FAQ

What is a localization strategy?

A localization strategy is a plan or method of creating a campaign that caters to the linguistic and cultural expectations of the target audience while satisfying their buying habits. It takes into consideration local customs, taboos, and user preferences to generate engagement.

How do you perform localization?

First things first – conduct thorough research of your desired locale’s market to get enough intel about your prospects’ buying habits, customs, and expectations from a brand like yours. Next, you should also take a sneak peek at competitors to determine what your position is more or less in that market.

Once you tick off these boxes, it’s time to go local! Prepare your content for translation, import all your text strings into the translation management system, create a localization guide to point translators in the right direction (include terminology preferences, giving translators as much context as possible, brand names, etc.), adapt your visual elements and design, test, fix any errors, and launch.

What is the role of the translator in localization?

The translator plays a vital role in localization by adapting the content to the target audience’s expectations, ensuring terminological and stylistic consistency is preserved throughout.

Which industry benefits from localization the most?

Among the industries benefiting from localization the most are eCommerce, which has seen massive growth over the last couple of years, followed by gaming, digital marketing, eLearning, travel & tourism and finance.

Why is localization important in business?

The benefits of localization for business are multifold. First and foremost, localization increases brand outreach, maximises sales, generates customer loyalty, and boosts brand reputation and integrity.

What is localization testing?

Localization testing is the process whereby localization engineers, translators and designers test the final result of your localized product or interface. The key aspects to focus on when testing localization are interface navigation (UI/UX), alignment, terminological and stylistic consistency. All these aspects fall under the 3D rule: Design – Development – Delivery. Find out more here.

What is pseudo-localization and why does it matter?

Pseudo-localization (pseudolocalization or pseudo-translation) is the process whereby your product or interface is ready for localization. It helps you visualise what your UI would look like after localization and spot potential areas you might need to adjust before starting the localization process.

For example, a simple noun phrase like “Account Settings” becomes “!!! Àççôûñţ Šéţţîñĝš !!!” when pseudo-localized.

What is eLearning localization?

eLearning localization is the adaptation of online course materials to suit the linguistic and cultural expectations of employees and individuals overseas looking to improve their skills. It involves more than converting text from one language to another, requiring formatting, imagery, tone, and colour scheme adaptation.

The benefits of eLearning localization go a long way. Research has shown that employees using eLearning tools are 50% more productive than employees who don’t. Additionally, businesses investing in eLearning save between 50%-70% in costs by using eLearning resources and training.

How does the gaming industry benefit from localization?

By localizing their games, gaming companies increase their profits across different geographies, generate new income streams, boost their app store rankings, distinguish themselves from competitors, and grow their market share cost-effectively.