What are your goals for 2022? Is market expansion and reaching new audiences on your list? Then it’s worthwhile focusing on consistent translations and localization as well as on a precise distinction between these two language services.
Both localization and translation involve translating words and phrases from one language to another. However, localization goes a step further by focusing on adapting the content to national, geographic and cultural specifics so that readers or viewers understand exactly what the text is about and do not end up with incomprehensible 1-to-1 translations. Literally translated instruction manuals from China are a good example of this. You’ve probably had an electronic gadget from the Far East under the Christmas tree, and the instruction manual was a huge source of amusement? Here’s an amusing example featuring a digital camera: “Be careful when using the adjustment switch and zoom button while you have your eye on the viewfinder so you don’t accidentally stick your finger in your eye.”
Localization is particularly appropriate when it comes to products or services that are to be rolled out globally and consequently have to appeal to different cultures. Localized content is also required to deliver the same digital experience to customers around the world and to update products frequently. The probability that users will download an app in their native language, for example, is much higher. One study has shown that localizing iPhone app texts leads to significantly more downloads (128 percent more per country) and an increase in revenue of 26 percent for each added language. As you can see, a precise distinction between translation and localization is particularly important for your international business success. We have identified five key differences that will help you differentiate between the two terms and be more successful in your international communications:
1. Cultural context
Translation is about the linguistic transfer of a message, whereas localization focuses more on experiences and feelings. Translation is often the starting point of the localization process, which extends to adapting all aspects of a text, website, app, etc. to the requirements and needs of the target market. These include, for example, unit and currency conversions (the English “billion” becomes German “Milliarde,” 1.500 becomes 1,500), date formats (in the U.S.A 9/11 is September 11; in Europe is it November 9), images, legal requirements, or different technological standards. But localization goes a step further, as formats and style must also be adapted, symbols and graphics changed to take into account economic idiosyncrasies and cultural conventions.
2. Layout
Translations from English into other languages, for example, can end up being twice as long. Therefore, when localizing, experts may need to use different phrasing so that the text still fits into the interface and still conveys the same message. It should also be remembered that languages differ in the way they were written and read. This includes the right-to-left script used by many Semitic languages such as Arabic and Hebrew. Localization may, therefore, involve adapting the layout of a company website accordingly, for example, when it comes to the usability of the homepage or apps.
3. Cut from a single cloth
In direct comparison with translation, localization is much more concerned with ensuring that the target text is not recognizable to the target audience as a rendering from another language. Localization ideally gives the feeling that a program, website, or mobile app was developed specifically for the specific audience, rather than as a generic experience. Example – Spotify: No matter in which country the subscriber is located, he or she should always have the feeling of receiving a playlist that exactly fits his or her wishes. Company managers specifically think about the cultural content that is important to them, highlighting, for example, traditional Brazilian music in Brazil, honoring South African Freedom Day and celebrating Diwali in India. To create a more comprehensive experience, Spotify has also made changes to its recommendation engine to allow for localized music suggestions. The company also relies on very small-scale localized marketing to reach potential users. Here, for example, the focus is on special features of individual neighborhoods or cities.
4. E-commerce success requires localization know-how
There is a global trend toward increased shopping in international web stores. 71 percent of online shoppers now also order from foreign stores, and the trend is rising. There is no doubt about it: e-commerce is an immense opportunity. However, the majority of your potential customers will only buy products that are offered in their native language. So if you want to use your website to strengthen customer loyalty (conversion rate), it needs to be precisely tailored to the cultural context. This means that you have to localize product descriptions, size charts, promotions and ads, provide your customers with the payment options and currencies preferred in their country, and much more.
5. Healthcare
New technologies have changed healthcare from the ground up. For example, online consultations, apps and fitness trackers, digital care records, scannable wristbands with medication and patient data, or mobile apps used by patients in clinical trials. Solutions like these are designed to improve patient care while reducing costs. For medical companies that operate in different markets, localization is often a must from a regulatory point of view, because translation errors can cause significant damage to the company’s image and, in the worst case, could even cost human lives. Therefore, cooperation with specialized and certified language experts, completely reliable localizations, and strict quality assurance and compliance checks are essential in this area.
Localization is about much more than just translating one language into another. When localizing content, software, apps, etc., it is important to remember that many things in a new market or culture can be radically different from one’s home environment. Those who fail to take this into account risk incurring needless costs, image damage, frustrated employees and customers. With this in mind, you should rely on an experienced translation and localization partner. We know all about the small and yet crucial differences, to make sure that you always find the right words!
