Give Your Product Global Reach
The technology and connectivity available today gives companies limitless opportunities to become relevant and competitive in the global market. More and more commonly, companies are outsourcing translation and localization of their software, websites, mobile applications and other technical content in order to expand their international footprint. As technology continues to rapidly advance, so does the need for expertise in the specific technology and also in the language native to the market you are planning to enter.
Translation of your company’s software, applications and other technical branding into the native language of that market is critical, however, the localization process also involves adapting the product to the new international market for cultural relevancy.
Why is Localization Critical?
You have become an expert at conducting business in the United States and now you’re ready to take things to the next level. It should be fairly simple to have your software or mobile applications translated into whatever language is appropriate for your next target market, right? Well, sure. However, that is only part of the story. Each country has their own way of doing business – formal, relaxed, strict, spontaneous, etc. Whatever your current business culture is, it may not align so easily in another country. In the worst-case scenario, your brand could be viewed as unprofessional or impossible to understand. This does not help you reach your goal of becoming competitive in that new market and could possibly tarnish the way your brand is perceived before you even had a chance to begin.
Important Localization Considerations
There are so many nuances between cultures that only an expert native in both the language and culture along with the specific technology for your product would be able to successfully reposition your brand in the new market. Some critical areas of consideration for localization of software, mobile applications or other technical products are:
- Localizing Layout and Site Navigation – Translation often impacts layout requiring more or less room and considerations for right to left, top to bottom and which pages are available are critical when localizing software and mobile applications.
- Adapting Pictures to the Audience – Cultural messages can be particularly misconstrued or understood in pictures. Unknowingly or intentionally portraying negative connotations, humor, irritating or offending viewers in new markets must be strongly considered. Images should be carefully reviewed and potentially replaced based on each new market.
- Localizing Symbols – Symbols, like pictures, can cause unforeseen issues with localization. Western symbols can mean different things to each international audience and the messages they convey in each target international market are potentially serious. Fingers, houses and animals often need to be modified. Other issues result from more obvious areas such as time and date display, units of measurement, currency, numbering systems, fonts and more. Symbols are a critical component of localization of software and mobile applications.
- Adapting Colors to Cultures – Proper color choices can also have an impact on the user acceptance and avoid hidden meaning for software or mobile application products in other countries. Avoiding subtle and no-so-subtle meanings are important considerations.
- Brand Names – How the brand name of a software product translates into each country’s language and how it is interpreted by potential customers is important. The software or mobile application may require a new name for each international market.
Localizing software products for multiple international markets is highly complex and requires specialized expertize beyond traditional translation services. Alpha Omega Translations is uniquely positioned to provide the expertise necessary to manage software and other technical translation and localization projects. Alpha Omega can translate and localize your software into any major European, Asian, Middle Eastern, African, or Latin American language.
Whether your company is in the development stages of a software or mobile application product that will have global reach or simply entering the international market with an existing product securing expertise in translation and localization is vital to launch success in each new market. Alpha Omega Translations can provide specialized expertise to adapt software and mobile applications to launch in any market.
For more information on Alpha Omega’s software translation and localization services, visit https://alphaomegatranslations.com/professional-translation-services/document-translation-services/software-translation-and-localization/.