What is localisation and why is it important?
March 14, 2022
Our world is more connected than it’s ever been before. And as a business owner, I’m always conscious of the next opportunity for growth that these wider connections create for us all. However, failing to adapt your product or service marketing to different regions will impact your ability to grow your business.
For instance, your website could have all the elements to be successful, a great design, well-written content, but if you’re only communicating in English, anyone who speaks another language won’t be able to find you. You’re missing out on a goldmine of potential customers, not only in Cambridgeshire but overseas as well.
According to customer behaviour research, the majority of website visitors (87%) will not buy products from a website they cannot understand. We’ve found that non-English speaking visitors, whether in the UK or overseas, exited websites within seconds when presented with English-only content. So, if you want to be successful in engaging with and selling to international audiences – you need localisation services. But what is localisation?
Localisation involves the process of text translation as well as any or all of the following:
- Modifying your content to suit the tastes and habits of local markets
- Addressing economic, historical, and sometimes political references
- Adjusting images, icons, colours to the local tastes and culture
- Changing dates, addresses, phone numbers, etc. to fit a local format
- Converting to local currencies and units of measure.
Localisation isn’t just about getting your language, layout and graphics right though, it can also protect you from awkward situations. Without truly understanding the culture of the people who speak the language, it can be easy to unintentionally offend people.
The team at PAB Languages Centre come from all over the world and understands all the elements and cultural references you’ll need to take account of when speaking to your audiences. Our creative linguists will use the right words, the right style, and tone to ensure you are communicating effectively with your international audience.
Get in touch today on 07799 772 360 to discuss your project.