“A global presence is important for each company. However, you need localization to help you interact with customers all around the world and be able to reply to their special requirements,” says Cory Neal, COO of The Word Point. The internet and modern technology have enabled businesses to easily expand internationally as a part of their growth tactics. Yet, most companies fail to make a mark in the new markets! Though there can be many reasons for this, one common slip-up is – failing to localize content. Most businesses use English as the default language. While English may be regarded as a universal language, not everyone speaks or understands English well. Bearing this, how can a business then hope to effectively engage new audiences internationally or even in its own country? A company may create solid content to court a new audience but it may just as well be pointless for not conveying the concepts in the language they truly understand. This is where localization comes in! Contents1 Case in point:2 Commonly asked questions are:3 But first things first – Let’s Understand What is Content Localization?4 5 Reasons to Localize Content Case in point: You have written some content in American English for the U.S market. Now, you wish to launch this content into the U.K market. Both the markets use English as their first language. Hence, one may assume that the content, in the same words can be used. Wrong! Even though both countries speak English, the same words mean different things in both countries. For example- What chips mean in the U.S, the U.K calls it crisps. What the U.K calls chips, in the U.S it’s called fries. Furthermore, most businesses tend to struggle with the very concept of content localization. Commonly asked questions are: Is it necessary to translate the entire site? How to gauge the content’s success? But simply translating the content into another language is rarely good enough. It is vital to go further and localize content for the new audience – to prepare the product for a new audience, culture, and place. Localizing the content entails that the new audience can understand the product content in the correct context. Going a step ahead, localization should be in sync with internationalization meaning the company’s content can be adapted to multiple languages for better understanding without entailing major changes. Many businesses take on localization during the product launch phase. This can prove detrimental. A promising approach is to fuse content localization into the product development process from the beginning. But first things first – Let’s Understand What is Content Localization? Localizing the content means using relevant cultural and linguistic contexts for modifying the product-related content to cater to the local target audience’s specific preferences and interests. The adapted content should appear personalized and enjoyable despite the regional differences. Content localization should enhance the user’s experience and addresses the gap between a buyer being a casual fan to becoming a loyal customer. 5 Reasons to Localize Content Let’s take a look at the top reasons for localizing content: Better Engagement, Better Brand Loyalty To put it plainly – Unable to read, won’t buy Surveys show that about 70 to 75 per cent of consumers are more likely to buy products when the information is available in the language they understand. About 30 to 40 per cent don’t purchase from English-only sites. The new audience’s ability to understand the product content will lead to increased engagement and higher conversions. Increased Sales and Revenue Let’s consider a scenario – China’s Single’s Day sales usually witness approx $5 to 6 billion USD online sales; this amount is higher than any revenue generated by some other shopping day all around the world. Wouldn’t a business like to localize its products and services to take advantage of such important shopping days all over the world? Localizing the content creates additional opportunities for growth by expanding market reach across languages and borders. It’s simple – the greater the exposure of products, the higher the potential for increased demand and more sales. Gain a Competitive Edge The golden rule is – The customer is the king and knows best! By localizing the product, the customer gets the message that they are important, they matter to the company which is keen to go the extra mile to cater to their requirements. This can translate into recurring visitors, conversions, and higher profits. By ensuring a favourable environment for the new audience, a company can enhance the user experience making a way to get ahead. A Cost-Effective Way to Branch out to New Markets Reformatting a finished product into multiple languages can prove way more costly than implementing localization right from the start of the developmental process. It will also help save time by using existing marketing assets to adapt the content. Reduce Risks and Complaints A business can safeguard against violation of local laws, copyright penalties, and customer complaints owing to misunderstanding the product content by localizing it. By understanding the local specifics, a company can save a lot of awkwardness and embarrassing situations. For example, a word can be appreciated in one country but may be suggestive or offensive in some other country. In today’s cosmopolitan digital world, it is imperative to track your business’s international success using key metrics. Don’t rely on any one language alone to attain the desired results. Invest in your business’s international success by product or service localization, ensuring optimal SaaS ROI and offering self-service demos to empower your global audience.
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