The why behind localization

David Klement

2 minutes

Languages/Localization

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If you want to capture the attention of your global audience, localization is a must. Even if you operate in an industry where you’re pretty sure people know your language. That’s because customers are much more comfortable with brands that take the extra step and speak their native language. The same goes for apps – if an app’s interface is translated, the end-users are much more likely to be happy with the app and keep using it.

There are various reasons to localize your content. Some are about the brand trust you gain by removing the language barrier. Others are more complicated:

An insurance company shouldn’t offer English-only content in a Spanish-speaking market.
Car brands can have offerings in many regions using the same language, yet each dealership has different promotions and deals.
English content perfectly suitable for the UK region, where your headquarters are, may not be understandable or even appropriate in the Middle-East countries.

These are three basic variations of altering content to reach the target market. In most cases, you need to translate your content to the target language. But that’s not all. Every country or region has its own cultural, political, and religious context. You need to adapt your content to the context of your target audience.

Make the content resonate

To make your content resonate with your local audience, many aspects of the content need to be adjusted. Many apply even if you don’t translate, and it’s not only about text. Take New Zealand, for instance. Your US content can stay in English, but the geographical and social contexts of the two countries are different, and your content should reflect that.

Idioms and local humor

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