With the millions of people all over the globe online, many companies profit from making their products and services available to this global market.
The process of preparing a product or service for this global market is known as globalization and is made up of two primary components: localization and internationalization. Localization tailors the product for a specific locale while internationalization enables the product to be used without language or culture obstructions. Both are important for ensuring that your product is accessible to anyone, anywhere, but neither can be done by just anyone. You need to find experts in not only language but culture as well. Millions every year are lost because a company going global shortcuts on document localization. Entire ad campaigns wrongly translated will not only be a huge waste of money but also damage your company’s brand.
The Localization Industry Standards Association or LISA defines the process: “Localization involves taking a product and making it linguistically and culturally appropriate to the target locale (country/region and language) where it will be used and sold.” Successful localization and translation requires understanding of the source material, understanding of the target market, and a deep knowledge of the culture and language. To compete in this global marketplace you need to adopt a work locally think globally mentality. This means that you are customizing your service to local markets while expanding into new ones. A cookie cutter process won’t make you competitive globally.
A simple google search for “document localization” will help you find numerous expert globalization service companies. Finding the right one will help you increase your localization ROI. Remember that there are more differences than just language when globalizing your business. Culture differences need to be understood as well. Each globalization service company should have a specialist who works directly with a certified team of translators and cultural experts, reviewing the original material, building a glossary, and ensuring accurate translation takes place. Utilizing these experts will ensure that you are getting a good return on your localization efforts.
Document localization is much more than literal translation. It’s providing you with a localized product that maintains the original tone and feel of your original message, while conveying it in a culturally appropriate manner. Document localization covers a variety of documents including: Help files / online help, product documentation, user guides, white papers, promotional materials, and technical business documentation. Face it documents are everywhere: brochures, specifications, instructions, training material, slide shows, annual reports, bulletins, customer magazines, maintenance manuals, etc. – internationalizing companies invest considerable amounts of time and money in document language versions.
Document localization services are indispensable to any market expansion endeavor, when there is a difference in culture and language. Through localization, your company and your products can be correctly presented to your target audience ensuring smooth and hindrance free acceptance projecting an international image of the company having high quality products. Localization ensures cultural acceptability by eliminating the language barriers and any offensive colors, graphics, symbols, geographic significance, etc. has a centralized team of linguistic and technical quality assurance professionals. Together with our worldwide network of native-speaking translators, they deliver the highest-quality to ensure your localized documents speak to your international customers.
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Mark Keller is an internet marketer for 10xmarketing.com. Learn more about document localization by visiting Aculis at http://www.aculis.com/globalization/document_localization.html
