We have come a long way since our Internet dial-up days. Lately, it’s all about wanting everything at your fingertips. Whether it’s ordering food, catching a quick ride home or finding out where the nearest new movie is playing, technology has made all these tasks child’s play. Imagine if these every-day-to-day tasks were not so simple. Imagine attempting to purchase those new shoes online that everyone is raving about only to see that website is available only in Dutch. You finally found those last two tickets of the blockbuster superhero movie you have been wanting to see only to find out that the website only accepts PayPal, a payment method that is still not available in many third world countries yet. Technology has made everything extremely convenient in our lives we do not take the time to think about how this is being done. Two words: website localization, no it’s not as straightforward as hitting that translate button you see on your social media pages.
Translation vs. Localization
According to a survey conducted by the European Commission, 90% of Internet users prefer browsing a website presented in their native language. Whereas a staggering 70% of the world does not speak English and yet 57% of websites are still only in English. MIND-BOGGLING RIGHT? Offering a change to these statistics and helping revolutionize the Internet race there is an initiative called website localization. What is the main difference between simply translating a page and localizing it? While translation merely converts the immediate language you see on your screen localization takes matters a step further. Not only does localization take into consideration the native language of the target audience but correspondingly examines the cultural, political and legal variance.
Globalization from a Local Level
Now that we have a better understanding of what website localization services are used, let’s view how different companies use it to target their audience at a global level. When talking about localizing the first two brands that come to mind are Nike and Coca-Cola. When one browses Nike’s homepage it becomes very evident thoroughly they have done their research. This can be seen in their homepage for Argentina where they feature their line of soccer cleats, taking into account the mass cultural influence soccer has held over the country. Where on the other hand if one were to open their homepage for China they would find a vast contrast of colors and 3D anime characters.
Our second brand does not require any introduction, it is vital to point out how after so many years it remains milestones ahead of its competitors. Right off the back on their global homepage, Coca-Cola strikes all the right chords by attempting to show each country name in their native language. Dig a little deeper into their local country webpage one will get to see how Coca-Cola pays special attention to the cultural aspect of the individual nation. Coca-Cola encapsulates the emotions of a nation for football on its Saudi Arabian website by trending the hashtag #TogetherForGreen in support of the team. Coca-Cola has truly taken a global company to a local level in every aspect.
Choose a reliable website translation and localization partner
While website localization has allowed companies to carve a niche into the global market, the path is seldom easy-going. As achieving this requires thorough research because at the end of the day whether it is Saudi or China if you don’t acknowledge your target audience, a fancy website will only get you so far. This is where localization agencies, like Torjoman, can help companies by becoming their eyes and ears.
Torjoman has been in the translation business for 25+ years and has continuously raised the standards for competitors. In the past, their esteemed list of clientele has included, Google, Sony, Apple, and IBM among others. We offer services in the leading industries such as:
- Manufacturing
- Technical
- Marketing
- Legal
- Financial
- E-commerce
- Travel and Tourism
- Education
- Medical
- Oil and Gas
With more than 500+ in-house native translators they offer their expertise not only on website localization but in fact can offer a complete package with services like multimedia translations, proofreading, interpretations, desktop publishing, etc. With their branches located in Dubai, Riyadh, Cairo, and California the team at Torjoman is always there for your service.
The Final Word
Things we can take away from this. In today’s day and age, it has become a necessity to build that global bridge and avail your content to all cultures. Whether it’s the content, layout, language, formatting of the date or translating a website is simply not adequate anymore. Localizing your webpage can truly add that oomph factor required to grab the attention of your target audience and truly help you achieve that globalization from a local level. For further details and assistance contact our sales team today.