What does Localization mean?
Localization is the entire process of adapting a product or content to a specific location or market, it may also include adaptations to images or colors, formatting, UI, or design, and even payment methods, to name a few. Localization takes a product and makes it highly relevant for one specific market and it should appear as if it was created in the target culture.
Who Needs Localization?
75% of consumers said they were more likely to purchase goods and services if the corresponding product information is in their native language, so anyone who is trying to reach a global audience should consider localization as well as translation. To truly expand your audience, however, you’ll need to localize more than just your website
Why is localization important?
1. Localization will help you enter new markets easily
2. Localization will give you a competitive edge
3. Localization will increase customer satisfaction
4. Localization will increase brand loyalty
5. Localization will Increase your revenue
What does Internationalization mean?
Internationalization refers to methodologies and best practices to be followed, when designing or developing a product, to enable easy localization. An internationalized product can be easily and more efficiently localized. It’s also the process of planning and implementation of products and services in a manner that makes them conducive to localization. It is important to realize that you may encounter significant schedule delays and increased costs if you start localization and your product is not internationalized.
When should the internationalization process be implemented?
internationalization process should be performed if you are:
- Launching your product/service globally for the first time
- Currently in the design phase for a new product/service and you want to ensure it will work globally
- Looking to expand your product/service into new markets
Four main benefits of internationalization
- Increasing Customers and Revenue
- Improve risk management after internationalization
- Increasing competitiveness is also a benefit of internationalization
- Cost savings and access to new technologies
The Common Goal of Internationalization and Localization
Localization and internationalization have a common goal which is globalization. Globalization is the process of developing and marketing, multilingual products to people from across the globe.
The Difference Between Localization and Internationalization?
As we already explained that,
Internationalization refers to design and development practices to be adhered to for easily adapting a product to multiple locales. It means “preparing” your product for localization. Localization refers to the actual process of adapting a product for a specific locale.
Both internationalization and localization play an important role in optimizing your software or mobile application product for different locales and different countries. Whenever you anticipate expanding a product to multiple national or even regional markets, you need to consider internationalization and localization, once your product goes through internationalization, you can perform the localization multiple times, for various locales. An internationalized product can be easily localized, without any errors, and with minimal overhead.
Planning for these processes before the project begins will help you design products that satisfy users of all regions, cultures, and languages.
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