Localization

Localization is the cultural translation and adaptation of a product or service from one language to another.

It ensures that your offering is in keeping with the social, cultural and legal norms of your target market. This process is vital in ensuring you break down barriers of entry and build for success in any overseas market.

Go beyond translation

The localization process goes beyond translation to address the use of language and cultural nuances, from notational conventions and differences in symbols and colour associations to colloquial slogans and payment preferences. Communications must adhere to local standards and practices.

Localization issues can also arise in countries that share a common language. In English speaking countries such as the UK, US, Canada and Australia, subtle differences in culture and language can make localization vitally important.

Take, for example, the format of dates. In Britain and Australia, 03/08/08 means 3rd August 2008, but in the US and Canada, it would be interpreted as 8th March 2008.

In China, dates start with the year first, then the month: 2008-08-03. The commonly accepted date separators, ‘/’ or ‘-‘ also vary depending on the country.

How we can help

Language Connect offers a tailored localization service to help our clients successfully market their products and services anywhere in the world.

The changing demographics online mean that web content has to be available in 12 languages to reach 80% of the world’s online audience, and in 21 languages to reach 90%. Research shows that 85% of global consumers won’t buy at all from a foreign language site. Therefore, to extend international capabilities effectively, you need to offer your visitors a native web experience delivered in their mother tongue.

Why not accompany website localization with our social media localization service; we work with you to enhance your social engagement by creating content that resonates with a targeted audience, monitoring feedback to inform future strategic direction.

We localize all types of websites; from blogs through to e-commerce sites and review aggregators. Our web localization services extend from language translation to the adaptation of global style templates.

Language Connect employs technical experts with combined experience in working with all major CMS’s, Web API and XML web services used to automate content transfers, ensuring the efficient processing of translations. We also consider ‘responsive design’ in our work. This ensures multi-browser and device compatibility is integrated into the localization process, minimising the need for extensive post-launch testing.