Website Localization 101

Website Localization refers to adapting website content for local audiences. This involves changing images, colors, currencies, date/time formats, measurement units and keyboard layouts among other elements https://www.transperfect.com/industries/legal/language-services.

Achieve this can be challenging; consider McDonald's chicken and paneer burger failure in India or Starbucks' costly Australian market missteps as prime examples of such challenges.

Understanding Business Needs and Requirements

While most people associate website localization with translation, it actually goes much deeper. Website localization involves adapting website content according to culture and language in order to deliver an unforgettable user experience for international customers.

There are many stakeholders involved in the localization process - managers, developers and designers are just three groups involved - so having an established workflow involving them all helps ensure your website reaches all targeted markets with minimal error.

Your company's international website should accurately reflect its brand and values. A localized site conveys to your global audience that you understand their needs and desires - from units of measurement, currency and address formats to content on your site and images you use; localization is vital for business success in new markets you hadn't considered previously - an oversight can cost an unexpected sum like $10 Million as was seen with HSBC when one translation error cost them millions! It's therefore imperative that it is done effectively; one mistake could cost your company millions: as illustrated by HSBC losing $10 Million as a single translation error cost them dearly.

Project Management

Over one third of internet users are non-native English speakers, making website localization essential to reaching new markets and optimizing site stickiness. A proper localization strategy will also improve search engine optimization (SEO), by identifying keywords specific to each region; helping reduce costs over time by decreasing paid advertising expenditures.

Localization differs from translation in that it involves more than simply changing existing content into another language; rather it encompasses altering visual elements, adapting idioms and expressions as well as adapting navigation and user experience in order to meet cultural expectations.

To get the most out of a website localization project, it's essential that your translation management system (TMS) be designed for internationalization with robust collaboration features that support teams working across languages. Consider TMSs with built-in glossaries and term bases to maintain brand consistency across your site and automatic quality assurance tools that detect issues such as missing translations and uneven text flow.

Integration

An effective translation management system (TMS), is critical to website localization projects. A TMS allows you to keep track of translations and other forms of content while managing project workflow. Furthermore, TMSs help ensure all localized versions remain in line with their original source.

While translation may simply mean changing text language, true website localization involves taking into account cultural and visual factors to ensure an immersive experience for your global target audience.

Examples include adapting symbols like fingers, houses and animals for their local meanings as well as changing date/time formats, units of measurement and address formats. Furthermore, colors often carry hidden messages; one prime example being McDonald's substitution of chicken for beef in India in accordance with religious and cultural preferences while also adapting their menu layouts accordingly.

Testing

Testing is the cornerstone of website localization projects. Testing must ensure that translated text retains its meaning and impact while fitting seamlessly into the site design, while verifying that any culturally specific images do not carry negative connotations in other markets.

Localizing your website provides an enhanced user experience and boosts customer retention. Doing so shows respect for other cultures while giving your customers the feeling that you understand them.

Finding success can be difficult; even major brands have made missteps such as McDonald's misguided move into India and Starbucks' failed venture in Australia (later reversed). By employing an experienced translation proxy with managed services like GlobalLink, such as saving both time and money while streamlining the localization process to deliver accurate, consistent and culturally appropriate translations so you can focus on expanding your business into foreign markets more effectively.