The terms localization and internationalization are often confusing for those who are new to overseas markets. If you are thinking of expanding your company globally, both are critical. Read on to learn more about the concepts and how they are important to your business, even if you don’t currently have plans for global expansion.
What Is Localization?
When you localize a product such as software, an application or web content, you alter it so that it fits naturally within a particular culture. This involves translating the content into different languages, but that’s only one aspect — you also need see to dozens of subtle differences between the original culture and the target. For example, you must convert dates and times into the correct format, ensure that any images you have are culturally appropriate, and check that all content is relevant to the country you are targeting. This usually involves an extensive, up-to-date knowledge of both cultures, which is why hiring a professional to provide your localization services is critical.
What Is Internationalization?
This term refers to the process of creating a product, application or content that is adaptable for varying cultures. Think of it as an all-purpose solution that is easily alterable when you need to localize for a specific country. You only need to internationalize a product — such as a piece of software, for example — once, at which point you can localize it multiple times for as many cultures as you need to appeal to. Internationalization requires computing professionals to write and design applications and software products in a way that they can be used with various languages, currency, time zones, date formats and other factors without having to perform major overhauls. And while localization requires extensive knowledge of two languages and cultures, internationalization requires in-depth knowledge of all of them, as well as the localization process itself.
Details to Consider
Trying to localize content on your own can be overwhelming. That’s because most countries have more differences than just language and weather. You might be surprised to find that everything from standard paper sizes and phone number formats to postal codes and battery sizes are different from one country to another. Of course, different countries also use different measurement systems, voltage standards and have different local holidays. Then you must also consider the religious differences, superstitions and color symbolism for each country. Being aware of all the differences can be difficult when you are localizing for just one country, so localizing for several can seem impossible, especially when you have time constraints. Of course, failing to localize is not an option if you want to appeal to multiple target markets around the world.
When you’re ready to begin overseas expansion, consult with a professional localization and translation service. Verbatim Solutions offers an entire suite of professional services designed to help you take your venture to new markets. Contact them today for all of your internationalization and localization needs.
