Nowadays, there are billions of people who are connected to the global network of the Internet. Your successful Digital Presence must be able to communicate effectively with your target audience. In addition, your users should be able to easily understand your message. To adapt your website, digital marketing strategies or social media channels for different audiences there are 2 important factors: Translation and Localization.
Translation vs Localization: A lot of people are confused between Translation and Localization. However, there is a big difference between them:
The translation is an act of literally rewriting text from the source language into the target language. Respecting the grammar rules and syntax.
Localization is more than rewriting the source text. It is the process of making your message culturally relevant. We need to adapt the content to its local audience. As we do this, we need to keep the audience’s culture in mind. This way you will increase your engagement and you will improve your chances to grow your business globally.
In the localization process, we have to take care of additional factors in addition to the Translation ones, such as:
- Make sure translated words are consistent with the context to deliver the right message understood by a region, a country or even a city within a country.
- Choosing the right Images that facilitate the content overall understanding of the target audience taking into consideration that the digital reader almost scans and not read the text. The same applies to any accompanying assets (Video, Music, PDF files).
- Consider Content Management Systems Templates adaptation, layout adjustment, font type, and size selection an important factor to deliver highly localized User Experience.
- The selection of Catalogs or Goods In E-Commerce websites matter. Depending on the Culture and History of the target area certain catalogs/goods may or may not be appropriate.
- The hospitality industry is a great example of the importance of localization in their Digital Marketing strategies. One worldwide brand may invest a large budget to promote its properties globally and uniquely because of the diversity of cultures and activities in each region.
The translation is the heart of any localization process. Considering translation as the only or final step before publishing any content should not be enough. Therefore, a well-planned localization plan will ensure a positive reaction from your target audience.
These days, User Experience is the most important factor to gain more audience. Major Content Management Systems like Episerver and Sitecore excel in providing highly customized User Experience through their platforms.
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