Website Localization – An Intricate Balance of Language, Culture, and Technology

Multilingualism is the key to reaching global heights. The 21st century calls for an ambience where all English is no longer the unrivalled king of the virtual space. As such, the vitality of incorporating regional language content in any online platform is at an all –time high. The process of Website localization is a phenomenal strategy of targeting new niches and multiplying precious revenue. Localization and linguistics go hand in hand. Statistics reveal that 71.2 percent of netizens prefer to shop from sites that are in their native languages. But, an often-ignored aspect of the entire localization process is culture and its invigorating part in successful localization of a website. 

Localization and Cultural Trajectories

Before hopping on to the localization bandwagon, it is imperative to indulge in a holistic market research that only grapples with the consumption patterns of the concerned clientele, but also the socio-cultural specificities of the region. If you are opting for website localization services, choose a company that gives enough importance to socio-cultural contextualisation. Being attuned to cultural sensitivity will help enable a website touch with the pulse of the target region. 

Some of the fundamental questions that should be interrogated include the moral compass the particular society, the specific trends pertaining to the website’s niche, the frowned upon aspects, the sought-after pointers, and so forth. Language and culture should be meticulously combined to make the content of the localized seamless and rustic. For example, ‘pass out’ in India means graduating or leaving high school, whereas in the United States, ‘pass out’ is used when someone has lost consciousness. Such minute details play a colossal role in website localization. 

Being mindful of cultural nuances also helps in establishing brand reputation and trust. A failure at implementing and understanding the visible and invisible norms of a society may cause irreparable damage to the brand’s image. Brand image and reputation are supreme markers of success in contemporary times. No matter what the size of a business is, targeting a new place implies that it will be an alien entity for the new clientele, and in such a context, taking care of socio-cultural nuances is crucial. For example, British humor is very different from French humor as the former is quiet on-the-face and the latter is dry and full of self-derision. Thus, it is essential to manifest these differences while preparing cheeky localized content. 

In Conclusion

Thus, localization services entail a cocktail of language, culture and technology. All the three ingredients are equality essential to carve out a site that will nudge the hearts of the targeted population. While choosing website localization services, make sure to do some background research before finalising on an agency.