Localization is massively complicated, and a lot can go wrong in the process. See how you can solve your biggest localization problems through some professional tools & tricks. (Special thanks to Kinneret Yifrah for pushing me to write this post! This was originally posted in the Hebrew Microcopy Blog). ‍ Think writing UX copy is difficult? Try managing content for multiple languages at the same time. Localizing a product into a new language is a massively complex process, with dozens of moving parts. With so many people, cultures, and considerations involved, it's no wonder companies find it a struggle. This issue is further complicated by the fact that the localization industry hasn't fully transitioned into a tech mindset yet. Practices and procedures product companies take for granted haven't seeped yet into localization agencies, creating a deep knowledge and communication gap. I spent more and more time over the past years consulting companies on localization - from small startups to large international corporations. And so many of the product, marketing, and content managers I've met described feeling helpless or powerless when trying to take control over their localization workflows. With such fast international growth over the past couple of years - COVID-19 definitely had a hand there - teams often feel like localization efforts are spiraling out of their control. The reason for this is that good workflows and practices take time to establish. You often need months - or even years - to create the background materials and process needed. Then there's the little issue of training your team and finding and retaining good linguists. But I didn't write this to get you down: I wrote this to help you grow. Don't forget - this is 2022. Cars do their own driving. Drones bring us food. There's no reason why tech can't help us get better localization results, too. So as the title states, this piece will cover 5 localization pitfalls - and the technological solutions you can use to overcome them. I'll be going over some of the key issues companies face when translating their incredible UX copy into other languages, and introduce you to some great software that can help. If you're working on localizing your app and need some more info on getting started, mark this post up for later, too: Getting started with app localization: A step-by-step guide. But first - what are localization tools, anyway? A couple of decades ago, people decided the old-timey way of doing translation is no longer effective enough. So they nixed Word documents and handwritten faxes (yes, that was a thing back in the day) for advanced tools meant to streamline translation. Obviously, those came a long way since - and these days we have tools to serve two goals: Tools to improve translation and localization (usually called CAT tools = computer-aided translation tools) Tools to manage translation and localization projects (usually called TMS tools = translation management systems) Today, we'll focus on the first category - CAT tools. Plenty of translation management systems integrate with CAT tools and are able to automate a lot of the technical tasks involved - so if you're struggling with many projects, maybe a combination of the two is the right path for you. CAT tools improve constantly, and they contain a multitude of features meant to help support translation and improve quality. At the end of this article, you can find a handy comparison chart with all major CAT tools available today. I've mostly focused on cloud solutions because life is too short for emailing files. Plus, in past years, cloud solutions have become the core of the industry. This means you can expect more innovative features and continuous updates using these vs. traditional system-installed software. 1. Keeping things in context I know you know this, but it's so important, I'm just going to write it again. Context is crucial. Send your linguist context. Keep a pink neon PostIt with the word 'context' on your screen and underline it 3 times. Without context, you may as well give up now and invest your time in improving your spider solitaire score. 'Context' is essentially all information you need your international writers to know so they can make good choices. When they don't have that information, they often tend to fill the gaps on their own. It's because of what I like to call an ego bias, though I'm sure there's a more professional psychological name for it. Essentially, when not given certain information, we avoid asking multiple questions so as not to make ourselves look bad. Instead, we assume we're smart enough to guess the right answer ourselves. Spoiler alert: We're not, and we don't. Context information could be things like: The location of each string of text - for example, is it a title? Is it a CTA? The audience these strings are meant for - who will be using your product and reading those texts? What are they looking to get out of it? The voice of your product - How do you want your strings to sound? What emotions and sentiments are you trying to invoke? The reasons for the choices you made - Why did you choose to write 'Book now' rather than 'Order now'? What were you trying to convey? The goals you're trying to achieve - What are you trying you get your users to do? What do you want them to feel when they read your text? I like to divide this into 'big context' and 'small context'. 'Big context' is things like voice, goals, and audience info - this is information that applies to the entire localization task - or even your entire product. Usually, you want your linguists to read that before they get started, and keep it in mind throughout the project. 'Small context' is string-specific - for example, the reasons why you chose a specific phrase; Or the location of the string in your design. Ideally, you want it displayed alongside each string so that linguists can keep it in mind while they work on it. Remember that the easier and more accessible you'll make it, the more you're likely to get your linguists to consider it as they work. This is where tech comes in. Localization tools allow us to give our linguists that 'small context' they need in a way that's digestible and accessible - either by displaying notes next to the string, displaying screenshots for each string, or even letting linguists input their copy directly into the visual. Check out this example of the visual context preview from Weglot. You can see your translation automatically populated. This allows for ultimate visual adaptation. No more awkwardly clipped lines, too-long button texts, or mistranslated paragraphs. Your linguists can better deal with placeholders and dynamic contennt - because they see in action how they'll be displayed. And they can make sure - in real-time- that their copy choices fit into the allocated space. The information's all there, right at their fingertips - and they can easily notice and fix issues as they go along. The Phrase translation editor offers an in-context editor, and also allows you to attach screenshots and comments to every string. This information is displayed on the right side of the translation window, giving linguists full visibility of 'small context' information as they work. 2. Keeping terminology consistent Your terminology is a huge part of how each user experiences your product. Sometimes, finding the right terms to use for different features and screens takes as much time as writing the rest of the product copy. That's because the right words can help users identify and connect with your product. They can make it more memorable or useable, keep confusion at bay, and greatly increase the value you're offering your users. When writing UX copy for your product, you often maintain terminology consistency by referring to previously written copy; Using a design system with predefined components; Or referring back to a glossary file that your team keeps. But as you start delving into localization, you quickly learn it can be an enemy to consistency. During localization projects, you have multiple people adapt each string. These people are not always familiar with your terminology - even if you do manage to keep your glossary list up-to-date. Plus, consistency is needed even for UI components you wouldn't necessarily refer to as 'terms'. If you're referring to a menu item, a button, even a section of your app, you want to make sure your linguist will choose the same term every time. Otherwise, things could get confusing for your users pretty fast. This becomes more of a problem with complex systems and larger apps - where there are many, many tiny pieces of text. It also gets harder to maintain consistency when you're growing fast, adding multiple features over a short amount of time, or working with very large teams of linguists or through a large translation agency. If you already have a localized product on your hands, it may be a good idea to take a few days and check the existing translations. If needed, you can ask your linguists to harmonize (= unify) your content before you move forward. This will also give you an idea of what terms and phrases need that extra attention in the future. Then, you can move forward with creating your CAT tool term list or glossary. What is a glossary? In its old-fashioned form, a glossary is a list of terms. Many companies already have a similar list stored in Excel or a shared Doc. A CAT tool glossary (sometimes called a termbase) is like that, but better. Once we set it up, our CAT tool recognizes glossary terms in our text, highlights them, and provides the linguist with the approved translation. This ensures our linguists have this crucial information right there when they need it (remember? If it's not accessible, it's not useful). Once your linguists finish their translation, you can also ask the CAT tool to verify that terms were translated using the approved forms. If it recognizes an incorrectly translated term, it'll flag it and create a report you can share with your linguist. Of course, there will be false positives - the same words can be written in many forms, with your glossary only able to store one form per term. But this will be a great starting point for quality assurance, and a great way to make sure your linguists work within the instructions you defined. Creating the glossary will be a bit of work, but it's worth it - saving a lot of time in the future and greatly boosting quality. To determine which words need to be included, you can make a list yourself or use a term extraction software. This is a piece of software that scans your source copy and retrieves terms based on frequency or other criteria defined in advance. Some CAT tools already have the option to retrieve terms, and others will require you to use external software (personally, I have had positive experience with Xbench). The fallback - translation memory What about cases where consistency is crucial, but there are no easy-to-define terms to put into your glossary? Often, you can't know in advance which terms you'll need to define. You still want your linguist to have a way to quickly browse past translations, figure out the best term themselves and try to maintain consistency as much as possible. To do that, you keep a translation memory file. This is a smart file that stores inside all past translations for a certain langauge. Every time you start a project, you load it into the CAT tool to automatically 'absorb' your linguists' input. And every time a project ends, you save the most recent version of that file in your records. This way, your linguists (and you) always have the most up-to-date look into your product's translation history. It's a great record to learn from, and it's crucial if you want your linguists to be able to make informed decisions about the best direction to take. Not only that, but CAT tools can automatically input matching translation memory entries. If a certain string was translated before (for example, if you have multiple CTAs with the word 'back to homepage' on them) - it'll populate it with the previous translation. This can save you some money - since you won't have to pay to translate those strings again and again. And of course, it'll help with consistency - as linguists won't even have to actively search to find the legacy translation. But be careful - sweeping changes can create context issues later on. If you do choose to populate translation memory entries automatically, ask your proofreader or reviewer to make sure they're still a good fit when considering the full context. 3. Covering huge workloads - fast Okay, you say. All this is nice, but we're a modern business. We need an entire 500K-word app localized in 3 weeks (true story). Can't we just take a team of linguists and give each one a tiny piece of the content and have it all turn out perfectly? Pretty please? Um, well. It's very common for companies to want to cover a lot of content quickly - deadlines are tight and C level is pushing and a launch is just around the corner. And there are tools that can help you achieve that with better (read: non-catastrophical) results. But before we go deeper into that, quick disclaimer: Good things take time. Good work takes time. If you decide localization is the right path for your product, you should give the process the respect it deserves. Otherwise, you may find yourself spending a whole lot more money and time later - fixing everything that went wrong when you rushed through things. That being said, there are ways to help linguists collaborate in a more efficient manner, and speed things along in the process. Simply dividing a file into pieces won't do the trick - your linguists won't have access to each other's work. This means they won't be able to check the translation memory in real time. Instead, each will go in a separate direction - and you'll risk finding yourself with 6 different versions of the same CTA. To do it better, you can use a CAT tool that allows several linguists to work on one file at the same time. This way, the translation memory is constantly synced for all linguists. They have read-only access to work their collegues do, and can even discuss among themselves to find the best solution for particularly cumbersome challanges. Another helpful direction is to let your editor work on the file while the translator is still moving through it. This way, the editor can flag potential issues for the translator before they're even done working. They can update and improve as they go along - rather than repeat the same error over and over again. And of course, you'll be saving some precious time - since you're not waiting for your translator to cover the entire file. For example, in systems that allow editing and translation of the same file at the same time, you can easily work on large files as well and make updates in terminology and wording at the beginning of the work, so you do not have to correct again and again later. In Smartcat, for example, you can split a file between several linguists - assigning some of the strings to each of them. They'll all update the same translation memory and have read-only access to each other's work. They can also add comments to every string, to discuss issues and learn from each other. The project manager has eyes on their progress and can see exactly how many strings were translated by each linguist . The same thing happens in Matecat. You can have the tool split the file into as many as 50 parts, with all linguists having access to the full translation memory. This allows for faster turnaround times and more efficient work all-in-all. 4. Integrating with other tools Now, let's talk about other stakeholders in our project. We want to make life easy for everyone, because good localization truly hinges on company-wide cooperation. Fortunately, all cloud tools today offer some level of stack integration - both to pull source text for translation into the software, and to push it back in after the work is done. Integration like that is wonderful, and not just because it keeps everyone happy. When you don't have to load files by hand, you avoid a lot of the human error this process is traditionally riddled with. On top of that, keeping files current in a fast-moving, constantly-updated environment becomes much easier - as it's easy to know which file is the most recent one synced. The best tool for your tech needs depends on your workflow and development stage. For example, if your product is still in design, you may need the CAT tool to sync with a design tool like Figma or Sketch, rather than a repository like GitHub or web development tool like WordPress. Transifex, for example, integrates with a large variety of design, development, and eCommerce tools - from Figma to Bitbucket to Slack - thus ensuring you can focus on improving your localization results. ‍ Crowdin also offers over 100 integrations, which means you can pull your content from repositories to UI tools, and push it back in with the click of a button once localization is done. And Localazy promises to make any integration a breeze, by offering a 'set up and forget' automated solution for localization. Generally speaking, If you're working with industry-standard tools you're obviously going to have an easier time - with the main CAT tools offering built-in integrations for agile deployment. But even if not, you can reach out to CAT tools providers and ask for their advice on the best way to integrate your stack. On top of that, the features you choose to incorporate in your localization workflow will also impact your choice. Visual editors that sync with your will obviously require a tighter integration, pulling all visual and graphic components into the CAT tool, too. Text-only editors will be easier, but your team will probably need to hand-input all screenshots and context materials. Some tools offer better quality assurance, while others put their main focus on integration. So you will need to define your priorities before you make a final decision about the tool you choose. 5. Maintaining high-quality standards Let's assume you just completed a 10K string project. Out of those 10K strings, 10% had double spaces. 12% had terminology inconsistencies. And another 3% had typos or spelling issues. You have one day to find every issue and fix it without inadvertently creating more damage. Wait, step away from that ledge. Some would stay quality control is the biggest challenge in localization. And it's easy to see why - with so many strings and components involved, staying on top of quality is a nearly impossible task. This is further complicated by the fact that linguists and product managers often don't have a shared baseline to compare things to. To put it simply, it's hard to define what 'good UX copy' even means. Not many translators have UX experience or knowledge, and not many product or localization managers speak the language currently localized. This makes discussing quality issues a very vague and ineffective experience. Quality assurance tools can partially help with this task. They scan the translated strings and flag issues based on a predefined quality profile. The project or product manager can choose - from a list - what errors to flag, and what errors to refer to as critical. Obviously, you can only find rather technical, easy-to-define issues there - things like double spaces, strings exceeding the character count, typos, and incorrect punctuation. But even so, it's a big step towards ensuring your target content is well-written. Here, Phrase) provides a detailed report of issues - missing numbers, terminology issues, spelling issues, and more. Linguists need to tap 'Run QA' to see these flagged. Once they do, they can resolve all issues in real-time. If an issue is set as critical, your linguist won't be able to deliver the file until it's resovled. Lokalise provides project managers with a full QA overview, so they'll easily be able to have a clear view of the quality status of the project at all times. These problems are also flagged for linguists in real-time (no need to run a check), to ensure most of them are fixed early on. The fact that these tools provide a standardized, detailed report of the issues found is an added advantage. It's a great start when discussing quality with your linguists, because you're able to talk about concrete issues rather than vague (though crucial) things like style and readability. That being said, these reports should be taken with a grain of salt. On top of many, many false positives, they're not able to discover layout or alignment issues. They won't let you know if your linguist missed a piece of crucial context info. And they do take the focus off equally important topics like tone of voice and fluency. In fact, since ensuring your linguists provide fluent content that adheres to the brand's voice is much harder (some would say: impossible), these issues are often neglected. Despite immense developments in computerized and automated translation in past years, maintaining fluency and brand consistency is still a mostly manual task. But who knows? With the massive strides taken in NLP in recent years, this may be something we'll be seeing very soon. Wrapping it up There isn't one perfect tool here - your needs will determine the right one for you. You go about this like you do with all good product processes: Begin with the problem(s) and move forward from there. To help you get started, use the comparison tables throughout the article to get a top view of the various tools available and their features. Good luck! ‍ For more reading, check out 4 brands that impress with their localization strategies.

Obvious fact: Finding good translators is hard. In fact, for many companies, it's one of the main challenges when running a localization project. And when you're working mainly with freelance translators, It's definitely one of the most time-consuming steps. To be honest, even once you do find your linguists - it's hard to know if they'll be a good fit for your company (I've certainly seen my fair share of translation disasters). There are many factors that go into it, such as the translator being able to effectively interpret your needs and meet them with quality, timely work. They should have a good command of the target language they're translating from and a good grasp of style and tone of voice so that your content reads well in their native language. You also need someone who's reliable - someone you can count on. Why is it so hard to find good translators? In many countries, translation is completely unregulated, and translators aren't required to pass a test or have any kind of certification. In some of these, there's no official training available - even if one was willing to take one. Essentially, this means anyone can present themselves as translators - no matter what language knowledge or cultural understanding they actually have. This presents some complications, as you can't simply require your linguists to have a 'translation degree'. In fact, even the ISO standard for translation requires ISO-certified agencies to work with translators that have 'a relevant degree or 5 years of experience' - since demanding a specific certification is simply impractical. Since it's not possible for everyone involved in the localization process to speak all languages, ensuring your linguists are doing good work becomes significantly harder. This 'language blind spot' is also ripe ground for cost-cutting practices that damage quality - with some people exploiting these gaps knowing it'll be hard to catch them in the act. I've heard of linguists delivering machine translation claiming it's human, and without another native editor flagging this, it's possible the clients would never have known. Can translation agencies help? Some companies would prefer to just let agencies handle the whole process. The company will only need to be in touch with one (or few) contact people - so it's considered to be easier and less time-consuming. Plus, clients assume that by entrusting the agency with translator recruiting and quality assurance, they can get full peace of mind. After all, most agencies are operated by professionals who have a great deal of experience in this field. The agency can act as a mediator between the client and the translator, helping to ensure that both parties are happy with the work that is being produced. Reality, as always, is not so black-and-white. Yes, I've come across some incredible agencies, dedicated to providing incredible results. These often charge more, because quality costs money. After all, you want the project management team in your agency to put in the extra time, and ensure the results you're getting are up to standard. You also want them to be willing to pay the really good linguists - the ones who check all the boxes and can take their pick from nearly every agency and translation client working in their language pair. But I've also seen agencies on the other end of the spectrum. In an attempt to increase profits and speed things along for clients, they exploit translators and cut corners constantly. These agencies are hard to spot from the outside, as they still make a big show about quality. It's only when you start reviewing your results that you understand something is wrong. What do you need to look for when hiring freelance translators? There are several things you need to consider when finding your ideal candidate. And no - more years of experience or better qualifications do not necessarily indicate higher quality. Translation and localization are, after all, forms of writing. And true writing talent is often impossible to learn - you either have it or you don't. This means you can find translators with hardly any experience doing amazing work, and veterans producing very bad results. Plus, experienced translators may sometimes be set in their old ways. The localization industry has seen massive development in recent years, and if you're looking to localize using the most innovative tools and methods, their experience won't necessarily indicate a good fit. Instead, you want to look for the following: 1. Someone who's a good fit for your project In short, you want your linguist's profile to match the type of content you're thinking of localizing. If your typical user is aged 30-40, try to find a translator within that range. If you have a clothing swap app focused on fashion and trends, find a translator with knowledge in that domain. 2. Someone who produces good quality work As we've established, this is tremendously hard to define. The best way to go about this is to create a shortlist of potential linguists and give them a short paid test. Then, have a reviewer you trust rate those tests to find translators that consistently produced good quality translations. 3. Someone who is reliable and easy to work with This is an important consideration for many clients - you need to be able to trust that your translator will stick to the agreed schedule. If you're working on a tight deadline, even a day's delay can cause big problems. Look for someone who has a good track record of meeting deadlines, and make sure to ask about their availability before hiring them. In addition, try and get a feel of their personality. A translator should be receptive and willing to implement feedback and revisions of their work. 4. Someone you can pay This may seem trivial, but linguists who often work remotely and online usually have a preferred payment method and predefined payment terms. Depending on your location and local laws, you may have a preference or may not be able to pay using just any method. As you screen your linguists, ensure they accept the payment method and terms you're offering. So,where can you find these elusive - but oh so necessary - great freelance translators? Hop on to my guide on the 4 best places to find them for a conclusive list.

Finding freelance translators for your localization project can be a challenge. Fortunately, with these four methods, you'll find the perfect match in no time. If you've already read our guide to hiring top freelance translators, you know it's not an easy task to achieve. After considering every important factor, you're left with the question of where to start your search. The fact is there are a few different directions you can take to find the perfect translator for your project, and each has its pros and cons. I'll be covering the 4 best methods here, along with a few recommendations for specific sites you can use. 1. Find freelance translators through word of mouth This is the most traditional way, and it still has its merits. Ask colleagues and friends from your industry if they know of any good translators they could recommend. This is a great way to get personal recommendations from people you trust. Plus, you'll be getting names that were already tested and vetted - so you're much more likely to find good, reliable suppliers this way. To reach the best industry advice and recommendations, you can use any of the following methods: Ask personally - reach out to people you know and trust and get first-hand recommendations and referrals. Ask on social media - LinkedIn is a great place to start, but you could also try Twitter or Facebook. There's bound to be someone with the right recommendations in your network. Post on a professional group - this is a great way to cast a wide net and get recommendations from colleagues who may not be in your network. People usually jump at the chance to recommend great freelancers they've personally worked with (and rave about them), so this can be a very effective method of sourcing. Pro tip: When asking for referrals, be sure to ask for detailed feedback about the translator's work. This will give you a good idea of whether they're a good fit for your project. If you're considering several linguists, this can also help you make a decision about who to hire. 2. Dive into member lists of professional translator associations Most professional associations have a list of members featured on their site. It's considered one of the benefits of signing up to that association, and it's also a great place to find great linguists. Professionals willing to pay for memberships are often more serious about their career, and so it's safe to assume they'll be more committed to providing quality results and building their reputation. Start by visiting the member lists of these main associations: ‍ATA - The American Translator Association has a detailed service directory where you can find individual translators for any project. You can search by language or by translation tool, to find linguists already willing to work in your tool of choice. For some languages, you can also find certified translators with proven credentials. On the downside, it's a bit of a rough interface, and some of the more innovative or new translation tools may not be listed there. ITI - The institute of translation and interpreting keep a public directory of members, where you can search by source and target language. Results can be filterered by specialties, additional skills, and translation tools, so you can easily narrow them down to find your ideal candidates. The members listed in the ITI directory have all been through an internal assessment process, which is both a good and bad thing - it's a great way to ensure quality, but it also means it may be harder to find enough suppliers for your project there. IAPTI - The International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters has a database of registered members you can browse. Use the dropdowns to pick a source and target language, specialization, service offered, and country - or search for linguists by name. Profiles are rather basic, but you can reach out to linguists directly to ask for more information. Women In Localization - This global community focuses on advancing women in the localization industry. There's no member directory here, but you can post a job on their job board and have the right linguists reach out to you. ‍ Pro tip: When looking for translators for a specific language or locale, try to find a local translator association. Many translator communities have one, and since it's local, you'll be able to find more candidates and even filter by specific variants or dialects. 3. Visit dedicated translator databases Write about how there are sites meant specifically for the localization industry. Linguists can create a profile, add their credentials and experience, and even upload some samples of their work for your reference. Most of these sites have a free and paid tier, which means you can choose the level of industry commitment you're looking for. But since it's easy to create a free profile, you'll also have access to a lot more linguists in one place - at least, compared to As these sites are industry-specific, they also offer detailed filters and additional tools meant to help you locate your ideal translator. Proz.com - The oldest, and probably biggest, translator directory is still the best place to start when you're looking for translators. You've got dozens of search options, from the usual language pair and expertise to more advanced budget and feedback filters. Proz allows clients to rate linguists and agencies on a WWA (willingness to work again) scale, giving you a glimpse into the level of professionalism each one of them has. You can also see if linguists have a pro certification (that means they pay for a Proz.com Pro account), and even receive information on the data security policies each translator employs. All in all, you get a very detailed overview of the linguists you find, which can be very helpful when trying to narrow it down to the best ones. Despite that fact, the profile section at Proz.com is severaly lacking. The 90s-esque design makes it almost impossible to gain any insight from the info mentioned inside. Proz are (slowly, very slowly) improving their UI, so be prepared for some inconsistencies when going through the database. TM Town - for a slightly upgraded version of the Proz.com database, you've got this site. I'm pretty sure it started as an experiment by the Proz.com people, as it's owned and operated by the same company. Since it has a better design and a slightly different claim to fame, it may attract some of the newer linguists out there - so it's a good idea to search both. TM Town profiles often include some sample translation, as well as additional information about each linguist's experience, payment terms, software knowledge, and more. They also link to additioal reviews and information in each linguist's Proz.com profile. Smartcat Marketplace - A relatively new addition, the Smartcat marketplace lets you find linguists based on a variety of criteria - like language pair, expertise, and even time zone. You can see each linguist's preferred rate, as well as a rating of their quality and deadline compliance. These linguists all work with the Smartcat translation tool, and so you can see how many words and proejcts they were involved in through Smartcat in the past. Unlike other traditional databases, here you're also able to see if your linguist is currently online and even chat with them - which is great if you're a bit in a rush. And if you're short on time, you can outsource the entire process to the Smartcat experts. They'll find and test linguists for you, and get back to you with a shortlist of the best ones they could find for your proejct. Smartcat also claim to be able to handle the entire end-to-end process inside their ecosystem. Once you find your freelancers and they finish the work, you can even pay them - wherever they are - through their payment module. Translators Base - An oldy, this one may provide you with additional options if the first 3 didn't do the trick. You can only search by language and country, but when looking for linguists in rare languages, you can ideally hopefully find some great options. As with many of the others, you can also post a translation job here and ask translators to reach out with a quote. Pro tip: Finding the right linguists takes time. Instead of spending hours searching through databases, post a job listing in any of the above and let the right qualified people reach out to you. 4. Cast a wider net with freelance marketplace websites If you had no luck through the dedicated databases, turn to general freelance marketplaces. These websites provide freelancers with a place to offer their services, and they're a great place to find great, highly-rated suppliers. In addition, they often take responsibility over orders made through their systems - giving you added peace of mind when working with unfamiliar translators. The downside is these are often the first place freelancers visit when they start their business. This means you're very likely to run into some unqualified people here, so proceed with caution. Upwork - Upwork is a popular freelancing website that is well-established in the market. With tens of thousands of translators in their database, they're certainly a good place to start. Ratings and feedback from previous jobs will give you an insight on each linguist - and since Upwork gets a lot of traffic, you sometimes have hundreds or thousands of reviews to rely on. It's not a dedicated translation marketplace, but they do have some localization-specific filters to help narrow down your search. You can choose between experts in software, legal, medical, or technical translation, and search by language to find people working with the language pair you need. Fiverr - Fiverr is a somewhat simpler interface, with freelancers offering their services for as little as $5. While they built their rep on the $5 gig, you're actually able to find quite a few better-paid professionals there, too. Suppliers in Fiverr can also create predefined offers to make it easier for clients to hire them. As in Upwork, there's a rating system that can help you learn a bit more about what it's like working with each freelancer. Fiverr also allows for deeper filtering, and you can choose from a number of services. Plus, you can easily filter by source and target language - making your search that much more efficient. They also offer a Pro program, allowing you to work with vetted and verified suppliers. There are only a few linguists on the pro program for now, as it's a new addition - but it's sure to grow in the near future. PeoplePerHour - PeoplePerHour is somewhat less well-known, but still has a wide range of translation and localization experts listed. As it's not as prominent, linguists are likely to charge less - though I definitely don't encourage letting price be your main deciding factor. Filtering controls are also quite limited, but they're a good option to have on file if you're looking for an especially rare language or just want more options. Pro tip: Don't let experience be your only measure. Sometimes, you can find incredible translators with true talent who are only just starting out. If you feel like you found someone who may be a good fit, give them a chance (but of course, make sure you have a thorough testing process in place first!) No matter which method you choose - whether it's counting on recommendations or searching through the databases - it's important you actively manage communication and feedback. This will allow you to get the best quality possible and build long-term relationships with your linguists. Good luck!

Thinking of diving into localization? Set yourself up for success with best practices and a detailed step-by-step guide. Welcome to the big, scary world of app localization. Whether you're launching a brand new product or targeting new markets after many years, venturing into unknown territories always comes with a unique set of challenges. With mobile app localization, the biggest challenge is often getting started. There are so many moving parts and potential pitfalls that it can be challenging to know where to begin. A lot of the information online is either outdated or biased, with every translation agency and technology platform trying to pull you in. Finding the best path forward in all the noise is almost impossible. This guide is designed to help you get started with app localization, and give you some best practices that will set you up for success in the long run. We'll cover everything from why localization is important to how to go about selecting the right markets, preparing the materials you need, and translating your app content. We'll talk about mobile app localization here, but most of what we'll cover applies to web and desktop apps, too. So it's worth a read, whether you're after app store downloads or SaaS subscriptions. By the end, you'll have a clear understanding of what it takes to localize an app and be well on your way to reaching new users around the world. But first. Why should you localize your app? Source Here's the big question that's obviously keeping you up at night: Why should you even bother localizing your app? After all, English is the most widely spoken language in the world, so couldn't you just launch your app with a user interface in English in every app store worldwide and let everyone else figure it out? The answer - in most cases, though not all - is no. While it's true that English is the most common language online, that doesn't mean it should be your only focus. There's a reason why big companies like Google, Amazon, and Facebook all put so much emphasis on localization. It's not just a "nice-to-have" - it's an essential part of business in the global market. Why? Let's start with the obvious reason: By only targeting English-speaking users - or English-speaking countries - you're excluding a considerable portion of the potential market for your app. The Apple App Store is available in over 40 languages, for example. And localized apps get downloaded significantly more. I've seen stats referring to 200% to 10x more app downloads. But the value of localization doesn't just boil down to reach. There are other benefits to investing in localization, even if most of your target market handles English reasonably well. Communicating with people in their native language generates stronger emotional reactions. You'll be charging your interaction with emotion. And emotional interactions are much more memorable. In other words: By using a language they're comfortable and fluent in, you'll leave a lasting impression. Your users will be more likely to download your app, keep it on their phone, and recommend it to their friends. Plus, it'll show people in that market that they're important to your company. They're not just a side market if they're important enough to localize for. And that, in turn, can improve user satisfaction, loyalty, and engagement. And finally, having a localized version lets you adapt your product to match the needs of each market. Rather than have a one-size-fits-all solution, you'll be flexibly responding to the specific needs of your users. That's a powerful way to refine your app, making it highly usable and valuable for those local users. Is app localization always the way to go? Frankly, no. There are certain cases where you're better off delaying localization for a bit or avoiding it altogether. It's an expensive and challenging task to take on. You want to ensure you have a good chance of getting a good ROI for the effort. So, before you get started, closely examine your reasons for doing mobile app localization. Do you have a solid (data-backed!) reason to assume it'll be worth the investment? If not, it might not be the right time for you to move forward. Then, ensure have the resources and time to invest in it. App localization without the proper prep work will likely not generate good results. And likewise, you'll want some hands on deck to oversee the process. Especially when you're just starting, don't count on promises from any external vendor - always double and triple-check you're getting what you paid for. You decided to go forward with app localization. Now what? If you're certain localization is the right move for your app, congratulations! You're on your way to reaching a whole new global audience. The process of localizing your mobile app can be broken down into three distinct steps: Setting everything up Translating your app copy Deploying copy and running tests Obviously, steps 2 and 3 repeat themselves with every new version or update you release. Often the lines get very blurry, and steps 2 & 3 happen simultaneously for different parts of the app. It's called Continuous Localization, where each bit of copy required gets translated instantly. If you're using the agile methodology in your company (who doesn't these days), you're likely already familiar with how this works. But this post isn't about steps 2 & 3 - it's about what happens before them. The incredibly-important-but-also-overwhelming step 1 of Setting Everything Up. This is essentially building the infrastructure of a successful app localization process. A lot of what we're doing at this stage only happens once, or you'll want to tweak it once every few months. So don't get discouraged if it feels like a lot. Getting the proper setup in place will 100% make things easier for you in the long run. Step 1: Deciding what to localize first It's tempting to storm into a translation agency's office, throw your phone on the table and yell, "I want this entire app translated, stat!" But let's face it, that's not practical. And we're not in an early-2000s medical drama. You can put the beeper down. You want to start by dipping your toes in the localization pool - choosing a small section of your app to localize first. Once you finish that first project, you'll want to take a step back and improve some things in your process. You'll quickly become overwhelmed and bogged down if you commit to considerable volume from the start. The best strategy is to start small and expand from there, always ensuring you get a good ROI for your efforts. Choose a small section of the app, then add the rest once you have a workflow you're happy with. Of course, this doesn't mean you should launch a version of your app with only the onboarding flow localized. You still want to give your users a full localized experience - but you can decide to leave some features out for the moment and add them in once you're more established in that market. Alternatively, you can simply start with a small section and get feedback through user interviews and testing. Then add the rest and officially launch the app in that language. Step 2: Choosing your localization vendors The localization world today is much more diverse than it used to be. In the early days, you would go to a large localization agency, and they would handle everything for you. But with the rise of technology, you can easily reach freelance translators and collaborate with them to get the job done. This means you have more options than ever before. Let's take a look at some pros and cons: Option 1: Working with a large translation agency Translation agencies, often called "language service providers" (LSPs), have been the standard for getting app copy translated in the past. They handle all aspects of the app localization process, from recruiting and managing translators to quality assurance. Why should you use a large translation agency? Great to get started Working with a big agency for your mobile app localization can be helpful, especially if you're new to localization. They have the experience and knowledge to help you through the process. You don't have to do a Ph.D. on translation software or browse through dozens of translator profiles. And they can also offer additional services like copywriting, transcreation, translation management, and project management. Innovative tech Many of the larger translation agencies invest heavily in technology - which means they have proprietary tools to help them streamline localization. You can purchase similar tools (more on that in a bit), but they're priced separately and include a steep learning curve. Easily scalable Plus, translation agencies allow for scalability, especially the larger ones. If you decide to add a language, all you have to do is ask - and they'll take care of it for you. That doesn't mean a translation agency is the only way to go, though. There are certainly downsides to this option. Why shouldn't you use a large translation agency? Less visibility Agencies like to keep their cards close to their chest, so you don't get visibility over the entire localization flow. This means you have much less control over how things are going. You can't always verify you're getting what you're paying for. And while most agencies are honest, you still want to make sure. And in many cases, you don't have much control over which linguists are recruited for your project. Impersonal service Large agencies often won't provide that personal VIP service. They have their methods and workflows, and you'll likely get a one-size-fits-all solution unless you know what to ask. Even if you have a personal project manager assigned to you, they'll be part of the bigger machine. No direct communication with translators Plus, bigger agencies often won't let you communicate directly with their translators. It's a massive minus, in my opinion - and may even be a deal breaker. Communication between client and translator is one of the biggest contributors to localization quality. It's certainly not something you want to give up unless you absolutely have to. Option 2: Working with a small translation agency or boutique firm Why should you use a small translation agency? Personalized service When working with a small translation agency, you're likely to get more personalized service. They're running a smaller operation with fewer clients, so your business will naturally be more significant to them. Flexibility In general, small agencies tend to be more flexible than their larger counterparts, too. They'll often be willing to work harder to adapt to your workflow and software or to meet your deadlines. Better communication There's also a better chance they'll let you have direct communication with the people working on your project - the actual translators. This is a significant plus, as you'll get to provide context and background information that can help them do a better job. Specialization And another plus? Small agencies often specialize in one type of industry or have a strong focus on specific language pairs. This can be helpful if you're in a niche market or need expert-level knowledge of a language that's not commonly translated. Try and find an agency focused strictly on app localization services - their translators will likely also have expertise in that field. But of course, there are some downsides to working with a small agency, too. Why shouldn't you use a small translation agency? Still no direct communication with translators Small agencies do have some of the same faults as the larger ones. Mainly, they act as a barrier between you - the client who knows the ins and out of the app - to the translators who do the actual localization work. Even if they're willing to try to get the information across, it'll never be the same. Your control over the process will never be the same. Fewer resources Plus, they have fewer resources and tools compared to the larger agencies. They're not likely to have their own in-house software or have access to every language in the world. They'll have fewer translators in their database, so they may not be available to work immediately. This makes them a good option if you want to localize into one language, but not as much if you're planning a massive multilingual endeavor. Option 3: Working directly with freelance translators Some companies prefer to skip the middleman and work directly with freelance translators. In recent years this became much easier, with collab tools galore and several free databases to source for linguists. I covered the best places to find freelance translators in 2022 here. Why should you work directly with freelance translators? A lot of control Directly working with translators gives you the highest degree of control and communication throughout the localization process. You can hand-pick the people you work with and ensure they have the right expertise or credentials. You're free to ask them any questions you have, interview them, or ask for a test piece (paid, of course). And you can monitor their work directly to ensure they provide consistently high-quality copy. Working relationship Working directly with freelancers also lets you develop an actual relationship with the people working on your project, which on its own is a significant advantage. People you've met in person - or on Zoom - are more likely to invest in your project (as long as you're nice to them during that meeting). Wasy exchange of information When you have direct communication with your linguists, you're free to give them as much context as you want, and they can ask you any questions they have. Since information flows between you with minimal interruptions, you'll get fewer misunderstandings and better-localized results overall. Why shouldn't you work directly with freelance translators? Takes time & effort The main downside of working with freelance translators is that you need to spend time searching for them. It's time-consuming and often frustrating. Good translators that are easy to find are always busy. Good, available translators are hard to find. The Triangle of Localization Futility sums that up nicely. Quality Even if you don't mind investing the time to find your translators, vetting them is more challenging than you imagine. This is especially true if you don't speak the language they're translating into. In this case, you'll have to get help from a second translator to review the first one. But then, how do you know if their work is good enough? You'll have to get a third one. I think you see what I'm getting at here. Hard to manage And once you find the right linguists for you, there's still the little task of managing their work: Asking for quotes, sending out the materials, ensuring they read everything through, and checking for issues once they're done. Some freelancers are less reliable than others, and you're likely to deal with quite a few missed deadlines. Managing a team of freelancers isn't always easy, to say mildly. Option 4: Hiring in-house translators If you have enough volume of work to justify that, you can even hire your in-house translator. This isn't usually a good solution if you're just starting, but it may be in the future, so it's worth including in this list. Why should you hire in-house translators? Ultimate commitment This is an easy one: When your translators work in-house, they only care about your app. They won't have any other clients to learn about, so you'll be getting their full and undivided attention. And since they're staying on long-term, they'll be much more likely to take the time and learn about your users, voice, and brand identity. In-house translators are compensated per month or hour, not project. Which means they won't mind investing as many hours as needed in training. Ideal availability Another great benefit is that once you hire in-house translators, they're right there - physically or in spirit. They'll be able to collaborate closely with your writers, designers, and product managers. And whenever you have a question, you can simply fire a quick email and get an answer. That can be very valuable when trying to conquer a new market you don't know well. Built-in language lead Plus, an in-house translator can often lead their language independently. You won't have to manage them as much, leaving you time for other tasks. And having a foreign market managed by someone who speaks the language and understands the culture is the ideal way to do it. Why shouldn't you hire in-house translators? Best for mature localization teams In-house translators are expensive, and you need to have a significant enough need in a specific language to justify the cost. An in-house translator may be valuable if you're translating a complex app with constantly updating content. But if you're just starting out, it's likely you'd rather work with freelancers or an agency. Which of these options should you choose for your app localization? The best option for you depends on your specific needs. If you're just starting out and are worried about finding your footing, a small agency may be a good fit. They can give you the personalized support you need to understand the localization world better. If you're slightly more experienced and have plenty of strings or different languages to localize to, give a larger agency a try. If you find the right one, they'll be able to handle a scaling workload. Just ensure you're still monitoring their work rather than blindly entrusting them with your content. If you're willing to jump through some hoops and quality is at the top of your priority list, go for freelance translators. This is also a scalable, flexible solution. And since the control is in your hands, you can choose the best translators out there. As a bonus, it may even be cheaper than working with an agency, as there's less overhead. And finally, if you've reached that point where you have enough localization work to fill a part- or full-time job, go you! You can now hire an in-house translator and walk hand-in-hand towards the sunset. Bonus tip: Make sure your translators have UX writing knowledge. Assuming you've worked with a professional UX writer to craft your original copy, you probably want the localized versions to have the same impact. For that to happen, I would recommend hiring translators with a background or training in UX writing. I discussed this in detail here - give it a read if you're interested to learn more. Step 3: Choosing your localization platform If you plan on using Excel sheets to manage your localization, it's time to step into the 21st century. Today there are dozens, if not hundreds, of tools you can use to manage localization workflows and tasks, track quality, maintain consistency, and more. I wrote about some of these here and reviewed some of the most common pitfalls in mobile app localization. You can find an extensive list of localization tools over at writingTech. But in essence, there are two main categories of platforms you should be looking at: Project management tools and CAT tools. Sometimes they overlap to an extent, and sometimes they are two completely separate platforms. Let's see what each of these is. Project management tools for mobile app localization These platforms help you stay on top of all the steps and tasks involved in localization. They take care of things like maintaining your pool of translators, setting up translation tasks, receiving translated files from your translators, and putting your content through several stages (translation, review, proofreading, QA, etc.). Some of these platforms are highly robust; you can even use them to manage translator payments and invoicing. Others are significantly simpler - and they're priced accordingly, of course. If you've got an intricate app, have plenty of separate translation tasks, or plan to localize into more than one or two different languages, consider trying one. Using the right project management platform for your needs can save you time and hassle. For smaller projects, try utilizing the project management software you're already using in your company. CAT tools for mobile app localization CAT is short for "computer-assisted translation." It's a general name for platforms and software that help translators work better and more efficiently. With capabilities like translation memories (a file that can store every string your company's ever had translated), term bases (fancy loc word for glossaries), context screenshots, and automated QA scans, these ensure your translators can produce the best results possible. Read this post for a more in-depth look at CAT tools. CAT tools can come in an online or offline (desktop) version, with online ones being of the more modern variety. Some CAT tools require your translators to buy their own licenses, while others let you assign licenses to different users based on your needs. I would recommend going for the second kind so as not to minimize your pool of possible translators. If you're working with an agency, you can ask them to recommend a CAT tool. But remember, they may suggest the one they're most familiar with, rather than the best one for your needs. Try and browse around for a bit yourself, and see which option seems like a good fit. Do you have to use a tool or platform for mobile app localization? Strictly speaking, no - you don't have to. But if you're working with multiple translators, multiple languages, or multiple projects, it can be helpful to use one. It saves you and your translators time and helps prevent mistakes that can impact your results. Step 4: Preparing your brief template Get the free e-guide on writing great localization briefs here There is quite a bit of information you want your translators to know about your app before they start working on the project. So, for example, you may want to give them the 411 on: 👉🏼 Your app's features and how it works 👉🏼 Who it's meant for 👉🏼 What its goal is 👉🏼 Your brand voice and style 👉🏼 Any particular terminology you've used Plus, there are likely additional instructions and style guidelines you'd like them to follow. For example, do you want them to convert dates, currencies, and measurements to their local format? Do you want them to use gendered or non-gendered language? How formal should they write? Those are just some of many examples. Sure, you could set up a meeting and dump all that info on them - but how likely are they to remember? Rather than do that, a better way to go about it is to create a brief. This is essentially a document that contains all the information in a clear, organized, concentrated way. It gets everyone on the same page from the start so that they know exactly what's expected of them. Creating brief templates is helpful for several reasons. First, it ensures you don't forget to include any critical information. Second, it saves a lot of time later - since instead of creating each brief from scratch, you simply populate the relevant parts of your template, and bam, you're done. After all, a big part of the template doesn't change between projects - things like your brand voice, app features, and target audience, for example. To make things easier, I would recommend creating language-specific briefs. This way, you can include relevant guidelines for each language. You don't want to send translators documents with irrelevant information - once they see that, they'll assume you're just wasting your time and skim the whole thing (justifiably so). Also, keep your brief short and sweet. Only include what's essential, and leave out any fluff like your brand vision (sorry) and mission (double sorry). It's not that they're not important - it's that they're not necessarily relevant for a linguist working on your copy. If you're interested in reading more about writing brand voice guidelines for your linguists, read here. Now what? Congrats! You've got your infrastructure down, and it's time to start localizing. To learn more about what happens now, take a look at this post. Good luck! ‍

Let's talk about four brands that executed impressive localization strategies. Ones that are so well-thought-out and inspiring, we can all take a minute to learn from them, too. We already know that a company's localization strategy takes into account much more than translation. It needs to be creative, bold, and inventive, producing assets and initiatives that resonate with audiences worldwide. To account for the cultural nuances and generate real connections. It's not an easy feat, but when done right, localization can help a brand tap into new markets and find significant success beyond its home country. Today I want to discuss four brands that executed impressive localization strategies. Ones that are so well-thought-out and inspiring, we can all take a minute to learn from them, too. Let's dive in, shall we? Examples of localization done right 1. Coca-Cola Coca-cola worldwide As a true staple in almost every supermarket aisle around the globe, Coca-Cola is no stranger to localization. In over 100 years of activity they've perfected this art - successfully creating a presence in more than 200 countries. In 2000, their then-CEO Douglas Daft cemented this position by introducing a new localization and marketing strategy for the company: "think local, act local." In each region where they operate, Coke creates ads, social media posts, packaging, and even products that reflect the local culture. The coca-cola localization strategy Coke's localization strategy is evident when examining its localized marketing materials and offering. In India, for instance, the company created different regional variations to attract local consumers. Rather than have their labels in English, they rolled out Bengali labels in West Bengal. They also launched unique local drinks, like Vio spiced buttermilk and Minute Maid Nutriforce. Source ‍ In China, Coke uses a Chinese name on its packaging to appeal to consumers and features celebrity icons and cultural references. Their ad strategy made use of some unique Chinese practices, too. For example, a few years ago, the team at Coca-Cola discovered that Chinese teens communicate through a series of codes containing numbers, emojis, and graphics. And so, they featured 35 of those codes on their labels. The company calls this their "hyper-localization" strategy - which means they're doing much more than simply translating their marketing materials. Understanding each country's culture and customs lets them appeal to a broader range of consumers. What does Coca-Cola do well in its localization strategy? • Adapted visuals and concepts Coca-Cola's localization strategy is evident not just in the words they use but in the visuals they create. They incorporate colors, graphics, and cultural references into their ads and packaging, making their products more relatable to the target audience. They also work with local ad agencies to create advertisements that resonate with people - rather than try and nail down a marketing strategy remotely. • Local product variations Another way that Coca-Cola does marketing localization is by creating different product variants for each region. Like the Vio spiced buttermilk, tailored to the Indian palate, they launched herbal infusion drinks in China, cream soda in South Africa, and ginger drinks in Australia. • Original marketing assets When creating its marketing materials, Coca-Cola does more than translate English ads. Instead, their localization efforts include investing in local actors and actresses, original soundtracks, and local designs - all to give people the feeling that these ads were created especially for them. This focus on localization has led to some of Coca-Cola's most iconic and well-loved ads, which is a big part of what makes the company successful in its target markets. • Local manufacturing Coca-Cola has manufacturing facilities in many different countries, which helps them keep their logistics costs down and reduces their environmental impact. It also allows them to create products tailored to each market. They can work with their employees to experiment with different flavors and ingredients, getting feedback from people directly in their target market. What can Coca-Cola improve about its localization strategy? • Be sensitive While Coca-Cola's localization strategy is largely successful, we mustn't forget they are a massive international force. If people see their marketing efforts as inauthentic, they could do more harm than good. The company should be extra cautious not to step on any tows - something that's incredibly hard to do without in-depth cultural knowledge. • Take an active part Rather than staying on the commercial side, Coca-Cola can contribute with outreach programs and additional community development initiatives in the countries where it does business. This would help to build positive relationships with these communities, and could even lead to increased sales as people come to see Coca-Cola as a company that cares about them and their wellbeing. 2. Netflix Global content localization Netflix is perhaps best known for its original programming, tailored to fit the unique tastes of each region. By investing in local filmmakers and creative talent, they've been able to create content that's popular with viewers worldwide, generating lots of buzz on social media. Netflix's algorithm also supports its localization efforts: It automatically customizes the thumbnail and imagery displayed for each piece of content, so it naturally adapts itself to the preferences of each locale. Source But that's not all their translation and localization team does. Netflix gives users in their new markets a truly native user experience - putting a lot of effort into creating an interface in their language and providing translated content through subtitles and dubbing into multiple languages. Quality management at scale In 2017, they even launched the ambitious Project HERMES - an attempt to design a standardized testing system that will allow them to generate high-quality subtitles on a massive scale. With so much translated content in their catalog, their localization department needed to control the quality of the translators they work with. But in 2018, Netflix reported that HERMES was shut down - saying that the task was "best left for the experts." On top of being a good business decision, Netflix's choice to go global and support foreign creators tremendously impacts cultures worldwide. The syndicated, programmed TV of the 20th century made American culture an attractive "norm" to aspire to in many countries. But with the advent of multi-national television - thanks to streaming services like Netflix - American culture is no longer the only option on the table. Viewers worldwide can now choose from a variety of content that reflects their cultural values. This is good, as it allows for greater diversity and understanding. Paolo Sigismondi wrote a fascinating article about this here, which I recommend reading. What does Netflix do well in its localization strategy? • Original international content ‍This has helped them appeal to a broader range of viewers and also nurture a more personal connection with their global audience. As a plus, they were able to support smaller creators and bring great TV to people around the world. Win-win for localization! • Localized user interface Netflix did an excellent localization job on their user interface, too. It improved their customer experience, making it significantly easier for non-English-speaking viewers to use the app and find the content they wanted. Source ‍ • localized marketing strategy Netflix also did a great job of marketing its original content. They used targeted ads and social media campaigns to reach specific demographics globally. The audiences in countries where these shows were created take pride in heading the Top 10 charts, generating even more buzz around those new shows. • Flexible pricing models Netflix also did some localization with its pricing, tailoring its subscription plans to fit each locale's income levels and preferences. So while Denmark customers pay an equivalent of $11.50 per Basic subscription, in Brazil, they pay $5.50, and in Pakistan - $2.50. • Subtitling and dubbing The Netflix localization team has done an excellent job of subtitling and dubbing a considerable part of its content catalog. This has helped them reach a much wider target audience, as not everyone understands or enjoys English-language content. What can Netflix improve about its localization strategy? • Invest in subtitle quality Despite their ongoing efforts with the HERMES project, Netflix subtitles often get bad user feedback. Some went as far as saying that Netflix should focus on fewer languages to invest more effort into improving the quality of its subtitles. With such an extensive content catalog, it's understandable that some subtitles will be of poor quality, but this area could use improvement. • Avoid inaccurate cultural depictions Another issue that has come up is the question of cultural accuracy. In some cases, Netflix's productions have been criticized for their inaccurate depiction of foreign cultures. For example, the show Narcos has been criticized for its portrayal of Colombia, which many viewers found stereotypical and inaccurate. And Emily in Paris was panned for its patronizing depiction of the French culture. It's certainly a problematic issue and something that Netflix should be aware of. 3. McDonald's Fast food localization As one of the biggest fast-food chains in the world, it's no surprise that McDonald's has a significant global footprint. Wherever you choose to travel, the company has a restaurant there waiting to serve you - with over 32K restaurants in over 117 locations. But their massive global growth isn't a fluke - it's a result of a carefully-crafted localization strategy. Source Unlike Coca-Cola's hyper-localization approach, McDonald's localization treats the world as one big, international target market. But while the golden arches are always there and the core characteristics of their chain restaurants remain the same everywhere, there are always original touches that make a huge difference. Marketing materials, visuals, and packaging get a local version that's often very different from those well-known designs in the US. In fact, the company likes to launch new, exciting menu items in their global branches. Diners appreciate that their favorite food is featured at McDonald's, and tourists treat these unique items as a draw when visiting from other countries. Source What does McDonald's do well in its localization strategy? • menu localization McDonald's did a great job tailoring their menu items to each country's tastes, cooking up their versions for all-time favorites. There are infinite examples of this: From iced milk tea in Hong Kong to the Cordon Bleu Burger in Poland, and from the McRice Burger in Indonesia to the Spicy Paneer Wrap in India. Source • Brand flexibility Another thing McDonald's did well was adapting its brand identity in their branches around the world. This is evident in their local marketing campaigns, staff, restaurant decor, and more. They even embraced local architecture by setting some of their branches in historic buildings and traditionally-designed structures. • Worldwide familiarity McDonald's maintains a sense of consistency and familiarity for their customers everywhere. There are certain items you'll always find on the menu - from burgers to sundaes. People often appreciate that, as it gives them a sense of comfort and stability no matter where they are. Additionally, this helps to build global brand loyalty among McDonald's customers, who see the chain as a global institution that they can rely on to provide consistent meals no matter where they go. What can McDonald's improve about its localization strategy? • Provide the whole meal experience While McDonald's developed its versions of local dishes, they were often flat representations of the local meal experience. For example, in many Asian countries, a meal is usually made up of various dishes eaten with noodles or rice. While I'm sure McDonald's Tsukimi Burgers taste great, they don't quite fill the same culinary slot. It would be great to see them reinvent their international menus, providing a more authentic and complete meal experience for those foreign markets. • Tailor more than food McDonald's built its business on fast, cheap items you can grab on the go - a very American approach to dining. But in many cultures, dining is a much more leisurely affair, and people often want to sit down and enjoy their meal in a relaxed setting. In other countries, the service expectations people have of a dining establishment are significantly different. Adapting their restaurants - and menus - accordingly may help them assimilate even further into their international target markets. • Respect its host countries At McDonald's, even local foods get the brand treatment: A Chilean dish of breaded chicken and guacamole becomes "McPollo," and a Norwegian salmon-and-dill-sauce sandwich is called "McLaks," for example. This familiarity can be comforting - but it can also be seen as appropriation, with the brand absorbing the unique foods of these markets and generating its flat version of them. It would be nice to see the company step out of its comfort zone, serving local dishes without transforming them into its fast food variant first. Source 4. Ikea Local brand, global presence Ikea's successful localization strategy helped it expand into new foreign markets. With the help of a team of translators, Ikea translates its offering, products, and marketing materials so that they are relevant and relatable. The company also localizes its website, ads, social media, and catalogs to be culturally appropriate and easy to understand. However, in a very strategic choice, the folks at Ikea chose to leave all product names in often-unreadable Swedish. This choice works in their favor, creating a fun, memorable customer experience. What does Ikea do well in its localization strategy? • Enviable atmosphere Ikea sells more than furniture - it sells a dream. Their showrooms are filled with micro-spaces, with every bit of detail carefully placed to make customers feel at home. These decorated rooms, with their warm, inviting look & feel - in-store and online - encourage visitors to copy the clean Scandinavian design in their homes, too, no matter where they are. Ikea catalogs even became coveted reading material in some markets, and they're displayed in living rooms worldwide next to reputable home decor magazines. Source • Consistent branding Ikea dropped any semblance of assimilation in favor of an "imported from Sweden" edge. No matter which store you visit, you'll immediately get recognizable Ikea vibes. The decor is similar; the signage is always the same; the colors are consistent. They even sell the same Swedish food products in-store - from cookies to preserves. Customers don't come to Ikea for local furniture. Instead, they come for that unique foreign customer experience and for decor they can't get elsewhere. Source • Consumer content The Ikea community developed a hobby around the global brand: "Ikea hacking." Ikea furniture is known for its durability and versatility, and there are plenty of affordable options to use as raw material. This led to the development of a culture where people find creative ways to use it in their homes, creating bespoke-looking furniture from the simplest pieces. Some of the most famous Ikea hacks include transforming essential pieces like cabinets and dressers into built-in furniture, using Ikea furniture to create custom storage solutions, and using the company's inexpensive accessories to add personality to a room. These hacks generate buzz worldwide, making Ikea a household name. Source • Language-free manuals The high-ups at Ikea likely planned for globalization, creating a recognizable illustrative language for their manuals. This allows them to provide customers with clear assembly instructions without translating every word. A brilliant way for Ikea to ensure that all of its customers can understand how to put together its furniture. Source • Small adaptations While the Ikea brand stays consistent everywhere, its product offerings vary slightly. This allows them to appeal to a broader target audience, as they can tailor their products to fit the needs of each specific foreign market. For example, for the Indian market, Ikea designed outdoor furniture that will withstand high heat and humidity. And for Korea, they released a wide range of small beds and sofas to fit smaller apartments. These minor tweaks help make Ikea products a staple in every home, growing their large fanbase even more. What can Ikea improve about its localization strategy? • Local collaborations Ikea has done a great job at localizing its products and materials to fit the needs of its consumers. However, they could improve their localization strategy by collaborating with local designers and manufacturers in each target market they expand into. This would help them create products that are even more relevant and relatable to local consumers, while also building stronger relationships with local businesses. It will also enhance their eco-friendly & sustainable brand promise, setting them apart from other furniture retailers. • The human touch While Ikea's furniture is undoubtedly popular, the brand can come off as somewhat plastic-y. The cookie-cutter quotes plastered on the showroom's walls and the uniform furniture you see wherever you go... don't scream 'authentic.' And the bigger they get, the more noticeable that's going to be. Working with artists and designers in every country would be a great way to lend some warmth to their brand. For example, Ikea stores worldwide could sell framed prints of local artists or host special concerts and events in the showroom. This would help customers connect with the brand on a more personal level. Does every company need a localization strategy? No, but it can give you an edge when tapping into a new foreign market. When you localize, you can connect with customers on another level, building trust and credibility. Assuming your original marketing would do the trick can damage your brand's image, and you might lose out on potential customers. So if you're looking to expand your business into new territory, it's worth considering planning your marketing localization strategy ahead of time. That being said, keep in mind that smaller brands just getting a feel of new markets can postpone their localized marketing efforts for a bit, and get away with a one-size-fits-all marketing strategy in the short term. And in some cases, if you don't have the time and funds needed to do it right, it might be better not to localize. Whether to invest in your localization process right now depends on the brand and the product or service you're selling, the market you're getting into, your brand image, and a boxful of other considerations. If you're unsure, set up a consultation with a local marketing agency. They'll be able to help you figure out if localization is suitable for your brand, what your localization needs and goals are, and how to go about achieving them. Thank you for reading! We hope this gives you a better understanding of the importance of localization strategies in marketing, and how some of the big ones successfully implemented it in their business.

This series of posts will take a look at some basic localization terms and concepts. These are the things you really want to know before you start localizing - key methods, top tools, and more. Not only will you know the process better, but you'll be able to make an impression on your next meeting with your localization agency. Let's dive in! In this first post of the series, we will be focusing on CAT Tools. Are you a CAT person? Ah, CAT tools. Such a cute name for such a multifunctional robust piece of software. sigh CAT stands for Computer-Aided Translation. As their name indicates, these are offline and online software tools that aid translators in their day-to-day work. They've been around for a while, and the 90s aesthetic of some of the older tools can give you serious retro nostalgia. 90s aesthetic in Trados. Source ‍ Originally, these tools were used to make translation faster by displaying the source and target strings side by side. This way, translators didn't have to go back and fourth between two files or keep looking down at the printed version. Over the years, these tools got more sophisticated. As technology developed, companies started adding in complex features like translation memories, glossaries, quality alerts, comments, and more. The massive improvements these tools introduced - in terms of time and cost management - led translation agencies to start demanding their linguists work with a CAT tool of their choice. Some tools required linguists to invest in a paid version themselves, while others allowed the agency to provide a linguist with a temporary license. Either way, the skill and added investment required when working with a CAT tool further helped agencies separate those gig-type linguists from professionals who were in it for the long run. This has been going on for a while, but over the past 5 years or so, the CAT tool market has taken a massive leap. A series of intra-industry mergers led to localization giants putting a lot of weight behind their tools. At the same time, several smaller startups launched their own CAT tool versions built for agility and productivity. This created an interesting "David and Goliath" dynamic - which I personally love to see pan out. Should you use a CAT tool? As someone who's been in the industry for a while, the short answer is YES, absolutely. If you currently have localization needs, use a CAT tool. These come in different shapes and levels of commitment, so finding the right one to fit the maturity level of your localization process is probably the biggest challenge (more on that later on). A CAT tool is a great way to navigate your project and not get lost in the details. It helps keep track of which strings are already translated and which are still pending. And the time and money saved from not having to translate or load in repetitive tasks is truly invaluable. In the long run, you'll find it'll save hours of work (and countless hairs pulled in frustration). But that's not all. CAT tools can be used to ensure your translated copy is always consistent with your terminology and with previous versions. And the built-in QA features are ideal for finding those pesky little issues the human eye skips over. Millions of mistranslations and punctuation were saved by these little CAT tool flags or alert marks. And that's before we even get into machine translation - as many of these tools can easily integrate with MT engine and let you translate thousands of words at the click of a button. Quick warning, though - don't jump into the machine translation rabbit hole unless you know exactly what you're doing. It could have dire consequences. That's how CAT looks at Weglot Not all CAT tools were born equal While it's tempting to Google 'CAT tools' and just go with the first choice on the list, that would be a mistake. Before you start browsing, sit down and think about your requirements. By knowing what you need for your localization workflow, you can match a tool to your specific needs and find the best fit for your budget, too. Some CAT tools shine where others fail, and vice versa - so it's crucial to sit and write down what's your top priorities. Is fluency the most important thing for you? Is consistency your #1 goal? Or is integration with your repository/web builder first and foremost on your list? Once you have those priorities listed, you can start running through the available options to find the ideal ones for you. For a quick overview of useful CAT tool features, you can read this post. It also compares some of the CAT tools currently available to help you find the ones offering your top preferred features. Online vs. offline CAT tools Some CAT tools - mostly the older ones - are actual desktop software you install on your computer. Others are cloud-based, which means you only need an internet connection to use them anywhere. These are advantages to each of these methods, so you'll need to consider what your workflow looks like. On the one hand, translating on the cloud is generally more convenient than installing a CAT tool on your computer. You can access the software from anywhere in the world, and you never have to worry about synchronizing data or having the most recent file saved. In addition, most of the online translators offer collaborative work tools, which allow you to work with your translators in real-time. You can leave comments and discuss translation choices with your linguist as they work, thus preventing rolling mistakes that may cost time and money. When using an online CAT tool, you can work with any linguist you choose - and they don't have to buy or set up any additional software on their machine (as long as they have a computer). This also mean you're not limited to a specific OS or have to worry about your translators having a strong enough computer. Some CAT tools even have an app or a mobile interface, letting your translators do their work or implement fixed on-the-go. This way, you'll have to wait far less time for changes or small projects to be handled. On the other hand, an online CAT tool requires a powerful internet connection - especially with added features like in-context editors. When working with remote or third-country languages, you may not be able to count on your linguists having a stable connection - and forcing them to work with cloud-based software may lead to delays. The cost model for most cloud-based CAT tools is often SaaS - forcing companies to pay a monthly fee to keep using the tools. Many of the offline tools, on the other hand, are still sold with a traditional license-based model. You pay per software license, and only have to pay again to upgrade to the latest version. Plus, as with all cloud-based SaaS tools, online CAT tools present a certain security risk. If your tool provider isn't fully on-top of security, this could present a vulnerability that may lead to data leaks or other crucial breaches. The same applies or if you don't have the right infrastructure in place to protect cloud-based integrations. How much does it cost to use a CAT tool? As mentioned, offline CAT tools are often priced per license. This means you only pay once, and only have to pay again to upgrade your license. Usually, upgrade costs are significantly lower than the original license cost. To give you an idea of the costs for using offline tools: The latest edition of Trados Studio starts at $2800. Note that to use Trados, your linguists will have to buy their own license for the software, which may limit your linguist pool. Other offline tools, like MemoQ, will charge you $175 per month - but you'll get the added advantage of 'assigning' each linguist a license when they need to use the software. The cost for cloud-based tools, on the other hand, varies significantly. Weglot will charge you from $9.90 to $199 for their product, and Localazy offers similar pricing - from $9 to $199. Phrase starts at $23 and goes higher for the advanced and enterprise editions. Transifex will charge you starting at $70 a month, and CrowdIn starts at $49 and goes up to $1,500. Note that some of these tools limit the amount of strings or words you can translate with them on certain tiers - so it's a good idea to consider the workload you're looking at before making a decision. That’s it for the first post in this new series. I look forward to bringing you more basic localization concepts in the coming weeks and months. Feel free to leave a comment about your experiences with localization tools! I'd love to hear more and help with any questions. ‍

Do your translators get UX writing? If not, there’s a good chance you’re losing users in your global markets. If you want your product to be perceived as relevant, you need to work with the right team. Here’s why that’s crucial. Originally published on the UX Collective We all know good UX can have a considerable impact on product success. Companies investing more in UX saw up to a 75% increase in sales. Andrew Kucheriavy claimed in 2020 that every $1 invested in UX brings, on average, a $100 ROI. Copy is, of course, a core part of any successful user experience. Companies are now beginning to realize this, and the rise in the number of UX writing and content design jobs easily proves that. UX writing’s poor cousin, localization, receives far less attention from tech and product companies. Often, companies treat localization as a technical task — something that only needs to be done & delivered — but that’s a common misconception. The fact is that good localization is not just changing language — it’s creating new, local user experiences. When writing your localized copy, translators need to understand how to create the best experience in their target language. Their work is much closer to UX writing than we often think: It requires generating strong emotional connections between users and brands and making complex information easy to understand. Localization experts, just like UX writers, need to capture the personality of a brand and convey that personality to specific audiences in appropriately localized ways. When good experiences go wrong If you’re approaching a new market launch, here’s a sad (but real) fact: Even if your product is perfectly designed, incredibly written, and has a flawless marketing strategy — poor localization can still fail you. The best product won’t sell well if people can’t use it. And the fact is, localization issues can be much more than just ‘uncomfortable’; they can lead to anything from users staying away from your product to changing their entire perception of your brand. Poorly localized interfaces can cause usability issues, confuse the people using them, and make your product harder to use overall. And when your product is harder to use and navigate, it can make your users question your credibility or trustworthiness. Be smarter when you localize Whether you’re going into localizing your product soon or already shoulder-deep in the process, you can still save things by collaborating with the right team. It’s critical to find professionals who understand the principles of good UX writing — and that means more than simply translating words. Remember — UX writers create user experiences by putting themselves in the shoes of their users. They create content that is appropriate for each audience, understanding the needs and expectations of their target users to write copy that meets them. This is what makes experiences memorable and special for the end-user. And you want that to extend to your localization efforts. The problem: The two rarely collide Unfortunately, many translation agencies and outsourcers do not understand the importance of UX writing in localization projects. In reality, UX localization can only be done by people who understand how to create a great user experience. And even if translators are native speakers of their language, they’re not necessarily good UX writers. UX localization experts should have an understanding of cognitive psychology, usability and design principles, information architecture, etc., just like any other designer or writer. It takes more than just being a native speaker to write UX copy that will resonate with your target audience. When the people localizing your copy don’t have that knowledge, they often produce low-quality localizations that don’t meet the needs of your users. Why does that happen? The main cause for bad localization is the lack of UX writing understanding — not just among the translators themselves but also among other key people in the industry. From localizers to talent acquisition specialists to project managers, many aren’t aware that there’s a whole discipline behind writing for user interfaces. And since the demand for localization is always on the rise, agencies find it’s almost impossible to find localization experts with UX writing knowledge. Increasing pressure to lower localization costs — and the ever-growing usage of machine translation in localization — further encourage companies to cut corners. True localization is expensive, and true localization experts — with UX writing knowledge — charge far more for their services. The fact that they’re so rare makes them an even hotter commodity in today’s localization market. Either knowingly or unknowingly, companies settle for low-quality localization done by untrained freelancers. What can you do? Whether you’re working with an external localization service or directly with a freelancer, it’s essential to make sure the people who are responsible for your localization have a good grasp of UX principles. There are great localization and translation companies out there, but it may be hard to find them in the crowd. If you’re hiring a company to do localization for you, make sure they have people on staff who specialize in UX writing. If they don’t, find another company that does. Ask your contact person about their process for localizing content and experience with similar projects. Plus, make sure they provide their linguists with the tools and resources they need to localize your content well. If you prefer to work with freelance translators directly, ensure they understand UX writing principles before hiring them. Ask to see some examples and have a native speaker review them and give their opinion. I know it’s a lot to think about — but this understanding is crucial for the success of your localization project. Good localization experts — with the proper knowledge — can grasp the full context and flow of your product, understand your tone of voice, and adapt your brand personality. And you’ll be much more likely to get your local users to use, enjoy, and recommend your product to others around them.

You know that your brand voice is one of the most important assets in your toolkit. And if you're about to start localizing some content for a new country or region, this asset becomes even more crucial. What's a tone of voice? A tone of voice is the distinct personality expressed through the written words of your brand. In other words, it's how our brand should sound when it talks to people in writing. Each person has a unique way of speaking - some are more formal, while others are more light-hearted and casual. Some always get to the point, while others like to tell long stories with lots of details. In the same way, our brand should have its own unique and distinct voice. To design the right tone of voice, you need to consider things like target audience, values, and goals. You want to make sure that your tone is appropriate for the people you're trying to reach, and that it supports the brand identity you're trying to show the world. You also want to ensure that your tone is consistent with your brand's vision and core values. If you can create a tone of voice that resonates with your target audience, it'll help you connect with them on a deeper level. They'll also be more likely to trust what you have to say. That makes it a powerful business tool - and a risky one, too. When we use the wrong tone of voice, we can damage our brand values and lose that connection with our audience. For example, if our brand is trying to come across as fun and light-hearted, but our translations are stiff and formal, we may lose our audience's interest. In the best-case scenario, they won't connect with our content in the same way. But it could be worse - if our voice is inconsistent, customers may feel like the brand is less reliable or trustworthy. We could actually push them away (into the arms of our competitors, of course). Maintaining your brand voice during localization When it comes to localization, many brands struggle to maintain their voice. That's because it can be difficult to ensure that the same tone of voice is used in different languages and cultures. In order to create a successful tone of voice, you need to understand your target audience's culture and values. But when you're dealing with multiple languages and cultures, that can be a difficult task. This is further complicated by the fact that many linguists doing UX localization aren't familiar with the core concepts of UX writing. They often don't know what a tone of voice is, or how to implement it. They may be more used to translating words and phrases, rather than considering the overall tone of the text. The background materials and information linguists get from companies are usually cumbersome and don't provide practical, actionable instructions about the brand's voice. For this reason, even companies with a very distinct brand voice get stiff, formal copy post localization. The stiff or formal option is the safest bet for linguists - and when no better instructions are given, people default to that for lack of better options. But since brand voice is such a valuable tool, It's a shame to 'lose' that edge in translation. And there are things brands like you can do - even today - to improve voice consistency during localization and ensure they get better, more fluent target copy. First, define your ideal result In order to maintain a consistent tone of voice across different languages and cultures during localization, it's important to start by understanding what you expect to get. This includes understanding your target audience's culture and values, and making sure it's in line with your brand's current voice guidelines. You may find you need to adapt your brand voice for a specific locale or culture. That's absolutely fine - there's no reason to assume a brand voice will work in all places or with all people. Your core values may remain unchanged, but your voice can vary to match each specific culture. As long as the new brand voice serves your vision and goals, and as long as you keep it consistent - it can still be the best solution for your brand. If you learn that some of your voice guidelines aren't the best ones for your new audience, work with a local voice or writing expert to find the ideal alternative. Depending on available time and level of commitment, you can do this by having a meeting with said expert, running foucs groups, asking the target audience itself (through a survey) and any other method you think will work for you. Once you're done, you'll have a local version of the original voice - and a clear understanding of the type of voice you're expecting your linguists to reproduce. Then, provide linguists with clear and actionable instructions You'll need to tell your localization partner exactly what you want. When you provide clear instructions, linguists can feel confident to implement them without adding their own spin on things. Start by quickly explaining the main concept of a brand voice - remember your linguists may not know what that is or how to implement it. Then, provide practical instructions based on your specific brand and product. Your instructions should be written in a short, concise way - giving linguists the information they need to know to create copy in their target language. Make sure you provide some examples for anything you include, as those are extremely helpful in demonstrating what you expect to receive. Make sure the instructions you provide are written in clear, correct wording. If you're providing them in English but that's not your native language, have someone proof or review your guidelines before you send them. Small typos or grammar errors can lead to a lot of confusion, especially if your linguists aren't native speakers themselves. You want to minimize your chance of error here - explaining the brand voice is a complicated thing, and you want linguists to get it right. Ensure your instructions are relevant to the content you're sending out. If you're asking your linguists to localize your app UI, for example, your tone of voice guide should specifically apply to those strings. If you're providing marketing materials for a new product launch, make sure your tone of voice guide includes specific guidance on how to write those materials. Finally, make sure the documents and information you're sending are presented in a readable, accessible way. Don't send your linguists a 200-page document to read - they don't get paid for that time, and they'll most likely skip most of the info. Stick to the essentials, and provide supplemental information if needed. Have your document laid out or designed, so that linguists can easily scan it and understand what they're reading. And if you're facing a large localization project, consider having a (paid) training meeting with your linguists, to go over the materials and answer any questions they may have. Finish by making sure they did it well It's important to finish your localization process with an internal QA step to make sure everything is done correctly. There's an obvious reason: When you're localizing content, it's easy to miss small mistakes - typos, incorrect grammar, and even mistranslations. By having a QA step, you can catch these mistakes before they go out to your customers. But when planned well, QA can also help you verify that your brand voice was implemented correctly into the translation. To do this, you need to ensure your QA process includes both manual and automated checks. The manual checks will be done by someone who is familiar with the source and target languages, and who is familiar with your brand voice and style guide. On top of incorrect grammar or typos, they'll be looking at things like word choice, tone, and brand-specific language. To make this step as valuable for you as possible, make sure you create a standardized framework for your reviewer. You can have them rate the linguist's adherence with the voice and other crucial brand components on a scale, to create a measurable, comparable result. This way, you'll also be able to see how your localization quality varies over time or different locales, and implement the right fixes and improvements where needed. Learn and improve every time With every localization project, you get a little bit more experience. So if you get stuck on any of the steps in this round of your localization process, come back to it later and see if you can figure out a better way of doing things. Keep track of what works and what doesn't, and share this information within your team. This way, you can focus on the things that are successful and continue doing them, while improving or dropping the methods that didn't work as well. For more reading, check out 4 brands that impress with their localization strategy.

A dive into the deep end of localization: How is it done? What do you need to keep in mind? And how can you make sure it goes well? Originally published on the UX Writing Hub Let’s say you have a product. After years of hard work and ongoing pivoting, things are going well, and you find yourself thinking: This could be big in Japan. But you have no idea where to start. Or maybe you’re already juggling 4 (or 40) languages, trying to keep up with versions and rules and cultural norms. You’ve somehow kept above water with organized chaos or just simple chaos. But you know this won’t scale. Perhaps you’ve been doing localization for a while. You have a system in place so nothing gets lost along the way. Tasks are delivered on time. Translations are technically correct. But you feel the results are somewhat… generic. Whatever your issue is, I guarantee it can be fixed. It’s all about understanding how localization works. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to localization strategy because every company is different – but if you understand the inner workings of localization, you can build on that understanding to create custom workflows that are right for your company, and tweak and revise them as needed. You’ll also be able to quickly respond to changes and developments around you, making your localization infrastructure more flexible and agile. Plus, when you know what’s supposed to happen, you can make sure things go as planned. You know what to expect. If things derail, you notice much earlier. In short – it’s a must. This is true whether you’re using freelance translators, a translation agency, or in-house linguists. However, please don’t slap a localization task on some poor Italian speakers from customer service. I’ve seen this with more clients than I care to admit and it always backfires. Localization requires a unique skillset, honed over years of learning and working. Take it seriously, and you’ll be rewarded with fantastic results and a strong presence in local markets. OK, but what even is localization? Localization is the process of adapting a product from one market to another. In the context of this article, we’ll talk about how product texts or other types of copy are translated and adapted to fit the new market. It’s important to note that to make a product sound and feel native, you may need to make extensive changes to your tone of voice, messaging, or even design. We’ll discuss this in detail below. What to expect when I do localization? On a super basic level, when you localize your content, this is what you expect to see: Copy in one language → Copy in a different language. Big whoop, right? Wrong. This is what actually happens, or at least, should happen: Brand values and personality + Product or project needs + Specific copy needs (AKA Context) → Copy in one language → Local knowledge + Context → Context adapted to the target market → Copy in a different language (first draft) → Proofread copy in a different language (second draft) → Validated copy in a different language (third draft) → Notes and comments (after copy is implemented) → Finalized copy in a different language (final version) Ahh! I know, it’s a lot. Don’t worry, though. We’ll go over everything. Scroll on to delve into the dark, dark world of professional localization. Before we start: 4 assumptions we’re making Translators are a hard bunch (and I include myself in this definition). They’re used to being the smartest person in the room, and that often makes them less receptive to unusual requirements (like: “please make sure the translation reflects my brand”). The good ones are also busy, and that means they go through dozens of brands each month, or even week. It’s hard to keep track of so many voices and guidelines with such turnover.In the grand scheme of things, translators want you to get good results. They want to do their work well. But you need to give them the right tools, in a way that’s easy for them to use and understand. You also need to stand out from the brand crowd to get your guidelines some extra space in their brain. More on that later. Localization is a hard word to type. Also, say. I’ll be using translation and localization interchangeably throughout this post. I know there may be some purists claiming these are not the same. Please refer them to the nearest comment section where they can argue over semantics with others of their kin. You need your localized content to feel natural and local. You don’t, however, need it to be 100% word-for-word accurate. If you’re here trying to localize legal or medical texts this is probably not going to be a good fit. Sorry, it’s not you, it’s your content. You know how your brand should sound. Don’t – I repeat, DO NOT – start localizing before you’ve got your brand figured out. That’s a surefire way to lose control over the entire process from the get-go. When you send copy for translation with no brand brief, you’re basically letting translators have their way with your copy. And trust me – it is not going to be pretty. Right. Now that we’ve established our frame of reference, here it is. The 8 steps you need to know in-and-out to go from ‘ah um loca-what?’ to Localization Pro. Step 1: Your brand and goals As I said, you should have your brand voice nailed down. It’s also useful to predefine your goals for both UX texts and copy. Once you do, you’ll use these insights to create a translation brief and style guide. They’ll also impact the copy you write. Let’s assume you already know exactly how your brand should sound and have a clear spec document outlining what you’ll be working on and what your goals are. Good for you for being so responsible! You move on to writing your copy. Step 2: Your copy This is where you take all you’ve defined in the previous step, and write on-brand UX texts. UX writing is an art form in its own right, and I will not delve into the details here. Enough to say your texts should serve their intent and sound like your brand. So, once your final copy is functional, beautiful, action-driving perfection, you prep your strings for translation. This often includes copying them into a spreadsheet or a doc file. Other times, you’ll upload them into a CAT tool (that’s a software dedicated to improving translation and localization workflows). You get ready to send them out for translation. But wait! You also need to send… Step 3: Your context This is everything the translators should know about this project to get it right. In the very least, it should include a style guide and a brand brief adapted specifically to your project’s needs. Here are some things you may want to include: Your brand’s personality and voice Your goals for this specific project Screenshots or the source layout the translated texts need to fit into Who are you writing for? What’s your target audience? Any specific linguistic instructions you want followed Terms and phrases you want to translate in a certain way You may be tempted to just dump every bit of information into a zip file and send that, but don’t. Your brief should be focused and easy to read. I’d even recommend having it professionally designed to keep it scannable and memorable. The more effort and thought you put into this brief, the bigger your odds are of getting good results. Optional step 3.5: Translator training Don’t expect your translators to work for free – pay them for training time. I strongly recommend you allocate a couple of hours for linguists to familiarize themselves with your brief and style guide. This is usually possible when you make the effort to work with permanent teams (also encouraged). Paying translators for training will dramatically increase the chances of them actually reading your briefs. Step 4: Translation And so it begins! The translator takes everything you’ve sent and gets to work. Keys are pressed. Words are typed. It’s electrifying. To get fluent target copy, you don’t want your translator doing a word-for-word translation. You want them to take the core meaning of your original copy, mix it up with some local knowledge and grammar, and in a healthy dose of context, and create matching copy in their language. That’s where the alchemy of good translation lies – in that black cauldron full of context soup. However, you still want your guidelines adhered to. A great way to help translators make sure this happens is by creating a dedicated translation checklist. It should include the core instructions you want followed – for example, make sure translation is non-gendered, or verify that the tone of voice is formal. Send that (not too long) checklist to the translator and have them confirm all instructions were followed. Step 5: Proofreading Translators being human, they often make mistakes. This is why we need another human translator to go over the first human translator’s work. During this stage, Translator #2 will (ideally) make sure the translation is good. As ‘good’ is subjective, we’ll need to define for them exactly what counts as good in our book. Reviewers should follow the translation brief and style guide too, making sure the rules are followed. To help them keep track of things, we’ll send a dedicated reviewer checklist. No matter what translation tool you’re using, make sure all corrections at this stage are clearly marked with tracked changes. It’ll help you get a clear overview of what happened. Plus, it’s important for the next step – validation, or as I like to call it ‘the battle of the egos’. Step 6: Validation Translators being human, they have egos. Being smart humans, they have massive spaceship-sized egos (OK, not all of them. But some). This is why there will always be changes in the proofreading stage. And Translator #1 will always disagree with Translator #2. During validation, translators should have a healthy discussion, each explaining their point of view until they reach the best version. Your goal is to create the best boxing ring for this quote-unquote discussion. Namely: a shared spreadsheet or document in English, of which you have full visibility. Yes, you want them to be able to communicate well. That’s a given. But you also need to know what’s being said. It’s a great way to make sure instructions are followed and maybe pop in with your own point of view if needed. Step 7: LQA Once you implement the target copy in your app, ad, or any other layout, things WILL go wrong. Some languages are longer or shorter than others. Others have super-specific layout demands you will forget about. Some will need a special font, or require you to change the date format. The possibilities are endless. During LQA, your linguists (#1, #2, or magical #3) will go over the localized content in its layout to make sure everything sits as it should. You can either send PDFs or screenshots, or you can set up a test environment for them to browse through. If they find issues or errors, they need to write them down, just as you would when you normally do QA. If they’re linguistic issues, they need to implement the needed corrections, too. Once everything gets green-lighted, do another, quicker LQA to make sure everything was fixed properly. Step 8: Repeat YOU’RE DONE! Do a little happy dance, then start all over again. The joys of localization never really end, and you’ll soon have a new version to implement. What’s next? I hope this overview helped you learn some more about how the localization sausage gets made. Now, sit down with your team and try to identify where your own workflow can be improved. Write down your bottlenecks and use the information above to iron out the kinks. Once your workflow improves, you should start to see dramatic improvement. For more reading, check out 4 brands that impress with their localization strategies.

As the role of human translators continues to shrink, it is up to us to redefine our value in the industry. When I was a kid, back in the olden days, we had a family tradition. Every once in a while, we’d all go together to the video rental store, argue a lot, pick out a film and watch it together. These video stores were truly magical places — aisles and aisles of every cartoon I could imagine (though we didn’t have imdb back then, so I couldn’t imagine much). When we finished the movie, we rewound the tape (we were well-mannered kids) and took it back in 48 hours or less. By the time I was in high school, most of the video stores shut down. Instead, we drove over to the vending machine at the edge of town, pressed a few buttons and were rewarded with a thin plastic DVD box sliding out. These days, even vending machines are getting more and more scarce. With Netflix and Hulu on every computer and smart TV, an entire profession has just — poof — disappeared. Sounds familiar? Being a translator, this is something I hear around me constantly. There are powerful winds of change currently flowing through the translation world, brought on by the rise of AI usage in machine translation. Prophecies of doom proclaim that translation is a dying profession, and translators a breed on the verge of extinction. While I can’t say I agree with the doomsday approach, things are definitely going to change. In fact, over the past couple of years, the entire industry is swept up in a sense of upcoming transformation: a feeling I personally find at the same time both terrifying and exhilarating. For many of my colleagues, these are scary times. Translators have seen a steady rise in demand for their services over the past 20 years. In 2006, the US Department of Labor predicted a 24% increase in request for translators over the following 10 years. Thanks to globalization and UX trends, more and more companies dove into more and more markets, localizing their products as a result. If you were lucky enough to have a knack for languages and the right training, you were assured a rather safe job prospect in a not-so-safe market. But that cozy status-quo started to crumble in 2015 when the first neural machine translation system went live. With machine translation — in one form or other — being available for decades, no one could estimate how transformative this was going to be. But NMT and the forms of AI-based machine translation that followed brought such rapid improvement in only a few years, it quickly became clear that the tables are about to be turned. AI relies on big data, and while some languages and specialties already present better results, all of them will get there sooner or later — sooner being the key word. As the role of human translators in good-old source-to-target translation continues to shrink, it is up to us to redefine our value and find ways to maintain our relevance in an evolving industry, lest we go the way of the video store clerk. To find out how we, as human linguists, can make a meaningful contribution in hybrid human-machine translation, we first have to consider the characteristics of AI and machine learning, and more importantly — their weaknesses. AI-based tools excel in speed, accuracy, and efficiency. In the near future, machine learning will make our lives faster, cheaper, more efficient and accurate. Like the most realistic science fiction ever made, every aspect of our world will be changed and improved, whether we like it or not: from food production, all the way through medicine, supply, planning, driving and even home living. And the contribution it will have to our life does not end with technical tasks. Based on the binary rules it is given— or the ones it develops using the data it is fed — AI can produce ‘creative’ content that is remarkably human-like. Apply a little lipstick and don’t let anyone get too close, and they will never know the difference. The output will be technically correct and the process generally a great deal quicker than a human is capable of. Have a look, for example, at the paragraph below, produced by Allen Institute’s GPT-2 Explorer: The first major change to the translation industry was the introduction of the “translator’s manual” in the early 1990s. This manual was a major step forward in the translation industry. It was a step forward in the translation industry because it allowed the translator to make a decision about the translation of a book. The translator could then make a final judgment based on that decision. The second major change was the creation of a new translation service called “translation service” (TOS). This service was created by the translation service company, Translate.com. The TOS service was a service that allowed the translator to make a decision about the translation of a book. Sure, GPT-2 may not be the brightest match in the box yet, and it seems to be weirdly fixated on book translation. However, considering the fact that this was written by a computer, I must admit it’s quite impressive. The content is grammatically correct and the flow makes sense — well, sort of. Actually, some of my papers in high-school weren’t so far off. And as GPT-2 continues to learn, it may even get to college soon. In fact, on top of translation and writing, scientists managed to use machine learning to get computers to output human-like results in many other fields. Last year, Christie’s sold an AI-generated portrait for $435,000. Tools like AIVA and Amper Music offer users custom-made AI compositions for their projects. And just a few months ago, an AI-entity named Benjamine created a film starring nonother than Baywatch’s David Hasselhoff. I know, right? If computers are smart enough to make us some Hassel-clones, humanity can finally sit back and admire a job well done. But these artistic endeavors lack one thing — a human touch. AI’s Achilles’ heel, or its weak spot, is the illogical things that make us — us. Faith, emotions, culture, empathy — all of those little, random parts of humanity that make no sense but somehow drive us forward. Without them, the world will feel a cold, strange and alienating place. While people may be able to appreciate the precision and perfection of an AI-written piece, they may not be able to connect with it on a deeper emotional level. The human touch is unquantifiable, undefinable. And since computers can’t understand it, they can’t replicate or reproduce it. To bridge that gap, many pre-AI professions will become hybrids — with computers doing the bulk of the technical work, and humans adding their own unique fingerprint to create a complete product that is larger than the sum of its parts. In the case of translators, it’s time to shift our focus from the technical act of translation to the translation endeavor as a whole. The skills linguists are required to have today will soon become obsolete. We will no longer need people to read content in one language and type it in another. Just like a robotic vacuum cleaner, computers will do that for us (hopefully, not getting stuck under the couch quite as often). Rather than being mere language experts, translators will have to become anthropologists of a sort — anthro-linguists, if you’d like — students of human nature and culture. Specifically, our role in the translation process will be twofold. First, we will act as masters of humanity: make sure the soul of the content is properly conveyed. This is something I came across recently, in a website translation job we worked on for a major client in the hospitality industry. On top of our usual MTPE duties (because let’s face it, MT is not there yet), we verified that the tone and voice match those of the brand: inviting, friendly and professional. And it’s a good thing we did! NMT and similar methods do employ a meaning-based approach, but they are prone to overlook subtle innuendos and subtext. More often than not, the meaning-based approach produced content that was correct, but also dry and impersonal. Sure, it probably would have been understood either way. But it might not have made their customers feel welcome, or delighted, and a lot of the carefully-crafted effect of the original content would have been lost. As anthro-linguists, it will be our job to adapt translations, keeping them in line with the required tone and voice. Secondly, we will act as cultural experts for the target market, ensuring that the result is well-understood, that it doesn’t step on any toes (unless the point is that it does) and that it maintains the same cultural spirit as the source. Humor; references to pop-culture, history, and books; or even simple visuals are all at risk of getting lost in translation, or accidentally offending our market. An outstanding example of how seemingly harmless content can have a detrimental effect on your brand’s image is the case of the German brewery Eichbaum. In honor of the 2018 World Cup, Eichbaum printed bottle caps with flags of the 32 national teams participating. But one of the countries — Saudi Arabia — found their marketing act extremely offensive. The Saudi flag contains the Islamic statement of faith, and the choice to print it on an alcoholic beverage — the consumption of alcohol being “haram”, a serious prohibition in Islam — incited a heavy backlash from Muslims around the world. Eichbaum clearly did not think their marketing choice will cause such outrage, but an expert in Saudi-Arabian culture could have probably tipped them off, have they taken the trouble to ask. The switching of roles in translation means that linguists interested in keeping their job in the industry will have to acquire a completely different set of skills to stay relevant. Each translation job will involve diving deep into the hidden meanings of the text, using detailed client briefs and a lot of creativity. Translators will need to have an in-depth, broad understanding of their native culture, as well as its many sub-cultures; keep themselves up to speed with any new social phenomenon; And employ various methods of research and data collection to gain insights on the markets they focus on. By using our own human abilities to complement the advantages of AI and machine learning, translators will remain valuable in today’s disturbed industry. Even more so, we can take an active role in the transformation, helping the translation industry become bigger, better and stronger. And we can be part of the revolution, at the same time making sure the content by which we, as a society, are surrounded preserves its sense of humor, its unique character, and most importantly — its soul.