Did it ever happen to you to surf the Internet for information and when finally you arrive at a web page that seems to be what you need but not in your language? How frustrating is that?! If this rings more than just one bell, then you know the importance of localisation, even if perhaps you still can’t distinguish it from translation.
Often, translation and localisation are thought of as the same. Well, they are not. While translation is the conversion of content from one language to another, localisation goes beyond that. It is the entire process of adapting a whole brand, product or service to a new target market, keeping in mind the local culture.
Localisation includes all the other marketing steps, such as:
- Graphic design – changing imagery to fit the locale’s preference
- Fine-tuning content to meet the expectations and demands of the local audience
- Converting to local currency and units of measurement
- Adapting number and date format
- Complying with local rules and regulations
In brief, localisation offers you an in-like user experience by giving a website, brand or product the look and feel that the target audience expects.
That’s clear, but where to start? Any localisation project involves careful planning and keen attention to detail. To make your life easier, we’ve put together 15 questions you need to answer before you set your wheels in motion.
15 Questions You Need to Address Before Tackling a Localisation Project
The old saying “Measure thrice, cut once” perfectly applies to localisation project planning. Every detail counts, and any error could result in failure and money being wasted. So, to avoid any pitfall, ask yourself these questions:
- Is your research sufficient to ensure that your product or service fills a gap in the target market?
- What are your international branding guidelines?
- Have you carefully considered any cultural differences that could affect the launch of your product, service or website? Have you considered any linguistic particularities, such as script alignment, special characters, space requirements (i.e., some languages need more space than others)?
- What is your market position – i.e., market leader, top-of-the-line supplier, or low-cost alternative?
- What target markets do you plan to localise for and why?
- What is your audience demographic?
- Which products or services are you planning to localise?
- Have you considered the legal aspects of launching into a new market?
- What timeline do you have in mind?
- How much are you willing to invest in localisation?
- Are you planning on updating your product or service often? What is the frequency of these updates?
- Are there any technical or functionality issues to address or consider in the longer term?
- What are the specific guidelines (editorial and technical) to be considered at each step of the process? Have you compiled a style guide and a glossary of preferred terms?
- Are your formats compatible with the target language?
- What are the key milestones?
Answering these questions will help you define the scope of your localisation project. Once you tick that item off your list, start looking for localisation service providers. It all starts with requesting a quote.
To spare you the trouble – and since you’ve landed on this page, you’re clearly interested in localising your product or service- we thought we might give you a nudge and a little bit of inspiration. We are Pangea Global – a team of over 600 localisation professionals, translators, and copywriters with a sharp sense of local colour and uniqueness, with hands-on experience in iGaming, video gaming, finance, automotive, healthcare and pharma, medical device development, and eLearning industries. If we stirred your interest, get in touch.
