Expanding into international markets can be an excellent way for brands to reach new audiences, but it needs to be done correctly through website localization. Website localization is the practice of adapting and modifying a website to fit a target audience’s culture, language, and expectations.
Some brands may think this is as simple as just translating the text, but there is more to website localization than just translation. Fortunately, website localization is not an insurmountable task.
With the right approach and understanding, brands can ensure their website lands the right way with a new audience the first time around, instilling a sense of confidence and determination in their global expansion efforts.
Let’s look more closely at website localization and how to implement it properly.
The Importance of Creating a Local Website
Creating a local website is more important than some brands may think. In fact, according to CSA Research, 65% of consumers prefer content in their own language. Moreover, 40% won’t even buy in other languages.
So, without a properly localized website, brands may be missing out on nearly half of their target audience. Realistically, launching into an international market can be costly, and without capitalizing on the whole audience, it could end up at a loss.
Factors to Consider in Local Website Design
When deciding to create a local website design for varying audiences, there are several factors to consider. These include the following.
- Localization vs translation: Website localization and translation are not the same thing. Translation is certainly a part of localization, but it is not the whole process. Translation is the process of transferring one word or phrase into another language. However, there is a lot of nuance that goes into translation. Some words and phrases may not have direct translations into another language. This can lead to text that doesn’t make sense in a different market.
- Imagery: Imagery is another important consideration in local website design. After all, every culture is different. One image may be fine in the United States but repulsive in another country. Localization of websites must also include a thorough review of imagery.
- Slogans and phrases: As mentioned above, slogans and translations may not come across correctly in different languages. So, the website localization process should ensure that these are shifted or adjusted to communicate the right message.
The overall idea is to adapt the website to the expectations and views of the local culture. This can be an involved process, but it is well worth it to truly connect with the new audience.
Web Localization Best Practices
Now that we’ve discussed some factors to consider in website localization, let’s look at some best practices. Following these points should help any brand smoothly localize its website to any new audience.
Localization Strategy
Before beginning localization, brands should put together a localization strategy. This includes determining whether the product can be taken right to the new market without adaptation, pricing changes, goals for expansion, timeline, budget, web localization tools, and a team to complete the process.
Invest in a Multilingual Website and Store
For brands that sell any form of product or service directly through their website, a multilingual store is a must. The right multilingual store software, like Ecwid, makes it easy to localize the store immediately. This ensures that all text and currency will be translated into the local language to allow local audiences to make informed purchases.
Conduct a Thorough Website Analysis
If a brand never designed its website with a multilingual future in mind, it may be necessary to conduct an audit.
Determine areas of the website that cannot be automatically localized. For instance, images with text must be redesigned in the local language.
A good practice for this situation is to avoid putting text directly into images, as it can then be easily translated into the local language without redesign.
Consider the Local Culture
One of the most vital factors in website localization is considering the local culture of the people who will be seeing the website. Every culture has its differences, and these need to be considered to achieve the best success.
For instance, many English websites use an informal tone in their website copy or marketing. However, this may come off as rude or inappropriate in some cultures, like Japan or France.
Holiday Promotions
Remember, not every culture celebrates the same holidays or events. For example, trying to run a Christmas promotion in the United Arab Emirate may not land the way a brand hopes because the audience isn’t expecting it or visiting the website to see if there are deals at that time.
Instead, try to run promotions centered around the target audience’s holidays and celebrations.
Consider Legal Requirements and Regulations
This step is incredibly vital to localizing a website. Every country can have varying legal regulations when it comes to websites and businesses. This could include factors like data collection, privacy, fees, and more. Brands must ensure they are in line with local regulations to avoid any issues.
Localized SEO
For a brand to truly reach its new target audience, it needs to consider local SEO points as well. Those in the new area may be searching for different terms or phrases than those in the brand’s home country. Most terms will likely be similar, just in the new language.
However, it doesn’t hurt to do some additional keyword research to see if there is anything that should be added.
Keep Text Concise and Easy to Read
Brands can make localization much easier on themselves by keeping text relatively concise and clear to read, especially when expanding to multiple international markets.
This makes it much easier to localize across the board rather than worrying about walls of text that may not be translated correctly.
Internationalization
Internationalization essentially means separating the text from the source code. This allows the website to be translated without needing any
It also includes encoding the website using Unicode
UI and UX
When localizing a website, the local preferences and readability must be taken into account as well. This includes reviewing the layout, color scheme, and formatting.
Testing and QA
Once the localization process has been completed comes the test and quality assurance phase. After all, it needs to be verified that everything is working correctly before launching it to a whole new audience.
The goals of testing include ensuring correct translations, hardware compatibility, no technical issues, working links and payment processing, and proper layout. In other words, ensuring the site works just like it does in the home country.
Market Research and Marketing
Brands need to remember that this is an entirely different market, which means the normal strategies may not be as effective. Before launching in a new country, thorough market research should be done. Not only will this help to properly localize the website, but it will also help market the site more effectively.
Launching to a new audience is virtually the same as when the brand initially launched. The brand needs to find out what makes the new audience tick, their interests, purchase habits, buttons, and more. This will help to ensure that the new launch is a success.
Don’t Skimp on the Localization Process
At the end of the day, launching into a new global market can be an incredible opportunity for brands to reach a new audience. However, when done incorrectly, it can be a significant headache and not deliver the returns that were anticipated.
So, putting time into the details and process of localization can help ensure a smooth launch and the best impact on the new audience. Otherwise, brands may find that people are not buying or simply turning away from the website.
Ecommerce Website Localization
Do you own an ecommerce store that you are looking to localize into a different area?
Then, Ecwid is here to help. The Ecwid multilingual store makes it easy to transfer your store to virtually any area of the world. In fact, your store can be localized, not just translated, into 36 different languages. This allows you to expand your products to new audiences all across the globe.
