Why is Localization Important in 2022?

Why is localization important? 2022 brings a new era of digitalization that many companies were not expecting. The increased need for digital content combined with customer interaction makes localization more critical than ever.Consumers want to relate to content that feels like it was written specifically for them. Modern businesses are increasingly operating in a global landscape and are ready to tackle different markets. It’s the key to rapid growth and expansion. However, a “general” global approach is simply not enough to see sustainable results. Localizing content reaches the hearts and minds of a potential audience. Consumers are far more likely to make purchases if the content driving them is translated into their native language. As a result, localization is the answer.

Why is Localization Important?

Expanding into a new market is easier said than done. Localization entails more than just translating content into a different language. It ensures that any content a consumer uses to learn about your product or service is translated accurately to resonate with the audience. The more brands evolve, the more they know how to hyper-segment their consumer base around demographics. The same is true for localization. For example, a company can start by using generic international Spanish — but depending on a customer demographic — they may need to differentiate Spanish in Argentina vs. Mexico quickly. They might even need to go further and identify different tones for different product lines or aspects of the brand and business. It’s critical to start small and broad and work with an interactive framework that allows you to double down on winning investments.

The Positive Effect of Localization

A strong localization process makes the transition to new markets much easier. Missing critical details when localizing content could result in a lack of consumer engagement, loss of revenue, or brand reputation. However, the benefits of localization bring many positive benefits for companies.

Market Expansion

Delivering content in one language neglects millions of potential consumers. Relating to a target market is what drives business growth. Start with an initial target market and prioritize the content important to those consumers. A localization strategy can help a brand scale into multi-language localization after that.

Increased Revenue

With expanded market reach comes the potential for increased revenue. But localization must be done right to see a return. Localization facilitates expansion while staying within budget to avoid costly errors or delays later.

Brand Trust

Localizing content to resonate with a targeted market builds trust amongst potential consumers, and it shows that the brand cares enough to market to their needs. An Edelman survey of 16,000 people in eight different countries revealed that 81% of consumers believe brand trust is critical to their purchase decision. Consumers who trust a brand are twice as likely to purchase a product than those who do not. Take Apple, for example; Americans rush to purchase the latest Apple product regardless of whether their current product is still functioning. This loyalty occurs because Apple has built a reputation with its consumers as the highest-quality, most reliable, and easy-to-use product. Apple has managed to stay consistent with branding on top of producing a continuously reliable product. While it may be accessible for most Americans to purchase the latest product, it could take up to three months of income to buy a new Apple product in other countries. For example, in Brazil, the iPhone 13 128GB costs around $1,450. It would take the average consumer in Brazil to work 97 days to afford this device. Hong Kong offers the same device for $8; however, the average consumer can obtain a new iPhone after only seven days of work. Consumers who are saving for months to afford a product will need to trust the brand to convert. Before expanding to new markets, consider cost, income, and brand loyalty to target your audience accurately.  

Developing a Localization Strategy that Works

Understanding the depth of localization involves creating a concrete localization strategy. Taking the necessary time to begin discussing localization efforts early in the process allows businesses to enter any new market efficiently and economically. Here are three steps to help you get started.

#1 Assess the Scope of Your Project

Understanding the scope of a localization project gives better insight into the cost and potential issues that could arise later. What content should be translated, and in what languages do you want to translate it? Begin with your website and expand to other forms of content from there.

#2 Use the Right Tools

Understanding which technology tools are needed to create a complete translation management system for any localization project is the first step to helping you meet your goals. Ask yourself: do you have a translation management system? This system allows translation editors to perform and monitor translation jobs and file parsing to transform the files into translation-friendly formats. A translation management system will also include translation memories and glossaries for optimized translations. Terminology management systems are tools designed for identifying and storing previously translated content to increase the efficiency of translations and ensure a consistent brand tone across all translation projects.Upon using the right translation tools, it's also essential to perform quality assurance checks to track and resolve issues before content is released. This step will save your company time from making corrections later.

#3 Choose the Right Translation Partner

Localization is a complicated process that doesn’t need to be completed alone. There are many moving parts to consider. A qualified translation partner possesses the skills and knowledge required to guide you down the path to consumer satisfaction. At Bureau Works, we created a localization management platform that combines innovative translation technology tools you need in 2022 that work together to make translations more predictable and as easy as possible. Our end-to-end service encompasses translation, terminology, quality, and business management in one system. Our system can be adapted to meet current goals and help elevate them to meet your localization standards in any of our 134 supported languages.‍