In our globalised economy, most businesses understand the importance of translation. However, localisation is a lesser-known and underappreciated language service. A localisation service is the process of adjusting a product or service to be better understood and accepted in a new country. Localised content improves the overall user experience, leading many organisations to localise websites and mobile applications as part of their expansionist plans.
This article looks more closely at what localisation is and why it is critical for global and digital organisations. If you want to learn how to localise content for business growth, we reveal some of the best tips to reach a more diverse target audience below.
While language translation renders the text component of your business content into another language, localisation translates and adapts the content to suit your target market best. It keeps cultural and traditional aspects in mind, ensuring you aren’t unintentionally offensive and risking your brand reputation with a new market demographic.
The most commonly localised content includes websites and mobile apps. To localise website content, several features often need to be changed to accommodate the differences in language terminology, spelling, colours, fonts, and colloquialisms. For example, Spain and Argentina communicate primarily in Spanish. However, the Spanish used varies between these countries. Regional dialects, differences in currencies, and local customs must also be considered.
In the above example, localisation can help better connect to the different markets despite both countries speaking the same language. Therefore, it is one of the most important techniques used for international business expansion. It gives your target audience the impression that their needs and preferences are important, improving customer engagement and reinforcing positive brand identity in multiple markets.
Localisation is an integral part of any new market penetration plan. When leveraged correctly, localised content will make customers feel like products or services are for them. It will also help open up strategic partnership opportunities and build credibility internationally. Here is a closer look at these benefits you get when you localise website content and other business content:
Customers in the largest industrial countries prefer using products with supporting information and details in their native languages. Yet business translation is no longer a competitive option. Today, the comprehensive localisation of all marketing content is necessary for most companies and businesses wishing to sell globally.
Localised content connects and engages with your target market. It evokes the right emotions and fits precisely with their cultures and traditions. This improves the customer experience and ultimately increases sales. As such, paying to localise website content, mobile apps, and marketing materials is a wise business investment.
When entering a new market, it’s important to understand the region’s best practices and know the secrets. Local business partners can help you improve your marketing strategies and reduce the barriers for a smoother market entry. This will save a lot of your time and challenges when working in unfamiliar territory.
If you localise website applications and other business documents, it may help you form these competitively advantageous strategic partnerships! Just as localised content improves communication with potential customers, localisation also helps to improve communications with potential business partners and allies.
If you own an eCommerce, you will want to localise website content in the language of your target audience. This will positively influence your company’s credibility. In fact, localisation proves to prospective customers that they matter to you; having localised content gives you a distinct competitive advantage which many companies are not utilising.
Make sure you have made an upfront effort to accommodate your international clients and customers and secure this headstart. Your clients will be more likely to trust and believe that your quality of services or products is superior to your competitors.
If you own a global or digital business and require localisation services, Renaissance Translations can help. We have a team of more than 5,000 qualified linguists offering translation and localisation services in many language pairs. Each is a native speaker, ensuring they understand the culture and customs to localise website content, mobile apps, and marketing materials to the highest standards.
Your partnership with Renaissance Translations comes with professional memberships such as ATC and SDL LSP Partner Programme. To discover more about our services, contact our team today! One of our project managers will be in touch to discuss your business venture. They will help you produce perfectly localised content, setting you up for successful business expansion.