5 Benefits of Software Localization That Can Help You Expand Your Business

The business world is evolving daily, and you need to develop intelligent strategies to survive its competition. An excellent way to do that is to expand the reach of your business. But you can only effectively achieve this through product localization. And a pivotal way to localize your product is to localize your software.
With the swift growth experienced in the international market, developing software that adopts only the attributes of your region is not healthy for the development of your business. This is because there is an increase in the number of internet users, which are primarily non-English speakers. Unfortunately, most of the content and software on the internet is in English; and its speakers account for only 17% of the world’s population.
Hence, if you want to reach more audiences outside your region, you must implement software localization.

What is Software Localization?

Software localization is the process of modifying different aspects of your software to satisfy the need of a targeted audience. These modifications include the language, the User Interface (UI), the functionality, formatting conventions, and graphical components. With these changes, your potential users will have a better user experience of your software. If you can effectively localize your software, your target audience will find it difficult to differentiate your product from the locally made ones. You can partner with localization services to yield a better result.
Some other common practical changes you can make include the local currency and measurement conversions, images, calendar, and color schemes to mention a few. For instance, some countries in Southeast Asia have two calendars. One is the standard Gregorian calendar, while the other is based on the Buddhist religion. Therefore, you must determine the predominant calendar and use it appropriately if you target areas like this.
Let’s briefly look at some DOs and DON’Ts of software localization before we go into their benefits.
· Do take localization as a strategy.
· Do your design with localization in mind.
· Don’t make your source text too long.
· Don’t forget to plan for text expansion.
· Do use the UTF-8 encoding.
· Don’t hardcode either punctuation or text.
· Do partner with a localization services expert.
· Don’t just meet expectations; exceed them.

Benefits of Software Localization

The following are some advantages of localization:

Expands Your Business

When you localize your software, you have created a means for more audiences to locate your brand. Product localization isn’t just about translating from one language to another; it also involves understanding how the local market in your targeted region works. This will give you an insight into areas to localize your product. Recent research by Common Sense Advisory found that an estimated 72% of consumers spend more time on websites in their native language. The more customers visit your software, the more your business and brand are being recognized globally.

Expands Your Business

When you localize your software, you have created a means for more audiences to locate your brand. Product localization isn’t just about translating from one language to another; it also involves understanding how the local market in your targeted region works. This will give you an insight into areas to localize your product. Recent research by Common Sense Advisory found that an estimated 72% of consumers spend more time on websites in their native language. The more customers visit your software, the more your business and brand are being recognized globally.

Competitive Advantage

Localization is a better way to compete in the internet market. Many businesses find it challenging to grow their business out of their region, even with an excellent product. Therefore, as you localize your software, you are at an advantage to outperform them. Although the software market is vast and aggressive, you will stand a better chance to compete even in the foreign market. Having your software localized is an excellent strategy to gain the trust and loyalty of your potential consumers. And the more your customer has confidence in your products or services, the better you are at competing.

Less Churn, More Loyalty

Customers only feel loyal to products that serve them what they want. Make your product available in their native locale through a good user experience of your software. This will reduce churning drastically and build trust for your product. And it gives you a higher chance of retaining customers. The more you include them, the more exponential growth you experience in your business. Also, use culturally appropriate images; it shows how much you care and respect your customer’s history and tradition. This little gesture can create a long-lasting bond between you and your customers.

Improved User Engagement

It still revolves around good user experiences. Localization does more than removing the barriers to access across the globe; it can also create an enabling environment for the user to understand and feel the product’s benefit. If your software has excellent functionality and it’s user-friendly, your users tend to engage more. An ideal user experience summarizes that they are consistently hiring your software and recommending it to other people. And more importantly, you will know your market better, which can help you develop better ways to communicate with your local users.

Increases Sales

The main reason for having a business is to yield profit. Researches have shown that e-commerce customers prefer to purchase their products from software developed in their native language. This is why most multinational companies offer their content in the preferred language of their target areas. For example, Nivea offers different user experiences in other countries. Even the models used in the image for their packaging reflect the local buyers in those regions. Also, their websites followed the conventional way of writing texts in each country. In order to boost your sales across the globe, you must localize your product and software.

Conclusion

In summary, localization is your key to unlocking new revenue across the globe. With proper product localization and software localization–which can be achieved by partnering with localization services—you can expand your business beyond your imagination. Make your researches know the cultural and traditional attributes of the prospective target areas. Ensure you pay attention to details like the most preferred language of the country, their date format, how they write their texts, and so on. All this information is essential to localize your software. This will help you enjoy the benefits of software localization and make your business stand out by being on top of the industry. In building your brand, you will always be one step ahead of your competitors, both locally and internationally. With this, you will be able to win customers’ trust and loyalty.