5 Best Practices in Localization of Web Content

There is a growing demand for the localization of web content these days. Suppose we want to localize the web content in the best possible manner. In that case, we first need to understand why there is a high demand for localization of web content when we call English the globally accepted business language.

Statistic says that not more than 5% of the world population speaks English and with time this percentage is not increasing, it is on downside trend. Furthermore, the use of the web is not limited to business purposes. Internet and web content are the answer to the daily needs of individuals and businesses around the world. Creating local web content for different regions may be a costly affair in such an environment, and mere translation of web content in the local environment may be a momentary solution.

When we look at the website, we do not just read the text, but everything counts, including text, fonts, pictures, etc. Hence, localization of web content is not a mere translation but involves deep study of local culture and then localizing all aspects of the content. When you think of the localization of a website, you are targeting that local market, so everything on the web should relate to and catch local people’s attention. Same is the case with multilingual mobile app localization services, wherein a mobile app is being localized/translated.

The translation agency and your IT team should prepare for massive changes to occur when localizing your existing website’s content. Let’s read out the best five practices we should in the localization of web content.

• Designing or Modifications for Multilingual Compatible Website

The first consideration when you think of localization is to make your IT Team understand the process. IT team should be prepared to accommodate multiple coding combinations required in localizing the website in various languages. It will include the text language and the placement of different visual effects in a different culture.

Even the translation of the text can require significant coding changes and reframing content placement on the website. For instance, a six-letter word in English can be 12-15 letters in French or German. This way, translation itself needs major repositioning of text only. Try to engage a professional translation/web localization agency in the designing process itself, so the IT team is prepared for the range of flexibility they need later.

• Keep Your Website Easy to Update

Ask your IT Team or web developers to design a website that is easy to update in the future. Any website needs regular updates, but it becomes more critical in the case of a multilingual website. A minor update in any one region would need accommodating the changes on the website in the future. Prepare for future changes in advance.

• Prepare to Accommodate Maximum Special Characters

There are different special characters in all the languages. If you google the list of special characters, you will find a long list of characters. When you are targeting multiple languages, consider an extensive database of fonts needed in your storage. Accordingly, organizations translate web content and escape the maximum possible special characters to save storage. But things will change when local users put their feedback comments or queries on the website using their local language.

Therefore, when you have collaborated with a professional website translation agency, they will never suggest such shortcuts, so always go with the field experts. 

• Cultural Assessment

Before translating the content, we must review every element of the website. It includes font type, picture, or visuals displayed on the web. Once this assessment gets done, decide what factors are essential to localize to achieve the best result. It is the best practice that many translation agencies follow to localize a website successfully. This assessment reflects the command of translation agency on the culture of that region.

• Website Testing and Accuracy Assessment

Website testing is essential to get the best result from the localization of the web content. Once you prepare the website’s layout with the required translation, you should run a cultural and accuracy assessment of each section on the website minutely, including the visual effects. It is essential to run this check with some local people to ensure that the website looks appealing in that region.

Epilogue

There are many points to be admitted and taken care of while localizing the website, which can make this write-up long to read. The only solution for this is to hire experts and experienced professionals in the field. The experts ensure that all critical aspects are taken care of in successfully localizing the web content in a budget-friendly amount.

If you are looking for a premium translation agency in India for localizing your website, then you can rightly land up at languagenobar.com. We collaborate with tested and experienced translators upskilled as cultural analysts who help you precisely localize web content.

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