Definition and characteristics of localization
Localization comes from the term “locale”, which refers to the typical set of characteristics of people from a region who speak a language and share a series of cultural conventions, that is, a community of recipients who share, in addition to a linguistic variant, a series of values, rules, habits and conventions of a cultural, commercial, economic, technical, legal nature, among others. For example, Spanish from Spain and Spanish from LATAM are considered to be different locales in computing. Same language, different variant. Therefore, localization could be broadly understood as the process of adapting digital content and products, such as website or software localization, produced in one locale to another.
Regarding website localization, it arose from adapting software localization processes to the particularities of the text on the Internet. So, if it arose from a necessity, what is the purpose of this type of localization? According to LISA, localization must go beyond language issues and solve problems related to content, aspect and sentiment in order to create a product that does not seem to be localized, but rather created in the language itself.
To achieve this, there are several steps involved in setting up the product or website so that it can be found:
- Internationalization: technical phase in localization preparation.
- Globalization: global foundation dealing with business organizational aspects.
- Localization: phase in which the translation process is included.
Stages in the website localization phase
The process of localizing website content usually consists of the following steps:
- Extract the file family from the site where the website is hosted.
- Evaluate the localizable content with the help of computer tools or CAT. If localization is going to take place in a tool in the customer’s cloud, you can skip to step 7.
- Perform a pseudo-localisation, that is, to localize part of the content to check that the translation is displayed correctly.
- Translate the text content, as well as the website meta-texts, interactive elements, graphics and images.
- Review the orthotypography and style of the localized content.
- Organize the localized content in a folder structure identical to that of the original content.
- Review the translation of the localized elements again.
- Perform a linguistic and cosmetic testing. The former is the review of translated elements in context, while the latter is the review of the user interface.
- Deliver it to the client.
- Enjoy your content in Spanish!
Elements that need to be localized in a website
As we can see, a website has many more elements besides text. Adapting a text to a culture goes far beyond the text itself; we must translate a sense of belonging. These are some of the elements that need to be localized, among others:
- Textual elements: paragraphs or the title of the website.
- Formatting elements: dates or currencies.
- Meta-text elements: keywords or description of the web page.
- Interactive elements: hyperlinks or buttons.
- Graphic elements: videos or images with embedded text, alternative text or adaptation to cultural conventions.
- Accessible elements: audio description, button descriptions and website navigation.
On many occasions, we do not stop to think about the target audience of the website and the importance of respecting their cultural conventions. If we don’t, we could be digging our own grave. For example, do you think a brand that sells women’s underwear can show the same type of images to its audience in Europe and Saudi Arabia? We already know the answer: if it does so, it would be making a huge mistake.
Tools to localize web content
There are tools that help us localize websites much more easily. Above all, they are useful for getting rid of background noise and allowing us to focus on the content we really need to localize. To localize a website, you can use:
- Text editors (basic and advanced)
They can be used as extra tools for checking or making minor adjustments to text or computer code, provided that you have a basic knowledge of the syntax of markup languages. - Office and desktop publishing apps
Their use is generally inadvisable unless they are professional tools that guarantee code integrity and the user knows perfectly how to use them. - CAT tools
They manage the distinction between labels and text, making them highly recommended because users can get the most out of this type of tool (alignment, reuse of repetitions and matches, contextual searches, analysis and mass processing of files, automated pre-translation, etc.). In addition, they often have the option of previewing the translation. - Website translation tools
They stand out for their ease of use, they satisfactorily meet the needs of small projects carried out by freelance professionals and they are ideal tools for getting started in website localization.
In a nutshell
Localization came to stay. In this world, where everything is interconnected and markets are expanding their borders at breakneck speed, it is important to take care of your audience and let them know that you care about each and every one of them. If you are thinking about opening yourself up to new horizons and want your audience to feel at home when they hear your brand’s voice, do not hesitate to seek a professional to guide you through the process. You can tell me what project you have in mind and we’ll get started in the blink of an eye.