One of the essential phases while preparing to enter overseas markets is website localization. Your website is the public face and voice of your business. Your website’s content must be accessible, personable, and culturally pertinent to engage new audiences. You can forget about issues for which you might lack time and expertise, thanks to the assistance of reliable website localization services.
Why localization of websites is important
According to CSA research, 72.4% of customers are more likely to buy something from a website that offers content in their native tongue. Accurate localization, however, goes far further than merely translating product data.
Localizing a website can make it more accessible and appealing to users from diverse geographic, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds. This entails producing information and offering a user experience that has an equal impact on all end users.
Localization can attract brand-new clients. A website won’t be worth your clients’ time if the material is unrelated. On the other hand, a website that includes regional references and relevant aesthetic components will draw in new audiences. Also, adding new languages increases your chance of receiving organic traffic.
The goal of website localization is to make the purchasing process less complicated. An e-commerce website, for instance, that has problems with foreign currencies raises the bar for customers to buy your stuff. Your discussion rates will significantly increase if each audience member receives a more customized experience.
More about website localization
Having a multilingual website is insufficient when entering a new market to have an impact. For a website to truly connect with each audience, localization is necessary.
In a word, localization is adapting content to a specific area. Localizing website content can make it more relevant to the target audience and more culturally approachable.
Beyond using the correct inflection and vocabulary, localization also necessitates changing your website’s aesthetic elements. Videos, infographics, call-to-action symbols, and images must be modified to adhere to local cultural norms.
In localization, the user experience is also given top priority. That goes beyond having it flawlessly work and appear in all languages. It may be necessary to alter the customer journey pathways, so they are understandable in a particular culture and language.
Website localization tips
Because website localization is difficult, your team may encounter several frequent problems. Here are some recommendations for the procedure.
1. Consider your website’s design carefully
Another element of the value of user experience is different reading styles. Arabic languages are written from right to left, but English speakers read from left to right. When entering new markets, changing the look of your website to conform to local reading styles will have a more significant impact.
2. Be prepared for text expansion and contraction
It’s nearly a given that anything translated from English into another language will occupy a different amount of space. Build your website to be adaptable to changes in the amount of content allowed, and use fonts that are simple to translate.
Excellent choices for a more precise translation include:
- Times New Roman (Serif)
- Arial Unicode MS (Sans Serif)
- Myriad Pro (Sans Serif)
3. Localize everything on the website, even the multimedia
Remember to translate and localize all multimedia content, such as videos, infographics, and the website’s entire body of text. Although localizing videos is complex, it is worthwhile: 72% of consumers prefer to watch a video to understand more about a good or service.
Audit the visuals on your website in addition to translating the content. A picture could seem innocent enough in one culture, but it might cause worry or misunderstanding in another. Your team should carefully examine picture details like hand motions and outfit choices. To make photographs more accessible, you might also want to translate the alt tags.
4. Avoid using words in photos
Text that is incorporated in an image might often be entirely impossible to edit, making it considerably more challenging. It’s best to refrain from including pictures with written messages.
Create a translatable text layer if you want the text in your images. To simplify picture text localization, you can achieve this using code like CSS.
5. Shorter load times for content
Warp-speed internet is not available in every nation. Learn about the connection speeds in the countries where you intend to expand by doing some research. The content of your website should then be adjusted.
For instance, users with poorer connections would experience far slower page loads if your website uses high-resolution graphics. Reduce image sizes to speed up load times to mitigate this.
6. Make a comprehensive style guide
To improve localization, provide a style guide for consistency in details like date, type, currency, and punctuation. Establishing clear guidelines, such as whether a particular area employs a 12- or 24-hour time style, aids in maintaining consistency across your multilingual website..
7. Give your translators context
Give your translators context to improve the quality of their translations. Rushing and assuming your translators would comprehend the intent behind each piece of information can sometimes be tempting. Take screenshots, make notes, and offer assistance as needed rather than skimping and leaving your translator in the dark.
8. Do not mix up language with nationality
Expand your localization strategies by considering the cultural impact of location and country rather than concentrating solely on language. The term “locale” refers to language and place, enabling a more complete, appropriate adaptation of your website.
For example, your price units will be incorrect for various English-speaking regions of the world if you merely select English as a language code and ignore regional variations. Thanks to locale-specific coding, the prices for NZD and Euro will be easier to display for New Zealanders and Irish users.
9. Make switching between languages simple.
Visitors to your website should be able to switch between translations quickly. Make sure your branding and design components are upheld throughout each translation, and double-check the consistency of all headings, links, and titles.
When directing visitors to different translations, many websites utilize a globe icon rather than a flag because one country may have many other languages. Refer to the various options in the respective language when listing the languages. For instance, use “” for “Japanese.”
10. Integration of automated translation
You may automate translation for the majority of the material on your website by linking your CMS with a translation management system. With automated translation, large-scale translation of material, such as product and service descriptions, is quick and simple.
Copywriters could take care of essential landing sites like your homepage, while translation management systems can quickly translate hundreds or thousands of support articles for review. The vital portions of your website will be carefully localized using this hybrid strategy, while the long tail of pages that make up your site will load more quickly.
Final thought
To sum up, a website that has been expertly translated and optimized for a foreign location by website localization services is a trustworthy approach to boosting resource traffic and broadening your target audience. Optimization is an essential part of website localization. You can learn more about it here.