How to Localize Your Website
At its simplest, website localization is the process of refining and optimizing web content through culture, language, and flow to provide the most useful and relevant experience for users. It’s not the same as translation: localizing content takes into consideration the nuances of the target region. Some words can have the same definition, but different meanings in different contexts. Similarly, there are always different dialects of a language, like Spanish in Spain, Spanish in Mexico, and Spanish in South America.
Most companies may not understand the difference between localization and translation, but effective website localization is far more nuanced than simply displaying words in a new language. Läs vidare för att lära dig hur man ska tänka kring webbplatslokalisering – och hur man genomför det på kraftfulla och autentiska sätt.
Globalization vs. Internationalization vs. Lokalisering
Globalization, internalization, and localization are three different concepts related to how businesses operate and expand their operations. Globalization refers to the integration of economies, cultures, and societies across the world. In business, globalization involves expanding operations into different countries and regions, establishing a global supply chain, and adapting products and services to meet the needs of diverse cultures and new markets.
Internationalization is the process of creating software or mobile apps that are then localized to target unique cultures, regions, and languages. Software developers and engineers do this to help ensure that websites are successfully localized and that the website can support other languages and cultures.
Localization refers to the process of adapting products, services, and marketing strategies to meet the specific needs and preferences of a particular local market. This can involve changes to language, design, branding, or product features to better appeal to local consumers. Website localization can help companies gain a deeper understanding of local markets and establish stronger relationships with customers.
Grunderna i lokalisering
Det behövs fem nyckelelement för att lokalisera en webbplats
- Language and regionalisms ensure that copy, content and brand voice come through accurately and authentically—and make users feel like the site experience has been customized for them.
- Cultural elements of communication like date and time formats, units of measure and local holidays ensure that websites communicate an understanding of global nuances and make users feel at home on the site.
- Transactional elements such as currency, payment options, addresses and character sets are not only important for the local feel of the site, but for the accuracy and proper handling of transactions and on-site conversions.
- Local communication and trust elements such as phone numbers, local addresses, in-language customer support, legal notices and security banners may not seem mission-critical, but they're key to engaging with local audiences. De säkerställer även att sälj- och marknadsföringsteamen har den information de behöver för att betjäna kunderna.
- Navigation and discovery for your translated site is critical to helping users select the language they need, and immediately start interacting with your site in an authentic way.
4 Benefits of Website Localization
Website localization can provide several benefits for businesses looking to expand their global reach. Here's what you can expect to gain from the right localization for website strategy:
- Increased sales and revenue: A localized website can help businesses tap into new markets and reach customers who may not have been able to engage with the brand otherwise. By providing a website that is accessible and relevant to local customers, businesses can increase sales and revenue and establish a stronger foothold in local markets.
- Improved SEO and website traffic: Localized websites that are optimized for local search engines and keywords can help improve search engine rankings, which can drive more traffic to the website. By using the right keywords and phrases in local languages, businesses can increase their visibility to local customers who are searching for their products or services online.
- Increased customer engagement: Localization allows businesses to tailor their website to the specific needs and preferences of a local market, which can increase customer engagement and satisfaction. By providing content that resonates with local audiences, businesses can create a more personalized experience that encourages customers to spend more time on the website and engage with the brand.
- Improved brand reputation: Localization can help businesses establish a stronger presence in local markets, which can improve their reputation and credibility with local customers. By showing a commitment to meeting the needs of local customers, businesses can build trust and loyalty, which can lead to long-term success and growth in new markets.
How to Begin Localizing a Website
Are you ready to seek out website localization services? Om du vill lägga en stark grund måste du fråga dig själv följande:
- Är jag dedikerad att skapa en helt autentisk flerspråkig webbplats så att mina användare vet att jag bryr mig om deras upplevelse? (Du kommer att läsa mer om detta i ett kommande avsnitt.)
- Do I have the right professionals on my team to support my site as it scales? En bra partner kan enkelt göra det.
- Ber mina lokala säljteam om en mer komplett och robust onlineupplevelse för sina kunder? Om det finns ett behov kan det vara dags att uppfylla det.
- Is my content engaging and enriching enough to attract local audiences? Du har redan investerat i en kraftfull onlineupplevelse och du vill maximera avkastningen på den investeringen.
How to Keep Your Website Relevant
När du lokaliserar ska lokala besökare på din webbplats kunna uppleva alla element, koncept och allt innehåll som de använder i sin vardag.
That means making sure your content uses the culturally relevant, preferred terminology, phrases and slang of the local customers you’re serving. Bokstavliga översättningar kan uppfattas som bristande förståelse för den lokala kulturen, och äventyra sådant som SEO och varumärkesintegritet.
Det här tillvägagångssättet innefattar även lokalisering av multimediainnehåll. Bilder, videor och PDF-filer som visas på korrekt lokalt språk kan förbättra varumärkets trovärdighet och uppmuntra till interaktion med innehållet.
Som alltid är det detaljerna som räknas. Se till att viktigt innehåll på webbplatsen är lättsmält och användbart på dina globala kunders språk – allt från lokaliserad valuta och lokaliserade betalningsalternativ till måttenheter, adressformat och kontaktuppgifter. När du kan erbjuda dessa viktiga lokaliseringar kommer kunderna inte att tappa takten när de tillbringar tid på din webbplats.
What Needs to Be Localized?
Great website localization means thinking beyond the site itself to all the digital assets, content and channels that make up your international digital presence.
Först och främst måste du tänka på hur lokalbor ska hitta din webbplats. Se till att regionala sökmotorer känner till din nya lokala webbplats så att du är lätt att hitta bland sökresultaten. Working with a website localization or translation partner that knows SEO can give you an advantage, too, by thinking beyond localized keywords and leveraging advanced technologies like Proxy. Detta säkerställer att den översatta versionen av din webbplats visas korrekt bland dina kunders lokala sökmotorresultat.
The most advanced providers can help with powerful user preference-detection technology for your site that can do things like seamlessly welcome first-time visitors in the language they’re likely to speak and help them find the localized site that best fits their needs.
Och se även till att ditt omnikanalinnehåll – som e-postkampanjer, inlägg på sociala medier och offline-tillgångar – översätts. You need to consider things like social media handles and pop-ups, as well as how localizing affects format. For instance, Arabic reads right to left, which must be taken into consideration. Work with a partner that can help you find and localize this content and ensure that it's connected to your digital presence in all the right ways.
Därför räcker inte mikrosajter
As you expand to international markets with your digital presence, one thing becomes abundantly clear: local markets expect a website experience that is every bit as fantastic as the one on your flagship site.
Det kan vara lockande att lösa lokaliseringsproblemet med en enkel mikrosajt som tar företagets viktiga information, översätter den till ett lokalt språk och erbjuder användarna en förenklad upplevelse.
But users regularly abandon websites that don’t provide consistent language experiences or deliver compromised experiences in favor of taking a simplified approach.
As you extend your global reach into new markets, strike the right balance with powerful website translation that doesn’t compromise the user experience.
Website Localization Is an Investment in Your Global Business
As you consider ways to adapt your company’s website for local markets, look for solutions that deliver accurate and authentic website translations and offer engagement-boosting localizations.
Webbplatslokalisering kräver översättare i världsklass, kraftfull teknik som kan erbjuda rätt lokaliserat innehåll till rätt målgrupp samt kraftfulla arbetsflöden och funktioner för hantering av översättningar för att enkelt kunna publicera, spåra och uppdatera det anpassade innehållet du har investerat i.
Din globala verksamhet förtjänar bästa möjliga digitala närvaro. Arbeta med en partner som på ett elegant sätt utnyttjar både webbplatsöversättning och lokalisering för att säkerställa tydligt, effektivt och relaterbart innehåll för varje marknad du är verksam på.