Taking your business online may be what makes your products and services available in the digital world, but localization is what enables you to speak with your customers in their native language, as it offers content in a way that best resonates with them.
What is Website Localization
A more comprehensive approach that goes beyond just translating text, website localization is the process of adapting a website’s content to accommodate different markets, languages, and cultures. The process involves translating a website’s content and making adjustments to images, videos, and other multimedia elements, as well as the website’s functionality and layout to better appeal to the target audience.
Since localization doesn’t just involve translation, you will find that the services needed will often include research, project management, marketing, and web design to be executed properly. While it may seem like a large investment, the return on investment (ROI) of localizing your website is worth it.
How is Localization Different from Translation?
Translation specifically refers to the process of converting text from one language to another. Localization, on the other hand, encompasses translation but also includes other processes, such as:
- Adapting colors schemes, images, videos, and other multimedia elements to better appeal to the target audience
- Updating and changing content accordingly to match the target audience communication style.
- Making changes to the website’s user interface, functionality, and layout to better accommodate the needs and expectations of users in a specific market
- Optimizing the website for local search engines in your target markets
From Amazon and IKEA, to Netflix and Airbnb, businesses that have localized their websites have seen tremendous international growth and impressive return on investment. In localizing a website, businesses can boost global sales, generate higher ROI, and strengthen their brand image. Take a look at some of the benefits of localization for businesses.
The Benefits of Website Localization for Businesses
Website localization offers a number of benefits for businesses, including:
- Increased market reach, both globally and locally
- Increased global and local sales
- Higher revenue
- Better SEO ranking
- Enhanced brand image
- Improved customer engagement
- Competitive advantage
6 Ways Website Localization Drives ROI
1. Target International Customers
Did you know nearly 66 million people speak a language other than English at home in the United States? That’s around 21.6% of the population!
By making your website available in multiple languages, you can expand your reach to new markets and attract customers from around the world, as well as your own backyard that would never access your website otherwise. Offering multilingual customer support, making your website crawlable in different markets, and adapting your pricing strategy and payment gateway can help you effectively target international customers.
2. Increase Conversions
A localized website can help you increase sales and grow your revenue, by making it easier for customers to find and purchase your products or services.
Providing your content in another language is one of the easiest yet most effective ways of growing your business and resonating with the locals in different markets. When website visitors can clearly understand your brand messages, products, and services, there’s a much higher chance they will trust your brand and convert to becoming customers. You can further earn their loyalty by continuously demonstrating your willingness to speak their language and offering an impeccable customer experience with localization!
3. Increase Email Subscriptions
One of the most cost-effective ways of marketing is email marketing. Collecting a vast database of emails makes sharing your brand message with already interested consumers so much easier and will increase the likelihood that these leads will convert to clients. Localizing your webpage into multiple languages that includes a Call-to Action (CTA) to subscribe takes minimal effort but brings incredible results.
4. Boost Engagement
Localizing your website can help you build stronger relationships with your customers and boost engagement, which is a major indicator of whether viewers resonate with your content or not.
Although it may be a bit more difficult than other metrics to measure, you will know if users are understanding and engaging with your content. You can look at when they interact by reading and viewing content (in their languages, of course), requesting more information about your services through contact forms, searching for more information through your FAQ, and spending more time on your site in general. The more time they spend on your site, the more likely it is that they are interested in what you have to offer and will convert.
5. Improve Multilingual SEO
Implementing an additional set of high-performing keywords for each market will improve your multilingual SEO and organic ranking globally, saving you money you would have otherwise spent on brand awareness and other marketing and advertising campaigns.
6. Save Time and Money
From receiving fewer inquiries from consumers who are having difficulty accessing and understanding your content, to avoiding translating your content for every market in the future, including localization as a part of your initial strategy will save you a lot of time and energy. For example, you may notice fewer inquiries about what a particular service is or where more information can be found, if visitors are able to easily understand the content on your site. It will also ensure faster customer support and improve customer satisfaction.
Localizing your website now will also help you avoid the high costs of building and maintaining a separate website for each market in the future.
Steps to Localize Your Website
Website localization can help businesses communicate more effectively with people around the world and ethnic populations in the US. Here are some steps you can take to localize your website:
1- Choose your target market and audience – Analyze the potential of different markets and cultural backgrounds that you would like to expand your business in and list the languages you plan to localize for.
2- Internationalize your website – Ask your website developer to apply Unicode, flexible layouts, and global-friendly elements and colors before you localize your site.
3- Translate your content – Research the culture in every country you plan to target, as well as the cultures of your current audience, and make your translated and localized content easily understandable.
4- Adapt your images, videos, and multimedia – Make sure they are appropriate and relevant for your target audiences. Using local images and videos is more effective.
5- Optimize for search engines – Optimize your website for international search engines, so that it can be easily found by your target audience
6- Adapt your user interface and functionality – Update your website’s user interface to match local standards and formats. This includes proper currency, number and text formatting, date and time format, and more.
7- Test and monitor – Frequently check on your website’s functionality and analytics to ensure that it is functioning properly and providing a great user experience
Website Localization Services Offered by Bromberg & Associates
Localizing websites can help expand businesses to different markets, boost engagement, generate higher revenue, and build lasting relationships with clients. Optimize your website for different markets and cultural backgrounds with Bromberg & Associates. Our qualified team of experts, with over decades of cumulative experience, is ready to help!