• Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

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Things to Consider When Localizing Your Application

It is a known fact that apps, especially on phones, has been a lucrative industry and it does not seem to be going away in the near future. Just ask Instagram and Snapchat, although, the former was later bought by Facebook. Regardless, that is another way to earn money.

One thing that these two have in common is that they are applications that has integrated itself seamlessly in every country, and that can only be made possible through professional website localization for apps and webs because, at the end of the day, applications are just like businesses. The only difference is, they create the illusion that they are not simply by appealing to the more fun nature of the individual.

In order to do it correctly, there are certain things that you might want to keep in mind.

  1. Never Auto Translate

This is always a bad idea. What normally happens is that when you use translators on the internet, there is a higher possibility that you will end up translating word for word without having the right context in place, and this could lead to bad publicity as this can be taken out of context.

  1. Consider Your Layout

When designing the layout of your application for another country, there are two things that need to be taken into consideration – the arrangement of the text or images, and the space it occupies.

If you do not know yet, some cultures read from right to left rather than the opposite which is common in the English language. That is why, it should be taken into strong consideration to know how the locales read.

Moreover, you also need to adjust the space required for the text because in some languages, certain English words can be longer or shorter. To adjust the space used is necessary to avoid making the layout awkward, and also, this gives the impression that it was made for them which is a huge marketing strategy in itself nowadays.

  1. Be Mindful of the Small Details

Localization of your application is a huge undertaking. Imagine overhauling an entire system to fit one culture, and then, you have to do that for several other locations. As a result, you might end up overlooking the tiniest detail.

Small things such as ‘Ok’ or ‘Cancel’ should be properly labelled because in spite being universally understood by many, it cannot compare to having it in one’s own language. It shows that the developers care.

  1. Cultural Difference with Symbols

What you thought is a universally understood gesture might not be universal at all. For example, in Australia, a thumbs up is considered to be rude, and in Japan it is used to portray the number five.

Again, context. It is very important.

To experts, developing an app is easy. It is the distribution to other countries that is not. Apps are commonly available in every country as soon as it is on the app stores, and to ensure success, you want it to be as appropriate to every country as soon as it is released. There might be room for error but try not to have one.

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