fShare

Tweet

Escalating a business globally is the next big step for flourishing companies. There are millions of consumers around the globe who can access your English-based website but they are unable to read it, as English is one of the most spoken languages, but not the only one.

Localization is the process of taking a website and adjusting it for some other culture. Other cultures have their own standards for symbolism, design, colors, and layout; therefore, it is vital for your website’s success to understand these norms rather than just translating the words.

But where to start?!

The first step to success in distant markets is choosing the desired country by researching about its market, tariffs, taxes, Government restrictions, culture, taboos etc. Once you have decided, you have to select the language of that region. You might offer customers different choices of languages when they enter your website for the first time, as it will make them feel comfortable and may result in building a trustworthy relationship.

Localization is basically thought as translation, but in fact, it involves more than just converting the words. Machine translation is not reliable even if you are using a perfect translation Bot. Professional translator are the only way to get high-class copy of your website. A good translator understands the nuance of the language and can properly contextualize them during translation. You can also hire localization houses for adding fresh contents to your site.

Managing some localized websites means running supplementary copies of your existing website. Localized versions can be shaped as a subfolder or a subdomain of your current website, or as an exclusively new domain. Then the IT Team has to roll out the new content and features to make sure that the localized sites acquire the same attention as the main site.

It Goes Beyond Translation
There are some other practical considerations which are equally important in localizing a website:

• In the US, dates are written as MM – DD – YYYY. In UK and some other places, they are written as DD – MM – YYYY. Ignoring this small detail might lead to uncertainty with your customers as they might misinterpret the delivery dates, release dates or sale dates.
• On a standard US calendar, the week starts from Sunday. Local standards vary across the world - some has beginning from Monday, others from Friday.
• Convert all sale prices to the local currency, and make keep a close eye on exchange rates ensuring that the prices are competitive.
• Payment options offered must be familiar to the locals. If appropriate, wire transfers country-specific banking services and installment plans may be offered with PayPal and Credit Cards.
• Regulations regarding privacy, taxes, customer support, terms of service, etc. vary across the globe. Some countries have strict regulations, so make sure you look into this before investing time and resources into localizing.