Do you know what localisation is? Do you understand what it could mean to your business? Localisation can make all the difference between information that people easily understand, appreciate and trust, which suits their location context perfectly, and information they find either confusing or impossible to grasp. It matters because people who ‘get’ your business are a lot more likely to buy from you than people who don’t!
What is localisation?
Localisation defines the process of adapting a product or piece of content to a specific location or market in every relevant way. Translation is actually a subset of localisation, with localisation requiring a lot more work. It isn’t just about translating content, it’s about adapting a collection of other customer-facing elements so they suit the location and culture of the audience.
Localisation involves completely changing the content so it speaks to a particular location. Here’s a very simple example. People in country or culture A might eat pancakes on a Tuesday, but people in location or culture B might frown upon eating pancakes on that particular day, or may not identify with it as a custom. You want to please both of them, so you need to localise your content accordingly.
Localising content means using the units of measurement people use in the region, displaying data like phone numbers in the way they’re familiar with, and making sure the currency is right. It can even involve addressing local laws, rules, regulations, and traditions. The end result will be seamless, localised content that delivers a familiar, attractive look and feel to the area’s audience.
Why is localisation important for global businesses?
As a global player you need to appeal to a broad range of different countries, cultures and people. Get it wrong and your sales in a region can easily plummet. Get it right and you may find you’re able to build a very powerful presence in a location far from your base, a brand people enjoy, trust, and feel safe around.
Where and how is localisation used?
Your website will need to be localised to suit different audience locations. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In a world where 75% of us are happier buying from businesses whose product information is in our own language, it’s also essential to localise all your collateral, including printed materials. That means training manuals, TV ads, product instructions and manuals, advertising and marketing materials, video scripts and visuals, customer service, chatbots and online help, user interfaces and guides, warranties and legal documents like Terms & Conditions and contracts.
What are the benefits of localisation?
Localising your online and offline content lets you expand into new territories and delight new audiences. It boosts your credibility and increases sales and also helps you build customer loyalty. No wonder a 2014 Common Sense Advisory survey found that 50% of senior executives said they think localisation leads to better profitability and growth.
· Localisation helps your business grow
· You’ll make more sales
· It breeds trust, credibility and respect in customers and prospects
· Your business will be properly sensitive to cultural differences, important in a joined-up global business landscape
· Your global presence will work a lot harder for you
· If you employ staff in another location, it helps improve their performance and helps you to reduce employee churn
How Dialogue can help with localisation
Have you localised your website and supporting collateral yet? If not, you should see an uplift when you do. We can help you get every single item in the right shape for an existing market in which you’re not doing as well as expected, and prepare you for the new markets you want to crack. Get in touch to ask questions or book your localisation project with us straight away.