Many customers, despite being in a global economy, are only interested in what happens in their countries or only in their cities. This is a big mistake because brands must be in contact with consumers in their territories. This also means knowing the languages, cultures and traditions of the people of the countries you intend to do business with. Localization increases the customer experience and allows you to expand the international visibility of your brand. This gives your company the opportunity to reach out to a new group of consumers and the following 5 tips will help you to improve your Localization Strategy helping you to earn more Money with your Business.
If you want to be a true localization expert, your company needs to work to adapt your business and marketing to the culture of your target markets. What are the weaknesses experienced by your customers? What alternatives to your product or service in each market are there and how are they presented? What local subculture does your company belong to? Knowledge of this information is of paramount importance to incorporate it into your localization strategy.
In 2013 Coca Cola started the famous campaign “Share a Coke”. A campaign that enchanted the public and in replacement of the classic Coca Cola logo on the label of the bottles contained a simple phrase: “Share a Coca Cola with John”. But they were not only for people named John, but also aimed at people with different names such as Fred, Mike or Jenny. Each Coca Cola label has a different name. This has to do directly with people. A good example of their localization is what they did in Italy, adding names like Paolo and Riccardo. A shining example of localization is what they did with their campaign in China. Let’s see how.
It is not respectful in China to address a person by name as is usually done in all European and non-European countries. Normally he will address a Chinese person with his surname and then with honorary titles. But the whole campaign was based on a direct and personal relationship. Instead of names, they used terms like “close friend” and “classmate”. This has been a fantastic way to overcome cultural boundaries and simultaneously remain faithful to a marketing campaign.
When entering a new market, companies often make a mistake in believing that their prices should be the same as those of their domestic market. At first, such companies always have difficulties because existing local competitors can offer more attractive prices. It is therefore possible to orient oneself with new product packaging or by lowering and raising prices in particular markets where supply and demand allow it. Taking into account the differences in each market you enter and adapting the bids accordingly in this case can be a winning strategy. Many advertisement firms and agencies worldwide carried out researches that underline this data.
There is much more to be done on localization than just translating the contents of a website. In fact, several technical aspects have to be considered, such as font size, website layout and design. The consumer will be looking for information when he finds your content, but it is essential to present it in a natural, familiar and fluid way.
For example, when you launch a localized website for the Chinese market although the content has been carefully designed, you make the mistake of using the same style and layout as a recently launched English website. However, since Chinese characters must be larger than English characters for readability reasons, the text mostly extends over the menu bar of the layout, which makes the content unreadable and this may confuse potential Chinese language and culture customers. If translation technology provides translators with translation tools that include a visual preview of your website during translation, it’s easy to see where on the page it needs to be changed to suit different languages
Not including application development in your localization strategy can greatly compromise your potential for expansion, especially in markets where mobile growth is booming, such as in the Middle East or in China. Of particular importance is the creation of localised content for applications, as they represent a unique opportunity for growth. Research has shown that having apps located individually for each market can significantly increase the conversion. Translating content for your browser website is certainly a very important aspect of your localization strategy, but it is also important to create content on mobile platforms, including applications for smartphones or tablets.
Not including application development in your localization strategy can greatly compromise your potential for expansion, especially in markets where mobile growth is booming, such as in the Middle East or in China. Of particular importance is the creation of localised content for applications, as they represent a unique opportunity for growth. Research has shown that having apps located individually for each market can significantly increase the conversion. Translating content for your browser website is certainly a very important aspect of your localization strategy, but it is also important to create content on mobile platforms, including applications for smartphones or tablets. It is important to remember the trends of social networks in individual markets. Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter are widespread on a global scale, but local networks should be used if necessary.
Translation software helps you turn your business into a successful international company. Include these techniques in your localization strategy and you will become a company on the road to international expansion. To ensure the continued success of your company, localization is essential: that is, knowledge and adaptation to the culture of each target market, going beyond the simple translation of words.
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