Simple Guide Of App Localization That You Must Read

The most fantastic dream for app owners is to get millions of users from all over the globe; If you have it, many people trust the application and that your business will develop and grow.

Nowadays, the global market is full of different apps tailored for the same purposes or providing the same service. But what makes each other is how they approach their customers and how comfortably the app is developed.

The app must be shaped for the international market to be used globally, which means the app has to be developed in multiple languages for native speakers. And when we say that, we mean localization to adapt the app to the culture and peculiarities of a region. You can do it yourself if you know all the details of the target market and audiences’ culture, or you can hire app localization services where the team will take the most challenging tasks and ensure the best services to make your app rock on a new market.

Let us see what app localization is, its processes and why it is essential.

What is app localization?

App localization is adapting every app element to the linguistics and culture of any targeted audience to fit their requirements. As you know, the proper translation is essential, and it must make the content look and feel native not to create conflict and problems between brands and clients. It’s common knowledge that what is acceptable in this geography is the opposite in another. Mistakes may cost a business a lot. Let us take the example of the classic rock ‘n’ roll salute (Index finger up, middle fingers down, pinky up, thumb in). In Indian classical dance, it is a sign for Lion, but in an Arab country, it means “Satanism “. So if you target an Arab country, you must check if all signs indicate the same thing as you believe. Otherwise, your app won’t gain the best impression.

Why is app localization important?

When you successfully adapt your app to different regions of the globe, you create an opportunity for the app’s growth, which is not possible or limited when dealing only with your local

users. App localization allows your product to be used by different kinds of audiences around the globe. A high-quality product= more happy clients = more revenue = more possibilities for growth.

App localization process

Let’s see some typical stages. The first stage is localization planning. First, you need a strategy, and based on it, you will apply it to the localization itself. Here are the steps:

1. Know the target market: it is essential to know your targeted audience. Localization needs market research. Actual usage data can help a lot to know many details of your targeted market, and it will give you more ideas about which market will be most beneficial for you because data does not lie. Also, it would help if you took caution about the translation. It needs to be accurate and flawless.
2. Study the feedback you receive: a great way to analyze your users is to read their feedback in costume chat support, in app stores, or on review sites. It will show you more patterns to target the regions that will bring you success, as well as leave an eye on complex, difficult cases to find solutions in the future. You can expand your search to see what nationality uses your platform the most and what countries are more appealing for your growth.
3. Take customer requests into account: if you are a customer-focused business, it is clear that you will listen to and consider what your clients request and ask. And all the changes will affect them as they are the final users. It is essential to keep this in mind because it will affect the future success of your product. But not all the time; all your decisions must be linked to these reviews. For example, receive a complaint that the app does not have a Chinese version, but you have a few users from China. It will not be a smart move to go for the Chinese market based only on that, you still need to focus on the markets that have the majority of your people, but you can consider it.
4. Study the market and competition: to localize your app for a market. You have to do research and know everything about your competitors. By keeping an eye on what they do, you will be able to collect a lot of data about their products, pros, and cons, what you can improve to make your app better, and avoid the same mistakes.
5. Focus on a language individually: planning your budget and focusing on one language will give you greater precision. It is better to take it slower than hurry and make mistakes—your business matters. The app growth is significant, but better to target one or few markets till you succeed there.
6. Find a good translation service: when we speak about translation for localization, accuracy, and culture must be respected. Machine translation will not do this. The best choice is to hire professional online translation services to help you. Keep in mind that you are dealing with native users so that any mistake will be easily detected, so investing in a translation service is a must.

And now we are ready for the app. Let’s see the steps here:

1. Create an XML file and submit it for translation: an XML file will help you easily translate your content to another because it will have all the strings in your app.
2. Localization of non-string content: localization is not only about the text and string. Take in count: currency, numbers, date format, audio, video, text, and image.
3. Translate the app store content: the platform where your application is available to be downloaded is the first contact between your app and users. Translating the reviews and the scope for app stores is a must.
4. Implement the finished translation: check and re-check the translation. All strings must be correctly translated, then insert the new XML file with the correct translation for your app.
5. Internally test your localized app: you have to verify the app’s functionality and see if anything will ruin the app’s performance. Here you will need the help of localization testing services to double-check the app.
6. Make the translation available to users: after implementing the final translation, it is time to check the app with native users. At this stage, errors might appear but tolerate them as humans were working on the app’s development, but consider the feedback.

Conclusion

Every app has to be localized to get a place in the global market because it is the way to do it with the confidence of success. It is not an easy process, but it is worth all time and money invested. To localize your app, you need to build the strategy, and only then can you move to apply it and localize the app. There are a lot of app localization service providers. They can help as it is their field. Choose the best one for your project, and be ready to conquer the world!