation."
The process of translating literature into another language so that the meanings are equal is called “translation.”
When adapting a product or service for another nation or location, “localization” is a more thorough process that takes into account linguistic, cultural, and non-textual factors.
When adapting a product or service for another nation or location, “localization” is a more thorough process that takes into account linguistic, cultural, and non-textual factors.
What is Localization?
It goes beyond simple translation. To put it another way, localization can be thought of as translating to a higher level and addressing technical communication concerns like text length, measurement units, date formats, and page widths in addition to communication variables like local idioms and cultural allusions. Efficient localization of a website also takes into account back-end factors like search engine optimization and social media strategies customized for the target audience.
The process of modifying a piece of content for a new audience in its entirety, including translation, relevant imagery, and cultural cues that affect how your content is interpreted, is called localization. Making your website seem as though it was created with that audience in mind is the main goal of localization. Instead of just substituting translated text for English words, fully localized content feels familiar to users by incorporating pertinent cultural nuance.
What are the few technical aspects of localization?
Every market has specific communication protocols, and failing to follow them might cause your potential clients to get seriously confused:
When a facility lacks the technology necessary to offer headset-based interpretive services, whisper interpreting works best for small groups of people in need of interpretation. When people need an interpreter during business or diplomatic meetings, whisper interpreting can also be used.
Imperial vs. metric measurements
In certain situations, you will need to provide the metric equivalent of any imperial measurements, such as feet, that are mentioned in an American document (keep in mind that the UK has embraced metric but still uses imperial measurements).
Currency units:
Localizing these is also necessary; for example, converting $100 to £100 in pounds sterling. Additionally, you would need to convert currencies in order to display similar amounts, such as “$100 (£75)”.
Paper size
Rather than using American letter-size paper (8.5 x 11 inches), a printed document may be intended for European A4 paper (210 by 297 mm, or 8.27 in × 11.7 inches). Page breaks and formatting may be impacted by those tiny size variations.
Date formats
Anyone dealing with localization should be aware of the variations in date formats as well. For example, 4/5/22 refer to April 5 (as in the US) or May 4 (as in the UK) These variations may be quite important.
User interface
Depending on their language and cultural background, your audience will expect to use your website or app in different ways. Languages that read from right to left, such as Arabic or Hebrew, inherently alter the layout of a page. Another name for this is software localization.
Method of payment
For e-commerce to succeed, you must provide relevant credit cards and payment processing, as well as post prices in the appropriate currency. If you don’t, you risk losing out on clients who would have otherwise wanted to do business with you but were confused by foreign currencies or didn’t see a way to make their payment.
Depending on your audience, localization can become extremely subtle to match distinct dialects of a particular region within a country or within the same language. Using the U.S. vs. U.K. example again, there are numerous linguistic differences between the two countries even though they both speak English, such as vocabulary choices (sweater vs. jumper) and spelling (localization vs. localization, for instance). Translation alone is therefore insufficient; you also need to take into account the local culture.
The world is more connected than it has ever been. Today, people speak over 6,000 different languages, ranging from Swedish to Spanish. Of those, the majority of the global audience must be reached in nearly 52 languages. Localization is therefore a critical component that should be given top priority when developing a business with a global audience in mind.
A locale is a language plus the location in which it is spoken. Translation is only one aspect of adapting to the local context; other factors include cultural, format, and usage variations.
Given that some languages are spoken in multiple locations, the locale is significant. For instance, Spanish is widely spoken worldwide, so you must identify the locale (language and nation) you’re targeting to effectively reach your target audience in each area. Content localized for Argentina or Spain would not be the same as content localized for Mexico. This also holds for French; after all, French spoken in France is not the same as French spoken in Canada. For instance, Brazilian Portuguese uses different syntax and wording than Portuguese spoken in Portugal, using você or tu instead of você to mean “you.”
Native speakers of these languages can tell which version of the language you are using right away, just like they can with British and American English. The degree to which your product or service is accepted can be significantly impacted by these linguistic variances.
Your product is relocated to a new nation or area when you localize it. You want your readers to believe that your product or document was created just for them. They will enjoy using your product more when it is tailored to their needs and is localized.
Standard locale codes are used by translation and localization services to identify the language and nation or area. Several instances include:
- en-US = American English
- en-GB = British English
- es-ES = Spanish (Spain)
- es-419 = Spanish (Latin America)
- es-MX = Spanish (Mexico)
The process of making your website world-ready or internationalized is known as “globalization” or “website localization.” The objective here is to make the website functional and accessible to a global audience that is not limited to just a few countries or locations, even though marketers are aware that it is difficult or impossible to be all things to all people.
What is website localization?
International businesses will gain market share if they strive to communicate with their target audiences in their home tongues. Investing in localized website creation shows that you are concerned about your global audience and want to deliver the greatest user experience possible. Additionally, it aids in bringing in and keeping a larger pool of devoted global clients.
When is localization necessary?
Localization is easier to incorporate into your content creation process later on. For localization to be effective, internationalization must be completed beforehand. This stage of the technical foundation is frequently included in localization and translation. Internationalization is essentially the process through which developers get your code-base ready to support a variety of formats and languages.
In general, it indicates:
- Separating the user interface elements from the content source code allows for multilingual support.
- Multiple text formats, including left-to-right, vertical, and right-to-left, are supported.
- Encouragement of regional, local, and cultural preferences.
- Systems of numbers and their formats.
- List presentation and sorting.
- Managing individual names and addresses.
- Requirements for compliance on the back end.
In order to offer a consistent experience across all languages, internationalization needs to be incorporated from the outset of the development process when looking to expand a service or product internationally.
A Checklist for Localization: Is There Anything Here That Your Project Needs?
Making idioms into easily understood content and making sure that the colors and images don’t convey any unwanted messages
- Updated images to reflect cultural differences.
- Text that has been translated into pictures.
- Modifying the page's design to accommodate the translated text.
- Social media and search engine optimization in the target languages.
- Technical preparation of the content-containing files: make sure that the structure, URLs, and links on the website are changed to the correct language.
- Converting times, dates, and money units to adhere to regional customs.
- Finding the target audience through market research.
Additional benefits on Globalizing Websites:
- Make switching between languages simple for users.
- Code is adaptable to different languages and environments.
- Fonts compatible with every target language on every device.
- Utilizing responsive web designs to take into account modifications to the size, direction, and shape of text.
- Making sure you have the international personnel, either in-house or through a partner, to support your global expansion.
How is Localization different from Translation?
Localization and translation are two different processes. Translation and localization are not the same thing. Let’s take an example regarding the acquisition of computer parts from Chinese businesses, an English translation of a Chinese website is possible. You would have to go elsewhere for business, though, if the homepage’s products were mostly unavailable for shipping to the United States and the layout continued to be optimized for Chinese characters.
Rewriting a text in a different language while preserving the original meaning and communication is called translation. It literally is a word translation. Nowadays, there are two primary forms of translation in use:
Machine Translation
With results in just a few minutes or seconds, machine translation provides a quick and affordable solution for translating various language pairs.
Professional Translators
Provide precise translations and in-depth cultural understanding for intricate or specialized projects, like subtitles or international search engine optimization. While Professional translation only involves changing written words from one language to another, localization goes a step further by examining a region’s culture and the subtleties in language that are associated with it.
How Localization opens up new sources of income for your company?
Your brand’s key to entering these new markets is localization. Offering your brand experience in a language that people can relate to will increase the likelihood that they will interact with your content and eventually make a purchase.
At Fimkin, we’ve assisted hundreds of clients in a variety of industries with making their multilingual online presence come to life.
How to pick a collaborator for localization?
Localization presents certain difficulties. It may seem like a huge undertaking to translate and localize your website, application, entire brand experience, or even just digital content. If you don’t have the right localization partner, you could find yourself managing freelance translators from all over the world, juggling spreadsheets and emails in multiple languages, or having trouble understanding timelines and transparency in the localization process.
Brands can transform translation from an expense to an asset by implementing the appropriate mindset, strategy, and resources. And Fimkin is perfectly suited for that role. In just a few simple steps, Fimkin assists brands in customizing their localization workflows to suit teams worldwide. We help brands to establish content on a global scale at the best methods possible while providing complete transparency into the entire process. We focus on helping our clients pave the way to the best possible plan to scale their businesses by professionally translating and localizing all their contents across various range of devices and platforms through most convenient methodologies.