Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid in Localization

If you’re reading this blog, you probably know what localization is and how it can help any business with its digital marketing strategy. It will provide you with better customer service, help you obtain increased awareness, and, of course, bring in more cash for your company. However, we have discovered that many companies make serious errors in their translation appraisals. As a result, we decided to discuss these issues in this essay. Read it attentively and steer clear of them in your approach. Let’s now focus on the ‘DON’Ts’ you should avoid if you want to keep your e-commerce business going.

1. Poor Translation Quality

This is the first blunder you must avoid when availing of localization service at all costs. Nowadays, many businesses are easily turned away when they locate a translation company that offers services at a lower rate. Companies frequently use AI technologies or Google Translate; nonetheless, there are certain drawbacks. AI cannot comprehend language context, idioms, or minor geographical distinctions. This frequently results in serious grammatical errors and even formatting errors. To avoid all of this, you must choose a reputable provider. We advocate engaging expert translators or language service providers rather than using free translation software for literal, word-for-word translation.

2. Not taking into consideration varied language lengths

Don’t presume that all languages are as succinct as English when opting for localization companies. Compared to other languages, such as German or Finnish, the English text is generally quite compact. Therefore, translations can vary greatly in length and density. When strings overlap with other controls in the UI, you’ll need to make adjustments after translation if you don’t plan ahead.

3. Missing out on the minute details

It is not so simple to localize. True success takes a lot of attention, especially to the smallest aspects. Linguistic and localization testing must be performed properly to provide the best localization campaign. The translated website must operate well across many devices and browsers in different regions. And that there are no faults in your content or the little aspects. As a result, you can provide a consistent user experience in any market where you do business. This entails creating a website that appears to have been designed just for your target demographic. Not a sloppy or incomplete translation of the original.

4. Loss of product titles during translation

Customers want to feel as though your things were designed specifically for them. To accomplish so, you must be extremely detail-oriented and recognize that product titles that work well in one location may not sell or even be understood in another. Modifying your product titles such that they inform your overseas consumers that you are in the business of fixing their particular industry difficulties while being stylistically consistent with your source title is critical.”

5. Not including localized payment methods

If you are localizing your website, you must do so correctly. At the moment, technology is advancing rapidly, which means that new localized payment methods are emerging daily. While certain payment systems, such as credit cards, are worldwide, there are significant geographical disparities in how consumers pay for goods. According to Statista, credit and debit cards will account for more than half of the market in North and South America by 2020. However, in Asia-Pacific, wallet-based transactions account for more than half of all online transactions. You must do due diligence on the leading payment options. People will find buying goods or services from your firm simpler if you accept local payment options.

When you start testing for localization early and frequently, you may save yourself a lot of hassle in the long run. For the translated version of your product, you can employ automated tests of test translation files and character encoding. Always test your changes for code mistakes, syntax, capitalization, consistency, and localizability concerns. Having localization in mind when developing the original program greatly simplifies the localization process. If you avoid these frequent problems and adhere to the best practices outlined in this article, your website should be fully localizable, allowing you to expand into the foreign market.