Is localization the way to go for your business?

What do you think when you hear the word localization?

If you are not in the translation business, you are probably not used to this word much, but as a translator you will face it over and over again.

Localization is exactly what the word suggests: make something local.

In videogames industry, localization is often the only way to go as you have to be sure that the players can relate to the game in the same way, no matter where they play from.

Likewise, if you want to grow your business and reach foreign countries, localization could be the best choice as you would need to make your brand local for the specific market you are targeting.

The things to be localized go from the simple prices, currencies and unit of measures to more complicated puns, word plays and celebrities that won’t recall anything in other countries.

But how to understand if your business need translation or localization?

To figure out that, ask yourself two simple questions:

If the answer to both the questions is yes, then you need localization, if you are not sure about it I would always suggest seeking an expert advice that can analyse your content and suggest the best solution.

All that being said, sometimes localization won’t be enough: when a text is very creative you may require what we call transcreation.

Wonder what this is and if it could be the best choice for your business? Read my article about it.