Localization Services

The growth in digital channels has fueled an unprecedented demand for customer communications and localization tailored to individual preferences, no matter what language the person speaks. If your organization offers services or products relevant to U.S. audiences with limited English proficiency (LEP), our localization services are designed for you. 

What’s your localization strategy?

Successful localization services strategize more than just translation. It also involves the complex process of adapting your website, software, documentation, and other media in a multitude of ways to communicate more effectively with target audiences who speak foreign languages and come from different cultural backgrounds. Don’t miss out by not localizing content, which risks opportunity cost. 

We have more than 25 years of experience working with LEP populations in multiple business sectors, including government, healthcare, education, and more. Our localization services can help you: 

• Form deeper relationships with your audiences 
• Create new opportunities in foreign-language markets 
• Increase customer confidence and trust 
• Establish a reputation as a culturally sensitive organization 
• Assure you meet language-related regulatory mandates 
• Balance your technology needs with your budget and internal resources. 

Localization Services Made to be Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate. 

Localizing your content can help your organization to effectively reach new audiences. When you start a localization project, the many different aspects of your content that are adjusted allow your target audience to feel like your content was originally made for their language and culture. There are many ways that you can ensure your project goes smoothly, but if you don’t follow the best practices for localization you’ll find the project to be more challenging to complete. If you want a simple, easy process – you should absolutely avoid doing these things!

The Localization Process: How Localization Services Develop

When beginning a localization project, you must involve a variety of steps in order to ensure the messaging is reaching your audience with meaning. Beyond translations, there is consideration of graphics, colors, fonts, and other content elements to help effectively communicate your brand. This process as a whole is where localization comes in to adapt your product into a specific locale or market.

1. Researching for Localization SERVICES

During this phase, you will work closely with your language service provider to identify target audiences and their needs. A detailed research dive will go into the culture of the target audience, and all information helpful to create messaging that will effectively resonate with them. During this step, formatting like dates, graphics, time, fonts, and more will be defined.

2. Translations

After the research step, your content will be ready for the translation process. It’s important to be confident that you know what language and dialect your target audience speaks. Many languages have nuances that are critical to specific immigrant groups. For example, Traditional vs. Simplified Chinese are not used interchangeable, so understanding your audiences needs very specifically is a vital piece of information for accurate messaging. Your LSP will translate the content into the target language(s), and make sure that you have enough time to review it for edits before going into the next localization steps.

3. Localizing Graphics

Graphics and imagery play a huge role in comprehension and messaging. For this reason, they should also be localized for a culturally and linguistically appropriate messaging. During this phase the text, images, colors, and other visual elements will be considered as needed. For example, if your logo includes a tagline or text, the language will need to undergo localization to read as if it was written in the target language – better reaching your target markets from the beginning.

4. Design and Formatting

After graphics and translations, the content will need to be designed and re-formatted. Text is checked to ensure that spacing, text direction, white space, headers, and more are all accurate displaying. When language undergoes translations, sometimes it expands the text width, other times is limits text width. Some languages text go in different directions, and sizing can end up mismatched. This is a crucial step in the localization process to ensure the target document reads, looks, and feels as if it was written in the target language.

5. Localizing to Local Units

Before publishing, the LSP will make sure that the units have all been converted to local specifications. The dates, measurements, times, and more will be localized so that the audience will have a better understanding of the messaging. Different locales use different units, and when messaging isn’t localized into the local unit it can make messaging impact confusing for the reader.

6. Legal Requirements

Lastly, your LSP will check that all content meets the local legal requirements. International regulations might dictate the content, and by partnering with your LSP you can better ensure through their expertise that once your content is published it is accurate and in regulatory compliance.

Website Localization

Localization is a key factor for competing and succeeding in today’s marketplace — both in the United States and internationally. Businesses who don’t localize are in real danger of losing profits and market share as consumers choose to patronize the localized websites of their competitors. By localizing your website to reach non-English-speaking U.S. and international markets, you are leveraging your ability to capture an entirely new group of consumers – people who are eager to learn about and purchase your products and services.

International Markets – an exciting opportunity for U.S.-based businessesToday’s advanced Internet technology means that consumers and potential prospects in Latin America and overseas are just a mouse-click away. Exporting goods and services to these markets has never been easier – or more lucrative. However, adapting your website to meet local linguistic, graphic, technical, and cultural norms is an important part of tapping into these markets. Website localization is a smart business strategy that will pay off now and in the future as you build and nurture an international presence. LISA, the Localization Industry Standards Association, estimates that companies are receiving approximately $25 of additional revenue for every $1 spent on localization.