At most companies, localisation is an obscure process relegated to translation specialists
I think localisation should be a strategy to create a greater perception of value in international customers’ minds while realising business objectives and efficiencies.
Every team should be able to own it, and the job of a localisation manager – if the role is needed – should be to make it easy.
That’s how I see it and what I do.
Localisation means a strategic change, not a translation-like process
Over the past 13 years, I’ve done localisation for 60+ companies.
That involved adapting physical and digital products, services, customer-facing communications, marketing tactics, brand identities and entire customer journeys to local market conditions in 60+ countries, from South Korea to North Macedonia.
No company used the same approach or process. For a few, localisation didn’t include translation. But it meant a big change for all of them.
Do you need localisation to deliver business results or translated strings?
You need localisation to succeed in international markets. But can you picture everything that will need to change beyond content and code? (Spoiler: It includes the company’s ways of working.)
​
You have limited resources and ambitious timelines, so you can’t localise everything. You don’t want a partially localised experience to negatively impact your users and bottom line. But what extent of localisation do your target customers actually expect? And which aspects of it beyond language matter the most for achieving your goals?
You think you’ll need a localisation manager or team. But what skills should they have to develop and implement a new strategy and business processes for the entire company, and deliver a programme nobody can envision yet?
​
Sounds familiar? Haven’t asked yourself these questions? Learn how I can help you find the answers.