Online product localization: Core rules to make it right

40% of consumers say they will not buy in languages other than their native languages.

56.2% of people say they prefer content in their native language over a price.

These two statements clearly show that localization is a must today to have meaningful and long-lasting relationships with your clients, customers, or website attendees. But how do you do it right, how do you do it at minimal costs, and where do you start? 

Our guest for today has answers to all these questions.

Q: Introduce yourself and your company, please.

A: My name is Kristaps Lapiņš, and I’m a localization advisor and the CEO of Language Inspired. Years ago, I started out as a translator, which gave me hands-on experience and helped me understand the industry inside and out. Early on, I saw how important it is for everyone to be able to access information in their native language. So, I combined that experience with my passion for entrepreneurship and founded Language Inspired—to disrupt the localization service industry. I also volunteer as a mentor for Women in Localization and consult on questions related to the translation and localization industry. 

Language Inspired is a global language solution company born from a deep love for languages and cultures. Since 2009, we have provided localization services to software, web, mobile app, eСommerce companies, and more. We provide and stand by the agile localization model, which offers our clients the dedication of an in-house team with the flexibility and speed of an outsourced agency. In a way, that’s combining the best of both worlds. Our approach has helped over 2,000 companies engage with local customers and scale internationally, covering more than 200 languages. 

Q: Any successful business case you can share? 

A: We had a very successful collaboration with the time-tracking app Desktime. As a result of their localization journey and our work together, their page visits grew by a whopping 343%. Thanks to the localization efforts and subsequent launch of the Spanish content, they saw a 27% growth in user influx, specifically from Spain, with a surprising additional 51% growth coming from Mexico. The data showed Desktime that there is great potential for further expansion into the Latin American region, which could again be accomplished through localization. Between Q1 and Q2 of 2022, the number of visits to Spanish blog articles has grown by a staggering 1,104%. 

Q: That’s impressive. Now that we know how vital translations can be for a business, would you please tell us where one should start when adding a new language to their website?

A: This is directly connected to what your target market is:

• figure out what languages are spoken in the locales you want to enter (there can be a few);

• consider internationalization, aka i18n;

• work on your glossary, which you will hand to your localization and translation company.

Q: You mentioned “Internationalization.” What is it?

A: Internationalization is the process of designing and developing products or applications in a way that enables the product or application to be adapted to target languages without requiring too many engineering changes to the product or application.

Keeping upcoming languages in mind lays the groundwork for future localization, so when you want to enter new markets, you don’t have to start from scratch, reducing time-to-market and helping your business be more agile and gain an advantage against competitors.

Q: Can you give an example, please?

A: The button “Sign in.” While in English, it consists of only seven characters, in Finnish, the button would turn into “Kirjaudu sisään”— a whopping 15 characters. 

And let us remember that not all languages read from left to right. If you plan to localize content into Arabic or Hebrew, which goes from right to left, your design must have the flexibility to accommodate these variations. 

Let me also add a few tips here:

• consider global design best practices when designing/redesigning your website/application;

• say “No” to hardcoded things;

• use Unicode formatting (UTF-8);

• enable code to support different language preferences.

Q: From your own experience, do you think dialect matters? 

A: If customer satisfaction is a top priority in your company, then yes, dialect definitely matters. You need to adjust the language, tone of voice, product, or service to that specific dialect or language rather than everyone in general. Even in English, there are different language nuances in different regions (the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, etc.). Remember that even for such a straightforward thing as food, you’ll get a different thing if you order chips in New York or if you ask for chips in London. 

Q: What is the difference between translation, localization, and transcreation? Which one should we order when adding new languages to our website?

A: This is probably the most frequently asked question anyone in localization will get, but the answer is actually pretty easy. Here are the main differences: 

• translation is the process of communicating the meaning of a source-language text by using an equivalent target-language text;

• localization is a more in-depth approach that takes into account the cultural, visual, and technological elements of the target audience. Localization also goes beyond word choice and can affect how your website presents information and is designed (colors, pricing, images, etc.);

• transcreation is the process of re-creating or changing a text to adapt it to another target market and making its meaning culturally appropriate. Transcreation can be considered “creative translation.” As a result, transcreation specialists will very often be copywriters, not translators. Transcreation is way more in-depth than translation and goes even further than localization, adapting idioms, phrasing, and other linguistic nuances but maintaining the original concept, emotion, and intent. 

Transcreation in marketing is super important, as slogans and other types of marketing content are nearly impossible to translate literally. The same goes for transcreation in advertising, art and entertainment, video gaming, e-commerce, and many more industries.

Q: How do we maintain consistency in terms? Do businesses have to provide a translation agency with some vocabulary?

A: The client always knows their product best, so we encourage them to carefully consider their brand, product, and industry-specific terminology and compile this in a glossary, which we add to the linguists’ reference package. We believe that a glossary of predefined terms can make a world of difference regarding customer satisfaction upon receiving the localized end result, as well as facilitate the absolute best performance from the linguist team. 

We are also advocates and fans of using a translation memory wherever possible to further ensure continuity and consistency not only in the tone of voice and overall brand message but also in the precise application of terminology.

Q: What are the traits of a good translation (transcreation)?

A: Traits of a high-quality translation:

• it is accurate;

• it is grammatically correct;

• the meaning of your message conveys the original meaning to the target audience;

• it should withhold the same style and tone of voice as the original text (as well as the brand voice);

• it should sound like an original text created for that specific audience only. The more your text blends in and sounds natural to the audience, the better. 

And last but not least, it should be with your audience in mind! Who are you targeting with your translation? Will the text be culturally appropriate for the target audience? Skilled translators will always consider these factors. So, your duty here is to specify your target audience.

Q: Should a company that provides translation services have any checklists for themselves and their clients? And if yes, can you share yours?

A: Absolutely. To provide high-quality translations, we need to:

• get to know the client and the localization brief. Our team, for example, makes sure every detail—the deadline, the source text, the goal of the localization, the target market, etc.—is clear;

• create a personalized team. This is important as it allows us to provide the best results for each project;

• let the team discuss language resources (glossary, guidelines regarding tone of voice and brand voice) with the client;

• implement translations or localization, monitor the flow, and check the results.

Q: What are your pieces of advice to those who are just planning to translate their apps and sites into different languages?

A: Before diving into localizing and translating all of your content, I suggest considering these four suggestions: 

• research your potential customers in the chosen region to determine what they will value the most. You need to know how your brand will be perceived to avoid offending prospective customers;

• evaluate the customer journey and decide which content will have the greatest impact on your new customers. Begin by localizing the essential content and work your way up;

• consider factors such as the number of prospective customers, market viability, and English fluency in the regions you want to target when deciding on your next possible market to expand into;

• proceed with data-driven decisions. To determine the next steps in your localization journey, conduct some A/B testing to compare the impact of localized content vs. the English version.

On a final note

Localizing your website is crucial for communication with customers. Yet, the latter goes way beyond websites.

Do you have any experience in localizing emails? If yes, your advice in the comments below is highly appreciated.