Website localization and translation services are often confused with one another, but there are key differences between these two useful marketing tools. An understanding of those differences will help you extend the reach of your website more efficiently and profitably.
Localization vs. translation: what’s the difference?
Translation is the process of changing your text into another language, but localization is more than just translation. It encompasses the cultural, visual and technological aspects of adapting a site for users in different languages. In fact, translation can be considered just one part of the localization process.
Website Translation
Translations are the process of changing original content from one language to another. For your website, this means that a translation project will only change the existing content on your site for accurate sentences in another language. Translated content should mirror the style and tone of your source content, while keeping in mind the context.
Website Localization
The process of adapting your web content and applications for consumption in a specific region is called website localization. It goes beyond translation, modifying the content and other site elements to appeal to the customer’s cultural preferences in their own language.
Localization projects can change the tone of your content and modify idioms or expressions to take cultural differences into account. They might also need to change the length of words and phrases in order to accommodate different word and phrase lengths in other languages. A few technological changes may make it easier for international visitors to navigate your site.
Why is Website Localization Important?
If a website’s original language is translated without professional editing, potential problems can arise. For example, if a machine translates a website and that translation isn’t edited by an expert, the new language may lack the cultural and technical nuances needed to resonate with the new market.
As a result, the quality and effectiveness of a global website doesn’t solely depend on translation. To help ensure a quality customer experience, top global brands employ localization strategies to adapt their online assets for regional specificity. On the other hand, we can view website translation as a simple utility for bridging language barriers. In contrast, we can consider localization as the way by which you refine your message to meet the cultural, functional and language expectations of your global markets.
Bottom Line
Reaching a multilingual audience may be challenging, and you need to have proper strategies, resources, and research in place. Website localization is a great step you can take to reach a global audience. That’s where GloballyBiz can help. Globallybiz translates your website in any language, in just minutes. We help your business increase your conversion rate and ensure that no customer feels left out and unable to use it.
Our new Website Localization System is a simpler, faster, and better way to translate website strings in context. It seamlessly integrates with your site and is compatible with all content management systems.
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