Arriving at a website that wasn’t designed with you in mind can feel like travelling 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 recognisable, nothing seems to be where you expect it to be.
If you’ve ever had this experience, you already understand the importance of language localisation, even if you’re not entirely sure what it entails.
Here’s a quick overview of language localisation, when to use it, and how the localisation process works.
What Is Localisation?
Language localisation is often confused with translation, but the two terms mean different things. Localisation is the comprehensive process of adapting a product or content to a specific location, market, or audience, as defined by the Globalisation and Localisation Association.
While translation involves converting text from one language to another, language localisation is far more extensive. Localisation ensures that the content resonates with the cultural, legal, and practical expectations of a target audience.
Key aspects of localisation 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 localisation ensures that a product or content has the look and feel that the target audience expects.
Who Needs Localisation?
Localisation 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 organisation aiming to reach a multilingual audience should prioritise language localisation in addition to translation. To effectively connect with new markets, localisation should extend beyond just your website. Consider localising:
- 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 localisation allows organisations 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 localisation drives profitability and growth.
Choosing a Localisation Provider
Localising 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 localisation 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 localisation tools to improve efficiencies and reduce costs on future projects.
The success of your language localisation project ultimately depends on the expertise of the team working on your materials. A properly localised product or website should feel as if it was originally created for the target market.
The Impact of Localisation
A seamless language localisation process can help organisations:
- 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 specialises in comprehensive language localisation services, with thousands of professional linguists ready to deliver consistent, high-quality results in over 290 languages. Our team will localise 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.
Localisation is about more than just translation; it’s about making the customers you serve feel truly at home. Start reaching new audiences with language localisation. Request a quote today.
Please follow the link and get in touch: LanguageLine Solutions
