Proper product localization can be pretty tricky, but the primary issue is that businesses don’t realize that localization needs to be continuous. Localizing your products and all of your material falls under this as well.
The bare minimum you can do is to make your product available in several languages. A consistent strategy results in continuous localization and development. This makes sure that translation delays won’t hamper your next release. Since they know what other departments are working on, translators and localization managers can negotiate translations and any associated concerns beforehand.
A software localization company provides you with localization software that functions as a database of translation keys and has all the capabilities required for efficient team collaboration for continuous localization to be successful. By doing this, you make sure that when your company’s departments collaborate and work together on a project, so do your suppliers.
Delivering localized products more quickly while continuing the development process is one approach to keep clients happy with your business. However, because localization differs from the software development process, using agile methods presents several difficulties and dangers. Let’s examine continuous localization and the ideal strategies for streamlining the procedure within your business.
What is exactly continuous localization?
Localization is adapting content to a specific country, city, or town. Therefore you will likely need to consider various things, such as:
- Multimedia content (photos, videos, etc.)
- Translation and intonation
- Units of measurement (length, width, etc.)
- Currency
And more, depending on your specialization and target audience.
Although localization requires much work, research demonstrates that it offers a $25 ROI (Return on Investment) for every $1 invested. There is no question that it is worthwhile in the end.
When a single piece of material requires an update, continuous localization is more active than traditional localization. We are all aware that content must first be created and translated before it can be released. However, in the case of ongoing updates, localization must continue. It controls the neighborhood in general and tods in particular to avoid problems.
Benefits of continuous localization
Because localization is a continuous process, businesses must adopt a consistent localization strategy to establish a solid global brand identity. Here are a few crucial benefits of keeping brand localization consistent.
Why bother with continuous localization when conventional approaches have often been successful?
First of all, a new age has begun for us. Numerous websites, apps, and other forms of dynamic digital material exist. You also need to keep a lot of formerly static stuff updated. Consider retro video games as an example.
We never had to update the vast majority of video games just a few decades ago. Even offline games are now updated after their first release.
Using the right continuous localization tool can help with the following:
- Continually updating your content
- Reducing product managers’ overall workload.
- Quickening engineering and localization teams’ communications.
Continuous Localization Challenges
Continuous localization isn’t a panacea, of course. You must avoid some potential hazards to benefit from this localization management approach.
Accuracy and consistency in translation
The terminology, tone, and voice must be consistent because the translated content will be included in an already-existing product. However, while working within the condensed time frame of an agile sprint, it might be challenging for translators to grasp the context.
To help ensure that words and style are consistently used throughout all sprints, create a translation style guide and employ term glossaries. To give translators context, you can submit relevant background information (such as the plot of a video game or pictures of an application) to a centralized localization portal.
Collaboration Across Functions
The complexities of localization workflows are frequently beyond the comprehension of developers, and the nuances of developing a digital product may escape translators. A lack of mutual understanding can lead to problems in a quick-paced, agile setting.
An agile development approach also includes other team members like product managers, designers, user experience (UX) writers, and marketers. To ensure that nothing slips through the gaps, they all need to be in the know, comprehend one another’s objectives, and collaborate effectively.
Create a plan for software localization, and ensure that everyone on the team knows the broader picture. Create automated workflows using a cloud-based localization platform to ensure that the appropriate individuals have access to the proper data at the right times for their jobs.
Organization and Resource Allocation
The scope of each sprint might cause the amount of translation to vary from week to week, making it challenging to predict resource requirements. Using the same translators on every sprint of the localization project may not be possible, making maintaining consistency more difficult.
You might collaborate with translation service providers to secure the same staff for your projects. Again, having a central location for a style manual, glossaries, and background material makes it easier to maintain consistency while allowing fresh translators to step in as needed.
Final thought
It is undeniable that the localization procedure has evolved since its inception. Upgrades have been made possible by the capacity to localize continuously. These gaps eventually open up opportunities for continued localized content enhancement. It is essential if you want your business to remain viable in the face of competition. The earlier the iteration of everything, the better. Localized content indeed has to be updated and improved regularly. The only way to do this is by continuously localizing with the help of software localization services.
To succeed globally, you also need interesting content that engages people and converts them into customers. And this content should be constantly updated. Also, a client or customer will cooperate with your company in many ways, not just the product. Customers will most probably visit your website, exchange emails, and check and read posts on social media. They can interact with your chat and read the documentation provided.
Consider the effort to improve the user experience as a long-term investment steadily. Continuous localization may require more time and resources than traditional methods, but the outcomes will be far more favorable. Even if you encounter some obstacles, the result will be totally beneficial.
