HT Localization Presents Language Translations for Real Life: Website Localization Done Right

Segment 19 - Getting Back to Business for International Success – Website Localization: Done Right!

In last week’s segment we discussed some good reasons why a company would want to go global and localize their content for a broader audience. While it may be easy to say that one should avoid this or that, or one should do this or that; it is just not always simple...

Globalization and localization are words that are often used together when discussing the notion of companies operating in cross border markets or engaging in international business activities...

Is your company a global company or a multi-national company or a company with international presence?  There is a difference.  I won’t go into the nuances of these terms here (that’s best saved for a discussion on International business – there are plenty of good International Business text books on the subject out there).  Companies need to decide exactly what they want to be when they grow up; that will then help to determine the best localization approach for their needs.  

Website localization is part of the formula of international success, along with many other factors such as marketing, social media, product localization, software localization, etc.   

What does “Website Localization – Done Right!” really mean and who has actually “done it right”? That’s a loaded question to say the least.  According to Byte Level Research’s Byte 2013 Web Globalization Report Card, the top 25 companies on the list each have distinguishing yet commonalities in their approach to global website success.  Who are the top and why are they the top?

Byte’s researchers point out that the most important criteria for being selected as a “Best of Breed” global website are:

1. Global Reach (Languages) - the top 25 websites support an average of 50 languages.
2. Global Navigation - the top 25 websites demonstrate a high degree of global design consistency across their localized websites
3. Global/Mobile Architecture – These companies tend to lead in the globalization of its web applications and their mobile apps localization efforts. Over 20 of the companies have websites optimized for smartphones.
4. Localization & Social Media - Many of these companies have successfully engaged users via social media across a number of languages and countries.

Give me some examples!

• Google leads in the globalization of its web applications and its mobile apps. No surprise there.
• YouTube supports a 54-language mobile app.  A pretty smart way to get international variety of content.
• Samsung supports an impressive 41 languages, excluding US English. 
• Facebook went from 2 languages to more than 70 in two years.
• BMW supports 42 languages.

So I took a look at the top 25 list. No surprise that the top websites are also top global brands.   If you spend some time navigating the various websites and localized versions, it is clear that based on the top 4 criteria listed by Byte’s researchers, these firms are considered to be “best of breed”.  They not only have a world famous brand, but also the resources to support world class localization programs.

What was a surprise to me was that Apple and Amazon were NOT on the list.  

Let’s talk Apple for a minute – Apple is a mammoth. From iPhones to iPads to iTunes, their brand is virtually everywhere in every language.  Apple has literally millions of dollars focused on cultural research, cultural adaptations, software localization and marketing localization programs.  Our company’s co-founder and our linguistic teams have first-hand experience supporting Apple’s localization programs, and will attest to their commitment to global markets and localization success.

Apple is not only innovative in their approach to technology, but they are visionary people in their approach to their world presence.  While their language support is reported at about 31 languages, they have support for 136 regions/countries. They have fully moved the needle in those local markets.  

Now look at Amazon.  OK, they haven’t quite dominated the world the same way as Apple. They have web support for 10 countries (including the U.S.).  Amazon is still widely considered to be the leader in global ecommerce.  Whether I am in the U.S., Spain or France, I love shopping in their eco-system.  They not only have fully localized website and payment experiences, they localize the consumer reviews; and they have maintained global consistency in their image.  While not a global mammoth like our friends at Apple, Amazon has focused on key international markets for its eco-system, and has done it exceptionally well.

So there you go – Website Localization – Done Right!  You’ve got 25 global websites listed as “best of breed” by industry experts in globalization; and you have my opinion on a couple of household names.  Whether or not a company’s website is cited as “best of breed”; the bottom line is that the company must understand that a successful global approach will include languages and localization.   

I hope you enjoyed this article.  In the next segment (oh yes, I have more to say on the subject of website localization), I’ll discuss some tips to help get your company there from a website localization perspective, regardless of where your firm sits on the global spectrum.

  … Stay tuned for the next Segment of HT Localization Presents Language Translations for Real Life Series, where we’ll continue … Getting Back to Business for International Success with Website Localization (more stuff).

 To receive the new Language Translations for Real Life Series go to HT Localization Blog and subscribe via RSS or email.

This article was written by Rachanee Thevenet, Co-Founder of HT Localization.  Rachanee is an Asian-American expat living in Spain with her family.  She loves all things international including food, art, literature, culture, languages and people.  She has years of professional product marketing expertise and global expansion experience.

HT Localization, LLC. is a worldwide translation & localization agency providing a full range of professional language translation services, including social media localization, marketing translations, website translations, software localization, eLearning materials, documentation translations, etc.  With locations in the US, Spain, France, Zambia & Thailand, and coverage across all languages and most industries, HT Localization is well positioned to provide around the globe services for all translation needs.  

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