Content Localization

The constant evolution in the fields of business, education, medicine, Information Technology, and many others has filled us with a rich gamut of diverse products, solutions, ideas, techniques, and processes. For example, the advent of mobile phones have revolutionized the concept of connectivity. Persistent efforts are being made to connect every nook and corner of the world.

However, this rise in diversity also generates a need to develop tailored products and solutions specific to a community, religion, dialect, or a geographical location. For example, for German people, a software product created in Chinese language would be useless. Adapting a product to suit the requirements of a particular market is known as Content Localization.

Content localization consists of following steps:

• Examine target audience or market to categorize regional linguistic and environmental changes required
• Examine the product to identify what exactly needs to be altered
• Make specific linguistic, cultural, and regional changes to the product
• Examine other elements that may require modifications because of the linguistic changes. For example, difference in the font type and size can lead to re-positioning of images on the template
• Test the product to ensure that it is suited for the local market
• Release the product
• Get feedback on the product and make further enhancements if required

Content localization is present in all industries, such as:

Multilingual written material based on the language of the region. For example, European newspaper published in French, Italian, and German languages.
A garment manufacturing company would show beach-side clothes when advertising in Maldives, whereas it would show woolen clothes when advertising for Switzerland.
A Website when viewed in England would be shown in English but when viewed in Holland, would be shown in Dutch. Nowadays many Web sites offer to choose among various languages.

The process of content localization gives a new dimension to business expansion without making major structural changes. With minor lingual changes to the basic template, same advertisement can be aired in different countries, leading to increase in the revenue generation. This also reduces the cost in creating a new advertisement altogether.

Therefore, with growing cultural, geographical, lingual diversification, content localization is the need of the hour, and an upcoming concept of business expansion.