Localization- More Than Translation
What are the main reasons you leave a website? It doesn’t hold your attention, doesn’t have much to offer, you can’t understand it or it’s offensive in some way? These are all perfect reasons international customers would want to leave your website too. When it comes to getting your information translated not just accurate but localized, it’s a good idea to get it done right.
Most human needs are universal, but it’s the details of people’s cultures, beliefs and views that matter just as much. Marketing a product or service to outside countries takes more than glossy reprints of the same hotel to persuade every one in every country that this would be the place to stay. A more common example where localization is imperative is for products that were made in the U.S. to be used in another country. Products are not just made and then distributed all over without changes being made first. Can you imagine getting a video game made in Japan that was only in Japanese and you couldn’t even attempt to play it? The games created in Japan and played in the U.S. have been localized for the states.
Your company can’t afford not to localize your product or service. And just as importantly, not to over compensate and create the opposite affect. For example advertising your high tech computer software in Japan with a Sumo wrestler and a ninja on the packaging would cause offense to many people in Japan, even though Sumo wrestlers and ninjas are a small part of their culture, you can’t be assuming your audience isn’t forward thinking people, to be so naïve would be the same as shooting yourself and your company in the foot. Localizing your product so that the product spotlight’s the Japanese people as some of the brightest, hard working and progressive people on the planet, will bring your company more results. People are going to buy products for what the products can do for them and of course they are going to respond better to a product that makes them feel secure in their identity too. It’s also so important to remember that unlike American advertising that is saturated in loud black and white phrases, slogans and brutally honest and blatant remarks, in Japan, certain symbols whether it be of nature or animals speak just as loud as our American exclamations. In saying that, where does a company turn to in order to get their product localized right? Trust in the professionals. Several professional translation companies are available to help. You can trust in the big guys and remember, it’s not just your name on the product, it’s theirs too.
About the Author:About the author : Melissa Peterman is a web content specialist for Innuity . For more information about localization services , go to MultiLing
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Localization- More Than Translation