Companies who intend to expand into global markets need to translate their apps into the native language of the target market. Many people can speak and comprehend the English language – which has been used by tech platforms for decades – but billions of people don’t understand English well enough to be able to make a purchasing decision. What that means for your business and your app is that you have the potential to enter new markets more successfully by translating and localizing your app. You can build a loyal audience and set your business up for success.

Tap Into New Markets

The right localization management service, website localization tool, or app localization tool will help you target more customers around the world. This will increase your market share with relatively low investment.

Just think about Airbnb. The company that began in its founders’ apartment is now in over 190 countries around the world. Through effective software translation and localization management, the company was able to go from a value of zero to north of approx. $40 billion today.

Boost Sales

Localizing your content isn’t cheap, especially when you invest in a quality localization management service. However, localization should never be seen as a cost but always an investment. As your share of the market dramatically increases with each country you enter, so do your revenue streams.

There may be no one-size-fits-all localization ROI model for each company. But we do know that Fortune 500 companies that invest in localization report higher revenue.

Increase ROI

In the cutthroat world of business, chances are you’re operating in a competitive market. One of the simplest and most effective ways to gain a competitive advantage is through website and app localization.

Remember that 60 percent of users who never buy from an English-only website? If your website is translated and localized to cater to local tastes, you’ll be leagues ahead of your competition still trying to force English onto Spanish-speaking buyers.

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What Is App Translation?

Apps like Google, Facebook, and WhatsApp raked in over 130 million downloads a month in 2017 alone, according to Statista. These apps have become so ingrained in people’s daily routines that many won’t be able to function without them. You can reach out to all the individuals and businesses whose lives can be changed through your innovations by using mobile app translation and localization services, which enable you to maximize the number of users who can download and use your app.

Definition of App Translation

App translation is the process of converting communication materials – such as store descriptions, user interface texts, and in-app purchase products – into the native language of the target market you are focusing on. Translation simply entails the transfer of content from one language to another. You can take things up a notch by capturing the tone and intent of the original message and seeking app localization services. Everything from the target market’s cultural norms and regional sayings to its religious practices must also be considered when localizing content, enabling you to connect with your audiences on a deeper level.

What Types of Apps Are There?

From a software development perspective, there are three main types of apps on the market: native, hybrid, and web apps.

Native Apps

Native applications are software programs developed for a particular platform or device. Written in the programming language specific to the device where they are meant to be deployed, these types of apps are able to use the features and software installed on the platform. Native apps have better UI that should work well with the UX of the platform it is built for.

Hybrid Apps

Hybrid applications are combinations of native and web applications. These software programs are developed using HTML5, CSS, or JavaScript and wrapped with native features. Thanks to these native properties, these apps don’t sport the Mobile Web look.

Web Apps

Web-based applications need a web browser to function. Developed using server-side scripts for storing and retrieving information and client side-scripts for presenting that information to clients, a web app may be as simple as an online form on a website or as intricate as a mobile gaming app. Due to the rise of mobile technologies, anyone with access to the internet can easily run web applications.

What Are the Benefits of an App Translation Service?

Businesses of all sizes can now hire an app translation agency to tap into new markets. Breakthroughs in translation project management have made this possible. Now, an app translation service won’t break the bank. By seeking professional services, you can save a whole lot of money and expect high-quality translated content.

Streamline Project Operations

The right app translation tool enables large teams of developers and translators to significantly streamline their workflows. Eliminating manual tasks makes the translation process a whole lot faster and easier. Now translators don’t have to manually separate code from the copy and do the whole thing in reverse after the translation is complete. An app translation tool automates translations and accelerates regionalization, leaving you with enough time to work on new software for more people around the world.

Oversee Processes from a Single Dashboard

An app translation tool can connect disparate systems such as content management and e-commerce channels, allowing massive teams of developers, translators, and product managers to work from the same interface. Relying on strong features and countless integrations, you can conveniently keep track of project progress, language versions, translation orders, their costs, and a lot more.

Centralization for an Efficient Project Management

When you have all your files, images, strings for translation, and instructions in one place on a translation management system, everybody works on the same page. This makes for efficient project management, and it also allows upper management and even customers to get an overall glance of project status at any moment. Everything is ordered and centralized and with no key files sitting on an employee’s home computer.

Eliminate Manual Tasks, Reduce Human Errors

The cloud is truly fascinating. By integrating a cloud-based app translation tool into your workflows, you can get rid of the majority of manual tasks in your project, including data transfers. In doing so, you can significantly reduce human errors. Finally, automating tasks also means that there is little to no need for human intervention.

See the Full Context

Manual tasks made app translations so taxing mainly because translators also had to fully understand the context behind the content to be able to translate it more accurately. These things took a whole lot of time and guesswork. Translators no longer have to rack their brains every time they need to perform a task, as an app translation software provides them with visual information to see for themselves exactly what they should be translating.

Reduce Translation Costs

Investment in a well-developed glossary, a style guide, and Translation Memory may result in considerable initial costs. However, imagine being able to get matching results from previous translation projects every time you translate new content. The more words you translate, the bigger your language database will get. A growing Translation Memory will sustainably help you to ease the strain on your budget.

How to Translate Web and Mobile Apps: Best Practices & Tips

A quick Google search will lead you to dozens of app localization tutorials online. As you dig deeper into it, the more complicated it becomes. To make it easier for you, we’ve made a little guide, highlighting the critical points of translating web and mobile apps. Whether you’re a marketer, product manager, or developer, all three points will affect your work and the project itself.

Marketers Seek to Understand and Give What Customers Want

Marketers must keep in mind that app translation takes time. Not to mention, these projects cost money. You have to consider costs for translations, advertising, as well as maintenance. Needless to say, return on investment is an important metric that marketers must measure carefully. So, give your team your sales estimates, and your developers and translators can assess their workload. Then, product managers can weigh the returns and the costs to determine if app localization is the best move for your business right now.

Product Managers Care About Time-to-Market, Quality, Support, and Profitability

A product manager is responsible for overseeing operations and tracking progress. In a nutshell, you ensure that marketers have enough time to promote the product. You also handle communication between the product and the translator teams to ensure no translation or localization errors are missed. You can also set up tests where native speakers can assess the quality of the translations and make sure that nothing offensive slips through.

Developers Should Find the Best App Translation Tool

Software developers are often presented with the challenge of finding a tool that can best address the company’s translation needs. They ought to ask a dozen questions when evaluating the best app or software translation tool. If you are looking for translation management software, make sure it guarantees a reliable import and export of language files, a strong API and a dedicated CLI tool, support for a variety of formats and programming languages as well as branching functionalities.

Translators Need Context for a Good Translation

The translator’s role, broadly speaking, is mirrored in the responsibility of transferring written content from a source language to a target language. In a technical environment, translators always need access to context in order to work in a professional manner and produce a functional product. A strong tool for app translation or software localization allows translators to retrieve meta-information through screenshots, style guides, briefings, comments, and other kinds of reference material whenever needed.

Working with Apps or Software for Translators

App translation was once a logistical nightmare. Back in the day, a translator would have to go through the entire code to identify copy segments that needed translation. Not only was this a long and arduous process, but it was also riddled with errors. Fortunately, translators now have a handful of tools under their belt to streamline their efforts. Thanks to specialized software, translators are able to automate the process and save a whole lot of time. Eliminating manual work also reduces errors.

Solid translation software comes with numerous functionalities and features, including:

Terminology Management

An app translation tool with terminology management capabilities promotes brand consistency, in that it allows you to store and organize terms unique to your business for everyone’s reference. With a searchable glossary at hand, all stakeholders can ensure the right definition and correct use of established terminology at all times. Consistency is everything.

Translation Memory

Translation Memory is a functionality of recording all source and target translations in one single database. Each time new content is translated, the Translation Memory suggests matching results from translation projects you worked on previously. This does not only cater for minimizing redundant work, but it is also the handiest way of staying within your budget.

Software Localization

Translation is only one part of the process of adapting your app or software to new markets. It is the process known as localization you need to take care of in order to make your digital product sound and “feel” local. Aspects like culture, religion, legislation, and local preferences need to be taken into account by all means for your product to meet the locals’ expectations. To achieve this, you need a solid tool that can guide you through the entire localization process.

App Translation

Apps – be it mobile, web or desktop – have become an integral part of people’s everyday lives. Whether ordering food, booking a plane ticket, or paying bills, tons of apps strive to make life easier for individuals and businesses alike. In an increasingly digital world, you not only have a far greater audience than ever before, but you also have the technology to reach billions of people across the world right at your fingertips. Anyone has the capacity to change the world with the right app translation and localization service. From app translation to image localization – there are so many different ways of tapping into a global market and changing as many lives as you can for the better.

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What Is App Translation?Why Does App Translation Matter for Business?What Are the Benefits of an App Translation Service?Working with Apps or Software for Translators How to Translate Web and Mobile Apps: Best Practices & Tips

Why Is Localization Management Important for Business?

While English remains the most common language of the internet, Internet Statistics show that Chinese users are almost as numerous. Moreover, English internet users make up just over 25 percent of all internet users (IWS, 2018).

This means that if your site is in English only, you’re effectively ignoring three-quarters of all internet users! That’s a pretty big market share. Of course, not everyone surfing the net is going to be interested in your product. But with the right market research and localization management tool, you can reach significantly more customers.

Here are just some of the advantages of localization for your business:

Increase Market Share

The right localization management service, website localization tool, or app localization tool will help you target more customers around the world. This will increase your market share with relatively low investment.

Just think about Airbnb. The company that began in its founders’ apartment is now in over 190 countries around the world. Through effective software translation and localization management, the company was able to go from a value of zero to north of approx. $40 billion today.

Grow Revenue

Localizing your content isn’t cheap, especially when you invest in a quality localization management service. However, localization should never be seen as a cost but always an investment. As your share of the market dramatically increases with each country you enter, so do your revenue streams.

There may be no one-size-fits-all localization ROI model for each company. But we do know that Fortune 500 companies that invest in localization report higher revenue.

Gain a Competitive Advantage

In the cutthroat world of business, chances are you’re operating in a competitive market. One fast, effective, and simple way to gain a competitive advantage is through website and app localization.

Remember that 60 percent of users who never buy from an English-only website? If your website is translated and localized to cater to local tastes, you’ll be leagues ahead of your competition still trying to force English onto Spanish-speaking buyers.

Strengthen Cultural Awareness and Be Truly Credible

When you localize your content for your customers you treat everyone as if they’re first-class citizens. Rather than offering a weakly translated version of your original content, you show your customers that you understand and care about their problems, needs, and wishes.

In simple words? You speak their language. You know what products they like and how to communicate them. Imagine trying to promote your winter line of wooly scarves to people living in the Southern hemisphere in a heatwave in summer! With effective localization management, you can become a respected global player.

Boost Global Presence

Just as your market share and revenue grows, so does your global presence. More people become aware of your brand when you reach new markets, strengthening your position. Facebook, for example, reports user saturation in its home market. But India now makes up its fastest-growing user group!