Arriving at a website that wasn’t designed with you in mind can feel like traveling to a foreign country you hadn’t planned to visit. The currency is unfamiliar, the exchange rate is unclear, and you struggle to read the signs. As you scan the landscape for something recognizable, nothing seems to be where you expect it to be.
If you’ve ever had this experience, you already understand the importance of language localization, even if you’re not entirely sure what it entails.
Here’s a quick overview of language localization, when to use it, and how the localization process works.
What Is Localization?
Language localization is often confused with translation, but the two terms mean different things. Localization is the comprehensive process of adapting a product or content to a specific location, market, or audience, as defined by the Globalization and Localization Association.
While translation involves converting text from one language to another, language localization is far more extensive. Localization ensures that the content resonates with the cultural, legal, and practical expectations of a target audience.
Key aspects of localization include:
- Modifying graphics and design to display translated text properly.
- Adapting content to align with cultural preferences and expectations.
- Converting currencies and units of measurement to local standards.
- Formatting dates, addresses, and phone numbers correctly.
- Ensuring compliance with local regulations and legal requirements.
In essence, language localization ensures that a product or content has the look and feel that the target audience expects.
Who Needs Localization?
Localization is a critical tool for making content more appealing, ultimately increasing the likelihood of engagement and purchase. According to a 2022 Common Sense Advisory report, 75% of consumers are more likely to buy goods and services when product information is available in their native language.
By this logic, any organization aiming to reach a multilingual audience should prioritize language localization in addition to translation. To effectively connect with new markets, localization should extend beyond just your website. Consider localizing:
- Marketing materials, including TV, radio, print ads, and social media posts.
- Product manuals and quick-start guides.
- Training and eLearning materials.
- Online help resources and user interfaces.
- Service materials, disclosure documents, and warranties.
Investing in language localization allows organizations to expand their reach, build credibility, and increase sales. It also fosters loyalty among existing customers. In fact, half of senior executives surveyed in the Common Sense Advisory study reported that localization drives profitability and growth.
Choosing a Localization Provider
Localizing a product or website can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. A full-service language services provider (LSP) offers the expertise and tools needed to deliver high-quality language localization on time and within budget.
A skilled LSP can:
- Assemble and manage large teams to meet aggressive timelines.
- Conduct both linguistic and functional quality assurance to ensure accuracy.
- Provide engineering support to extract and process text from any file type.
- Leverage advanced localization tools to improve efficiencies and reduce costs on future projects.
The success of your language localization project ultimately depends on the expertise of the team working on your materials. A properly localized product or website should feel as if it was originally created for the target market.
The Impact of Localization
A seamless language localization process can help organizations:
- Reach new audiences.
- Foster trust and engagement with target markets.
- Provide a user experience that feels native and intuitive.
- Expand your reach while driving sales and profitability.
- Remain compliant with local laws and regulations.
LanguageLine specializes in comprehensive language localization services, with thousands of professional linguists ready to deliver consistent, high-quality results in over 290 languages. Our team will localize your print or digital content to suit the language and cultural sensitivities of your target locale, ensuring a natural and engaging experience for your audience.
To guarantee successful, on-time delivery, we implement comprehensive, end-to-end quality-control procedures for every project. Whether it’s a website, software, technical documentation, multimedia content, training materials, or marketing campaigns, we have the expertise and technology to handle projects of any size or complexity.
Localization is about more than just translation; it’s about making the customers you serve feel truly at home. Start reaching new audiences with language localization. Request a quote today.