10 Common Localization Mistake to Avoid Damage in Business

Localization by definition is editing and translating content for people in other regions and also considering the region's cultural aspects and norms. The localization process is usually used in many products such as applications, games, novels, website content, and many more. The use of localization processes will help companies undergo localization mistakes that could cost the industry.

It is essential to understand and comprehend the region's cultures and norms before doing localization. Understanding it will help the content become more appealing to the target audiences. Failure to do so will prevent the content from being understood internationally. The English language seems to dominate the world. These days, many people seem to use it as a daily language. However, this is not the case in many countries. In fact, millions of people are using different languages on different continents. Hence, to expand business to those countries, companies should consider doing localization.

As stated before, localization is not just translating word to word from one language to another. Localization also needs to use cultural references in the translation process so the content outcome can sound appealing to the target audiences. In localization, you need to use the right word for the right content, use cultural references that are not rude or taboo in their culture, and also deal with differences in language that could occur.

It is not a simple deal to do. Especially if you understand that language continuously grows over time. Many new phrases emerge from one generation to the next. Localizing is a tough process. Hence, many are bound to make mistakes at one time or another. To understand the mistakes that are commonly made in localization, you can check this article out.

Top 10 Localization Mistakes

As we said before, localization is a tough process that not only involves language translation but also cultural issues and references. Companies should understand that they need to keep their head straight and avoid these mistakes. Here are some of them.

• Text Count

Translated text from English to another language usually would take a different amount of space. It could become much shorter or longer. For the localization process, this is one thing to consider. Localization services should consider the layout and formatting from the early stages. Especially in game localization or website localization. The words used on their products should be able to fit the space perfectly without disregarding any important meaning. If the localization specialist finds phrases that become much longer when translated and cannot fit the panel, they should search for other words that could fit and still give the same meaning. Therefore, this problem should be solved quickly.

• Idioms

A localization of a brand or product should convey the same meaning without disregarding the cultural aspects. Catchphrases that could light up the brand image should also be localized to keep the image of the brand and convey its meaning. However, it is hard to keep the original idioms in the target languages without changing their meaning. Localization experts need to find other phrases that suit the tone and voice of the phrases. Many times, this could lead to change that could affect the company's campaign. Hence, the localization team should also collaborate with the marketing team to find the correct answer to this problem.

• Unaware of Different Dialects

In many countries, languages are quite similar. However, they actually hold different dialects in every region. You can find this case in Spanish in different regions and also in Indonesian and Malay language. Generalizing the localization content is not a good decision. Generalizing it means you are not targeting any of these countries; it is considered a localization mistake. You assumed that those people would understand the localized content since it is the same or similar.
Well, you are quite wrong. Different countries with similar languages will surely hold different dialects and meanings. One word could mean something different in other dialects. That is why you need to target not only the language but the geographical areas too.

• Character's Missing

Localization is tough, you ought to make some common mistakes such as missing characters if not used with the target language. While this sounds quite a simple mistake, it could become worse. Simple mistakes such as missing characters could be taken lightly in some languages and cultures. However, it is not the same with other languages that use certain different characters that hold different meanings if you lose one single character. The localized content could sound and even hold different meanings entirely to the locals. This could become a disaster for your company. The missing characters could be because of corrupt data on your computer or software. To prevent this, you need to make sure to use the best software or even use the right localization company in the process. Using a localization company could be better since they have specific teams that usually have native speakers.

• Left to Right Text Only

When translating to another language, you should automatically understand that many regions do not read their text from left to right. There are some regions that read their text from right to left. Some countries still use vertical writing in their daily life. You need to incorporate this into your localization so it would fit. Especially if you are localizing a website, app, or game. You need to make sure the target audiences will understand the text clearly and adhere to their common use of text. Unable to change or keep making this mistake would give a bad image to your company. This could prevent your company from going global.

• Unaltered Place's Names

Using international names of countries might be the easy way. However, it is not the best way since not many people understand or know the international name of a country. Many countries even use different characters and names for countries. Localizing this name to the target language is important. Especially in a game setting when the real name of countries is used. It could be easier for the target audiences if you use localized name places. Therefore, they could understand it clearly and prevent any undesired moments when playing the game. Using only international names in localization could also seem insulting to some people. Hence, it could impact your company.

• Not Using Their Units

The localization process not only involves language and cultural aspects but also the use of units. Currency, dates, and dimensions are some of the things a company should consider when doing localization. Keeping units the same as before means you have no regard for the target audiences. It is important to keep the audience as comfortable as possible when reading the localization text. Especially for websites and games, where page view and how long you spend on the platform is important. Do not make this localization mistake. Not only could it confuse the target audiences but also makes your website unbearable to use for them. A good localization company will consider this automatically. Therefore, choosing the right localization service matters the most.

• No Localized Content

On a game or website, usually, there will be content like blogs or news that are important if any problems occur while doing their activities. It could help them to solve any issues that emerge from using it. What many companies seem to fail to understand is that they do not provide localization content for their target audiences. They usually release content that is in the business language and of course in the English language. This content will not give any important meaning to people who do not speak the language. Companies should provide content that is localized and uses the right language for the target audiences. It could help the brand image and help the target audiences to understand more about your company.

• Cultural Irrelevant Content

To avoid localization mistakes you should consider their culture. This means you also need to understand their relevant news. Using the wrong localization content might end up severely if you disregard this issue. Content needs to be perfectly localized to make the target audiences relate to it. Disregarding this move will make your content seem to fail to touch their culture to the heart. The worst case is, that your content could offend their culture. You also need to understand that this means you need to consider the situation of the regions in real-time. Using a bad image or the wrong text could wreak havoc if it sounds tone-deaf to the current conditions.

• Countries Regulations

Every country has different regulations that could sound very different from yours. Your company might have certain principles and regulate the right way in your country. However, this could not work the same if you want to penetrate different regions. You need to adhere to each different region. Therefore, you need to do legal research that suits best for each of them. Make sure your company does not do campaigns or content that seems to break the law in those countries.

Conclusion

Going globally means you need to consider people from other regions. Not just about what kind of thing would sell well in those countries, but also their language and culture by doing localization. Preventing any localization mistakes is one of the things you should do to make sure the market is on your side.