So, your brand is doing great in the UK market. And after thorough market research, you think Asia is another potential market. How would you proceed?
Expanding into a new market can look and sound like a simple task – translate the website, make changes in a few product pages, launch targeted marketing campaigns, and reach new customers. But global growth does not grow like this.
To make a brand connect with the customer, the communication must reflect their culture, preferences, habits, and expectations. What works perfectly in one country can feel confusing or irrelevant in another.
That’s why successful international businesses do not just translate the content; they follow a localization strategy.
What is a localization strategy?
The localization strategy is a systematic approach to help businesses adjust their products, services, content, and overall user experience for specific target markets.
Localization is not just language translation; it changes cultural references, images, currency, date format, payment methods, legal requirements, and even marketing messages to fit in the local market.
The objective is clear: make customers feel like the product was created specifically for them.
Localization strategy vs translation strategy
Both terms may sound confusing, but localization and translation are not the same thing.
Translation mainly converts content from one language to another, ensuring accuracy and meaning. Whereas localization has a slightly broader meaning. It takes into account the cultural, user expectations, regional regulations, and overall customer experience.
In short, translation is one part of localization, but localization covers the entire market adaptation process.
Core components of a localization strategy
An efficient localization strategy typically includes the following important elements:
- Language adaptation and translation
- Cultural customization
- Local market research
- Product and website localization
- Regulatory and legal compliance
- Customer support localization
- Quality assurance and testing
- Technology and workflow management
How to Build a Localization Strategy Step by Step
For an effective reach and engagement in any new market, it is important to follow a structured step-by-step roadmap for the desired result.
Below are the strategic steps you need to follow to implement a successful localisation plan.
Step 1 – Market research and target audience
Research is the first and most important step when you want to enter a new market.
Learning about the target market, the culture, language, and how the customer makes purchases is a very important part of localisation. This information gives valuable insights about customer behavior, cultural expectations, local competitors, and market trends.
The more research you do on the market and the audience, the easier it becomes to create content and experiences to make it look organic.
Step 2 – Content and product prioritization
Once you are aware of the market, you will be in a better position to plan your content. You might have to recreate a few content pieces, or you may use a certain material as it is.
List down the types of content requirements and recreate them for local audiences. It may include:
- Product pages
- Landing pages
- Mobile applications
- Marketing campaigns
- Customer support resources
- User onboarding materials
Step 3 – Budget allocation and team structure
You need to invest both financial and human resources in the localization process. Identify where you need to put in funds and the team you need to get the job executed.
Step 4 – Technology and tools (TMS, CMS)
New market, new language may call for new tools and technology. Besides, having updated technology can help you enter the market faster.
You can check out the Translation Management System (TMS) to manage multilingual content, automate workflows, and maintain consistency across projects. Additionally, a Content Management System (CMS) can allow teams to publish and update localized content quickly.
The right technology will reduce manual repeatative task and improve localization speed.
Step 5 – KPIs and measuring success
Define your goals with a proper timeline. Establish measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as:
- Revenue growth by region
- Website traffic from target markets
- Conversion rates
- Localization turnaround time
- User engagement metrics
These metrics can help you optimize the strategy and improve future planning.
Common localization mistakes to avoid
Even the most experienced companies can make localization mistakes. Some of the most common localization mistakes include:
- Treating localization as simple translation
- Ignoring cultural differences
- Failing to do thorough market research
- Localizing everything at once without prioritization
- Overlooking legal and compliance requirements
- Using inconsistent terminology
- Neglecting quality testing
Measuring Success of Localization Strategy
Once your strategy is in place and executed efficiently, it is important to measure its success against the KPIs.
Check for sales growth, customer retention, engagement and feedback. You can say your strategy was efficient if the following objectives are achieved.
- Increased customer trust
- Higher conversions
- Better user experiences
- Greater brand awareness
Localization is a continuous process and must be adapted to the changing times and demand.
FAQs
What should a localization strategy include?
An efficient localization strategy can include market research, language adaptation, cultural customization, technology tools, workflow management, quality assurance processes, budgeting and performance measurement.
How is the localization strategy different from translation?
Translation is the process of converting text from one language to another. Localization is the adaptation of content, products and experiences to meet the cultural, regional and market-specific expectations.
Why does a company need a localization strategy?
Localization strategy helps companies to reach international customers, enhance user experience, increase conversions, build trust in the brand, and succeed in new markets.
How do you create a localization strategy?
First, conduct market research, decide which content and products will be prioritized, allocate resources, use localization tools, set up workflows and KPIs to measure success.
Which markets should be localized first?
Companies should focus on markets with high potential for growth, strong customer demand, favorable business conditions and clear paths to revenue growth.
Who owns the localization strategy in a company?
Ownership depends on the organization. Often it is owned by localization managers, global marketing teams, product teams or international expansion leaders.
What tools are used in a localization strategy?
Some of the most popular localization tools are: Translation Management Systems (TMS), Content Management Systems (CMS), Translation memory software, Terminology management tools, Quality assurance platforms, and AI-powered solutions for translation
