Localizing your website entails as a business simply means refining website content through language, culture, and flow to provide a relevant and valuable experience to all users. Your website and its contents are the face and voice of your company, meaning localization is critical in making a first impression on new markets.
Using the local language and culture of the target audience in your website’s messaging will help optimize reach and impact. Research shows that nearly 76 percent of customers today prefer information in their local language, even if the quality is poor, and up to 40 percent will not buy from a website that is not in their language.
But, this does not mean localization is all about replicating your existing content verbatim into different languages. The website localization process often requires that you account for cultural differences, buying behaviors, legal requirements, and payment methods, among other aspects.
Yes, it is a complex process, and it is easy for one to buckle under its weight. But, fear not because here are steps for localizing a website.
Create a Plan for Localizing Your Website Entails as a Business
The exponential advancements in internet usage worldwide highlight a massive potential for online businesses and the need for website localization. Companies that want to expand globally can start by considering their potential for international sales to get the bigger picture of what is in store for them.
Whether designing or updating your website, factoring in localization will save you more money in the long run. Planning the localization strategy often provides clarity of purpose.
Start by creating a plan for your business and its potential expansion that can be incorporated into website localization. For example, incorporating languages and cultural trends is essential to expanding operations to another country.
Localizing your website means identifying a target audience, even if the audience is vast. Remember, the audience is the driving force behind a site’s development.
Conduct Research
By now, you should be aware that your website is critical in attracting customers and nurturing leads all over the globe. But, for your website localization plan to work out, you must deeply understand your target markets.
To identify specific markets where your business stands a chance to be more successful, you will have to do some thorough research. Conduct market research to see what competitors are doing with the audiences you have identified in your plan.
You should also look into brands that are not competitors but target a similar audience. Researching the markets you are looking to attract may cost some money, but the return will be great with a well-localized website.
However, be careful not to blow up all your budget on research. Consider all your financial and marketing indicators before approaching any given market.
Assemble a Team
Localizing a website involves many moving parts, and managing it alone can be challenging. That is why you need to assemble a team that will handle all the different tasks and ensure the project is on time and of a high standard.
Ideally, website localization is a technical endeavor, and you will typically need qualified talent on your team. With a well-organized team, you can mitigate worry about conflicts between different stakeholders.
Ensure that your marketing team and engineers work together to align project objectives. If you need additional help, consider bringing in freelancers for the localization project. For instance, a freelance angular developer can help with the development, design, and implementation of the localization project. Also, you will need a strong project manager who can keep everyone aligned and track progress.
Test Before Launch
Testing before launch is another critical localization aspect often overlooked. It is a crucial step that mainly helps reveal bugs and other hurdles that might affect its reliability, performance, and usability. Be sure to test before the launch to ensure everything is working correctly.
Test the website on multiple screen sizes and devices to ensure it works across all formats. Doing so will help boost overall interactivity and functionality, making the project more successful.
Bottom Line
Businesses are meant to expand, and the rapid growth in internet usage worldwide makes website localization essential. Since your website acts as your online business storefront, localizing it will ensure that you effectively tap into new markets.
It is a technical subject that entails key steps and aspects you cannot afford to overlook. Luckily, the above-outlined tips cover everything you need to know about website localization. Follow them, and you will be on your way to achieving global success.
