How to Localize Your Website
At its simplest, website localization is the process of refining and optimizing web content through culture, language, and flow to provide the most useful and relevant experience for users. It’s not the same as translation: localizing content takes into consideration the nuances of the target region. Some words can have the same definition, but different meanings in different contexts. Similarly, there are always different dialects of a language, like Spanish in Spain, Spanish in Mexico, and Spanish in South America.
Most companies may not understand the difference between localization and translation, but effective website localization is far more nuanced than simply displaying words in a new language. Lisez la suite pour cerner davantage la localisation de sites Web et savoir comment la mettre en œuvre de manière puissante et authentique.
Globalization vs. Internationalization vs. Localisation
Globalization, internalization, and localization are three different concepts related to how businesses operate and expand their operations. Globalization refers to the integration of economies, cultures, and societies across the world. In business, globalization involves expanding operations into different countries and regions, establishing a global supply chain, and adapting products and services to meet the needs of diverse cultures and new markets.
Internationalization is the process of creating software or mobile apps that are then localized to target unique cultures, regions, and languages. Software developers and engineers do this to help ensure that websites are successfully localized and that the website can support other languages and cultures.
Localization refers to the process of adapting products, services, and marketing strategies to meet the specific needs and preferences of a particular local market. This can involve changes to language, design, branding, or product features to better appeal to local consumers. Website localization can help companies gain a deeper understanding of local markets and establish stronger relationships with customers.
Les bases de la localisation
Localiser un site Web fait appel à cinq éléments clés
- Language and regionalisms ensure that copy, content and brand voice come through accurately and authentically—and make users feel like the site experience has been customized for them.
- Cultural elements of communication like date and time formats, units of measure and local holidays ensure that websites communicate an understanding of global nuances and make users feel at home on the site.
- Transactional elements such as currency, payment options, addresses and character sets are not only important for the local feel of the site, but for the accuracy and proper handling of transactions and on-site conversions.
- Local communication and trust elements such as phone numbers, local addresses, in-language customer support, legal notices and security banners may not seem mission-critical, but they're key to engaging with local audiences. Ils fournissent aussi aux équipes locales de ventes et de marketing les informations requises pour servir vos clients.
- Navigation and discovery for your translated site is critical to helping users select the language they need, and immediately start interacting with your site in an authentic way.
4 Benefits of Website Localization
Website localization can provide several benefits for businesses looking to expand their global reach. Here's what you can expect to gain from the right localization for website strategy:
- Increased sales and revenue: A localized website can help businesses tap into new markets and reach customers who may not have been able to engage with the brand otherwise. By providing a website that is accessible and relevant to local customers, businesses can increase sales and revenue and establish a stronger foothold in local markets.
- Improved SEO and website traffic: Localized websites that are optimized for local search engines and keywords can help improve search engine rankings, which can drive more traffic to the website. By using the right keywords and phrases in local languages, businesses can increase their visibility to local customers who are searching for their products or services online.
- Increased customer engagement: Localization allows businesses to tailor their website to the specific needs and preferences of a local market, which can increase customer engagement and satisfaction. By providing content that resonates with local audiences, businesses can create a more personalized experience that encourages customers to spend more time on the website and engage with the brand.
- Improved brand reputation: Localization can help businesses establish a stronger presence in local markets, which can improve their reputation and credibility with local customers. By showing a commitment to meeting the needs of local customers, businesses can build trust and loyalty, which can lead to long-term success and growth in new markets.
How to Begin Localizing a Website
Are you ready to seek out website localization services? Voici les questions que vous devez vous poser pour établir de solides bases :
- Suis-je prêt(e) à créer un site multilingue authentique pour faire comprendre à mes utilisateurs que je m'investis dans leur expérience ? (Vous pourrez en apprendre davantage à ce sujet dans une section à venir.)
- Do I have the right professionals on my team to support my site as it scales? Un bon partenaire peut vous faciliter les choses.
- Mes équipes commerciales locales demandent-elles une expérience en ligne complète et robuste pour leurs clients ? Si la demande est là, c'est sans doute le moment d'agir.
- Is my content engaging and enriching enough to attract local audiences? Vous avez déjà investi dans une expérience en ligne puissante et vous devez optimiser votre retour sur investissement.
How to Keep Your Website Relevant
Bien localiser signifie faire en sorte que les visiteurs de votre site local bénéficient de tous les éléments, concepts et contenus qu'ils utilisent au quotidien.
That means making sure your content uses the culturally relevant, preferred terminology, phrases and slang of the local customers you’re serving. Les traductions littérales peuvent être très éloignées de la culture locale et compromettre des éléments comme le SEO ou l'intégrité de la marque.
Cette approche inclut aussi la localisation du contenu multimédia. Avoir des images, des vidéos et des PDF rédigés correctement dans la langue locale peut renforcer la crédibilité de la marque et encourager les interactions avec le contenu.
Comme toujours, le diable se cache dans les détails. Assurez-vous que les contenus importants de votre site sont assimilables et utilisables dans la langue de vos clients internationaux, de la localisation des devises et des méthodes de paiement en passant par les unités de mesure, le format des adresses et les informations de contact. Une fois ces localisations mises en place, vos clients ne manqueront rien de votre site.
What Needs to Be Localized?
Great website localization means thinking beyond the site itself to all the digital assets, content and channels that make up your international digital presence.
Avant toute chose, prenez en compte la façon dont les utilisateurs locaux découvriront votre site. Assurez-vous que les moteurs de recherche régionaux connaissent votre site Web local, pour apparaître facilement dans les résultats de recherche. Working with a website localization or translation partner that knows SEO can give you an advantage, too, by thinking beyond localized keywords and leveraging advanced technologies like Proxy. Ceci garantit le bon référencement de la version traduite de votre site Web dans les résultats du moteur de recherche de vos clients locaux.
The most advanced providers can help with powerful user preference-detection technology for your site that can do things like seamlessly welcome first-time visitors in the language they’re likely to speak and help them find the localized site that best fits their needs.
Il convient de s'assurer que le contenu omnicanal, comme les campagnes par e-mail, les messages sur les réseaux sociaux et les ressources hors-ligne, est également traduit. You need to consider things like social media handles and pop-ups, as well as how localizing affects format. For instance, Arabic reads right to left, which must be taken into consideration. Work with a partner that can help you find and localize this content and ensure that it's connected to your digital presence in all the right ways.
Pourquoi les microsites ne suffisent pas
As you expand to international markets with your digital presence, one thing becomes abundantly clear: local markets expect a website experience that is every bit as fantastic as the one on your flagship site.
Il peut être tentant de résoudre le problème de localisation avec un microsite simplifié reprenant les informations essentielles de votre entreprise pour les traduire dans la langue locale et proposer une version abrégée à ces utilisateurs.
But users regularly abandon websites that don’t provide consistent language experiences or deliver compromised experiences in favor of taking a simplified approach.
As you extend your global reach into new markets, strike the right balance with powerful website translation that doesn’t compromise the user experience.
Website Localization Is an Investment in Your Global Business
As you consider ways to adapt your company’s website for local markets, look for solutions that deliver accurate and authentic website translations and offer engagement-boosting localizations.
Pour réussir une localisation de sites Web, vous devez disposer de traducteurs hautement qualifiés, d'une technologie puissante qui puisse offrir le bon contenu localisé au bon public et de flux d'activité puissants avec des capacités de gestion de traduction pour facilement publier, suivre et mettre à jour le contenu personnalisé dans lequel vous avez investi.
Votre activité internationale mérite la meilleure présence numérique possible. Travaillez avec un partenaire qui propose à la fois des traductions et des localisations de sites Web pour offrir des contenus clairs, efficaces et parlants sur chaque marché où vous êtes implantés.