How to Conduct Website Localization in 5 Steps

With more than 2 billion people worldwide buying products and services online, website localization is an essential part of a company’s plan to expand into global markets. Through localization, businesses can reach a wider audience, improve their search engine optimization (SEO), and attract countless new customers.

Take a look at the five steps that are necessary to achieve website localization:

Develop a Website Localization Strategy

The first step in website localization is to establish a strategy that focuses on several factors, including:

  • Conducting market research to decide which languages and regions to target, with primary considerations being how well the product would sell in that market, whether the product or service is suited to the region’s culture, and the overall purchasing behaviors of people in the region.
  • Establishing a plan for multilingual SEO, including keyword selection, metadata translation, and the use of hreflang tags, which are essential for Google to recognize the language and the region for which the website is intended.
  • Determine who will be on the team that is responsible for the localization, including selecting a website localization company. The team should consist of a project manager, translators, designers, developers, and marketing professionals.

Design Web Pages That Support Localization

When designing a website, it is important to move away from the thinking that it only needs to be created in one language. Instead, think broader and make decisions that allow for localization into several languages. For instance, when developing the site, select layouts and design elements that are useful regardless of the language, as well as ensure that the design allows for text contraction and expansion. As an example, if the site is being translated from English to Japanese, 60% more space would be required; however, if the website is being localized to Portuguese from English, then 15% less space would be needed. Additionally, the website layout has to be flexible enough to support languages that read right-to-left, as well as languages that require additional vertical space.

When choosing a web localization services agency, select one that has the expertise necessary to design the site with future growth in mind.

Focus on Internationalization

Internationalization involves developing a website so it can be adapted to local environments by removing specific, regional, local, or cultural elements. Implemented at the front end of the software design and development process, internationalization prepares the website’s coding to accept various configurations based on the target languages. To achieve this, certain coding is replaced with placeholders that will automatically retrieve the new language without necessitating major programming revisions.

Along with placeholders, the process of internationalization includes making sure that certain elements can be easily updated, such as time zones, dates, currency, and number formats.

Translate the Website Content

Accurate translation of the website’s content is vital for a successful localization. To achieve precise translations, work with translators who are native speakers of the target languages; this will ensure that the translators not only understand the language but are also keenly aware of what is culturally acceptable for the website.

Additionally, it is important to work with a website translation company that has a sophisticated translation management system to guarantee that the content will be efficiently managed and organized.

Choose Appropriate Graphics, Photos, and Videos

Since the content in websites often consists of numerous elements aside from text, it is critical that all visual elements be screened carefully for cultural suitability. Remember that a photo that is acceptable in one culture could be offensive in another culture. Embedded videos also have to be selected based on whether the messages will resonate with the region’s customer base, along with whether the content is culturally appropriate.

How One Company Achieved Success with Localization 

Many companies have been successful as a result of localizing their website, including Probat Inc., which decided to localize their website into nine languages. The scope of the project included designing new web pages and adding a partner gateway, as well as embedding product videos, specification sheets, catalogs, and contact forms into the website. Additionally, the company focused on including SEO for the localized sites, along with enhancing their social media presence. By taking these steps, Probat Inc. will attract countless new customers and greatly improve their global reach.

Considering that 95% of all shopping is expected to be done online by 2040, website localization is a critical part of a company’s expansion strategy. To be a part of this continued growth, partner with a website localization agency that has expertise in developing multilingual websites and that has a complete project team that will oversee all aspects of the localization.

Summary

With more than 2 billion people worldwide buying online, website localization is an essential part of a company’s plan to expand its reach into global markets. Here are the five key steps to take to achieve website localization.