What is localization and why is it important for your business?
24 Jun 2024
4 mins
In today's interconnected world, expanding your business across borders is a key growth strategy. But simply translating your website or marketing materials isn't enough. To truly connect with customers in different countries and drive meaningful engagement, you need to embrace localization.
Making your message resonate across borders
Imagine this: You've poured your heart and soul into crafting the perfect marketing campaign. It's a hit with your local audience, driving engagement and boosting sales. But when you try to replicate that success in a new country, it falls flat. Your carefully chosen words lose their meaning, your humour gets lost in translation and your sales figures stagnate.
The problem? You haven't spoken to your new audience in their language. Different cultures have unique preferences, customs and sensitivities. A message that resonates in one market may be completely misunderstood or even offensive in another. This is where localization comes in.
Localization as your global growth engine
Localization is the process of adapting your content, products, or services to fit the specific linguistic, cultural and technical requirements of a target market. It goes beyond simply translating words; it's about tailoring your entire message to resonate with local audiences on a deeper level.
Think of it as creating a customized experience for each market, taking into account their unique cultural nuances, preferences and expectations. This can include everything from translating text and adapting visuals to adjusting date formats, phone numbers and payment methods.
Localization explained
What are the key benefits of localization?
Localization is an investment in your business's global growth potential. By adapting your content and offerings to resonate with local audiences, you can increase market share and revenue, as research shows that 76% of consumers prefer to purchase products with information in their native language. You can also improve customer experience and engagement, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Localization demonstrates that you've invested time and effort to understand your customers, which can significantly enhance your brand image and build trust and credibility in new markets. In a crowded global marketplace, localization can be the key differentiator that sets your business apart, giving you a competitive advantage.
What does the localization process involve?
Localization is a multi-faceted process that involves thorough market research to understand your target audience's cultural nuances, linguistic preferences and expectations. It goes beyond direct translation to ensure your message resonates with local audiences.
It also includes technical adjustments to adapt your website, app, or product to function seamlessly in different regions. Quality assurance is also crucial to ensure accuracy and cultural relevance through rigorous testing and review.
How much does localization cost?
The cost of localization is influenced by various factors, including the volume and complexity of the content, the number of target languages and the specific localization requirements. Translation costs can vary depending on the language pair and the expertise required.
Adapting your content to the cultural context of your target market may involve additional costs for modifying images, design elements, or product features. Ongoing maintenance is also necessary to keep your localized content up to date as your business evolves.
Unlock global opportunities
Localization is not just an expense; it's an investment in your business's global growth potential. By adapting your content and offerings to resonate with local audiences, you can build stronger customer relationships, increase sales and establish a lasting presence in international markets.
Localization service providers can offer a comprehensive suite of language and content solutions to help you navigate the localization process with ease and confidence. These services include:
- Machine translation post-editing: Expert linguists edit and revise text that is pre-translated by a customized machine translation system.
- Professional human translation: Experienced translators provide high-quality translations for a wide range of content types.
- Specialized translation: Specialized translation services for industries such as life sciences, finance and legal.
- Transcreation: Experts adapt your marketing and advertising materials to ensure they resonate with local audiences.
Just starting out with localization? Speak to one of our localization specialists or upload your files for a quick translation with HAI, the AI-powered translation platform that combines human expertise with cutting-edge technology to deliver fast, accurate, and culturally relevant translations.
Get a free quote today and speak to your audience in their language.
Jordan Cockrell
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