When planning to expand your business abroad, one of the first things that come to mind is – how will I find the right audience? Will I be able to speak its language? How do I make sure my foreign target market understands my business and product? This is where localization comes in.
In this article, we'll explain what localization is and how it differs from other linguistic services like translation, internationalization, and transcreation. We'll also cover the main localization benefits and clarify what you can expect from the localization service here at Language Inspired. Spoiler alert: It only takes 4 steps. Let's get right into it!
What is localization?
In short, localization is the process of adapting your product, service, content, or any documents to meet the language requirements, cultural background, and other specifications of a particular location or market (also called a locale). If you think that quality translation is enough to set your product up for success in a completely new market, think again. It's actually quality localization strategy that will immensely help your product or service become accessible and appealing to locals.
Localization is sometimes shortened to l10n, where 10 is the number of letters in the English word between l and n. There are many localization benefits like increasing the number of clients, gaining a competitive advantage, increasing revenue. With the help of localization, your business will also be able to steer clear of cultural PR disasters caused by poor translation and strengthen its global presence.
It can be easy to confuse localization with translation, transcreation, and even internationalization (also called i18n). Here are the main differences:
- Translation is the process of converting written text from one language to another. Localization, on the other hand, is a more in-depth approach that takes into account the cultural, visual, and technological elements of the target audience.
- Internationalization, or i18n, is the process of designing and developing products, applications, or content in a way that enables easier localization.
- Transcreation is the process of changing a text to adapt it to another target market and make its meaning culturally appropriate. Transcreation goes even further than localization, adapting idioms, phrasing, and other linguistic nuances.
Now you know what localization is (and how it differs from other linguistic services). Let's take a look at what you can expect from the localization process here at Language Inspired.
All-in-one localization service in 4 steps
There once was a time when localization could be a complex, costly, and tedious process of managing endless spreadsheets between different stakeholders – translators, software engineers, project managers, and the client. Fortunately, localization online is now easier than ever.
Choosing brand localization, product localization, or content localization here at Language Inspired means more than just receiving quality translation, using the latest localization methods, and finding the perfect balance between your original content and the target language. We also strive to keep you – the client – in the loop of communication and 100% aware of what's going on throughout the entire localization journey. We achieve this in 4 steps:
- Step 1: We get to know the client and localization brief. Our team receives and reviews your brief and makes sure every detail – the deadline, the source text, the goal of the localization, the target market, etc. – is clear.
- Step 2: We create a personalized team. This is something that larger localization companies don't usually do, but we find it essential in providing professional translation and localization services. Building a personalized team is important as it allows to provide the best results for each project. We pick the most suitable professionals for every client. For example, a company that exports snowboards would be provided with a team of linguists who understand this industry, are very familiar with the professional terminology and glossary surrounding snowboarding, and are possibly snowboarders themselves.
- Stage 3: Client meets the team. Here at Language Inspired, we believe in building lasting work relationships and creating a human bond between the client and their team. To achieve this, we organize online meetings, video calls, and demos to make sure everyone is 100% engaged in the project. Even if the client is located in Singapore and their localization experts work from the countryside in the Netherlands, we find the time to meet online so each client knows who they're working with.
- Stage 4: The localization continues. This is where linguists, editors, team managers, project coordinators, and everyone else on the localization team get to work to ensure your brief is completed with care and using the latest localization methods.
Here at Language Inspired, you can choose:
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The full-service localization package customized to fit seamlessly with your existing workflows and infrastructure.
- Place a quick online order for a simple, speedy solution and get an instant price quote.
Whichever option suits your needs, you'll be connected with the best industry experts making sure you receive professional translation and localization services.
What's next?
If your business strives for international growth and success, there's no way around it: Product or brand localization is a stop you'll have to make on the way. But don't worry, we're here to help.
Whether you're trying to figure out the most suitable localization strategy, want to create professional terminology and glossary surrounding your product, or just seeking how to do localization online – this is the right place to start.
Language Inspired covers more than 30 industries, and we have been the trusted language service provider for over 2000+ clients. From early startups to large enterprises, our clients have a portfolio of over 200+ languages.
Contact us and learn more about how we can help your business attain the best results through localization marketing.
