Website Localization for International Success

Website localization is the key to increasing sales for any global industry like e-commerce, manufacturing, finance, travel, or tourism. With nearly 5 billion internet users worldwide, you will miss out if you don’t adapt your content correctly. Providing your non-English-speaking audiences with an exceptional website experience shows your brand’s commitment to serving all your markets (and increases global sales).

What Is Website Localization?

Website localization is adapting your web content in a culturally-relevant way. This takes website translation a step further by considering the specific market’s culture in addition to the market’s language. Translation changes words, but website localization changes the essence of a site, which can include:

Verbiage, tone, and language nuances
Units of measurement
Currency
Phone numbers
Websites
Banners, graphics, icons
Navigation menus
Displayed product content descriptions
Video and audio content
PDFs and eBooks
eLearning courses

eCommerce Website Localization Example

For example, let’s look at how an eCommerce website would localize its site to increase sales with Japanese-speaking users.

User interfaces and web content can be translated into Japanese, but a translation agency with website localization services will also consider other adaptations. A website localization strategy can include:

Incorporating Japanese phrases and mannerisms into your site content and downloadable resources;
Providing Japanese captions and voiceover audio to your video content (or even recording new videos with the Japanese versions);
Using images that are culturally sensitive and relevant;
Setting up date and time formats and units of measurement as preferred in Japan;
Listing prices in Japanese yen;
Adapting sales to align with local and cultural holidays as appropriate;
Ensuring shipping options to Japan;
Employing Japanese-speaking customer service and local phone numbers; and
Adhering to Japanese laws and customs when developing the website and user interactions.

Localizing the website will provide an authentic experience. Your audience shoujld never know the website was translated from English. This makes your customers feel valued and makes your company look like a global professional.

One example of a website that Interpro translated and localized into 6 different languages.

Localizing Your Website Can Benefit Your Business

Translating a website isn’t enough. Nothing turns away potential customers like making them feel your site is unprofessional with grammatical errors, mistranslated words, and incorrect cultural references. Website localization creates a culturally authentic experience.

To expand your business globally and succeed internationally, you must invest in accurate and professional website localization.

Enter New Markets By Building Trust

Local markets expect a website experience tailored to native speakers. Studies show that 55% of global consumers would only buy from websites written in their language. A whopping 87% of them would never buy from an English-only website! If this is how consumers feel about language, imagine how much trust and goodwill you can build by accurately localizing your website.

Take the financial industry, for example. Banking in Brazil is challenging, and credit is notoriously tricky to obtain. The message will not be effective if you are mentioning financial staples that are not common to the target audience. Website localization can consider the challenges of each market and deliver an experience that matches your expertise.

Gain a Competitive Edge Through SEO Marketing

If you work in Marketing, you know that search engine optimization (SEO) is a huge component of driving web traffic (and sales). If you don’t work in Marketing, SEO is the process of taking keywords and phrases that are related to your product and using them in your web content. This helps people find the services and products they are looking for on your site.

However, SEO keywords and phrases may not translate appropriately if exchanged word-for-word. However, using human translators who are localizing your content will naturally help improve SEO in other countries.

Some research is required to determine the best keywords and phrases to use in different markets. But the extra work will pay dividends when your global customers can quickly locate your site as an expert source.

Increase Your Bottom Line With Website Localization

Adapting your user interfaces and web content to your specific market’s language allows increases access and increases sales. Building trust with your audience will increase their loyalty, and repeat business is the easiest way to get more sales. Maximizing your search results will bring more potential consumers to your site and increase sales. If sales are your focus, you should be committing to accurate website localization.

How Do You Localize a Website?

We’ve warned about solely using AI-driven translations. The same warnings apply to website localization.

Additional caution when looking for a website localization service: beware of any website localization services that offer “instant” or “automatic” localization. Localization cannot be done professionally by artificial intelligence and, therefore, is not something that can be automated or instant.

Working with an experienced translation agency specializing in localization and working with human translators is the only way to ensure a natural, authentic human experience.

Interpro has teams of experts who can translate your copy and localize your messaging, so your audience can identify with it. Any cultural language nuances can be incorporated into the language and culture of your choice.

Interpro’s Website Translation and Localization Workflow

A Note About Web Proxy

It should be noted that even experts might use some form of technology to assist with expediting the translation process. Interpro can employ Web Proxy translation services in this way. This may be a fit depending on the volume of anticipated website updates required. It is not the right fit for all situations; Interpro can discuss the pros and cons together with you and your team should a Web Proxy solution be of interest.

The Website Localization Process

If you’re ready to translate and localize a website, you’re in the right place.

Our mission is to deliver accurate, credible results in any modern language. Throughout our localization process, we recognize language issues that could affect your final product and fix them before they ever become an issue. Plus, we provide feedback and advice on navigating the translation and localization of your source content, always taking into consideration your target languages and cultures. Our translation services are always compliant with ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 17100:2015 standards.

We are ready to meet your translation and localization needs. From localization consulting to being your website localization and translation department, Interpro is here to support you.

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