Website Localization Tips to Reach International Markets
The translation is important, but don’t overlook the critical role of localization
Localization refers to the process of translating content while also adapting it to the cultural specificities of the target market. Website localization has thus become essential for companies looking to grow internationally. Simply translating content and text is not enough to break into a foreign market. Every aspect of your offering needs to be adapted to the local target audience: vocabulary, currency, taxes, time zones, error messages, headers, footers, menus, URLs, etc. Localization allows you to create personalized experiences that are adapted to the target audience and to establish a relationship built on trust with your customers.
When you opt to properly localize your website, combining SEO and content adaptation, you’ll see an increase in conversions and website traffic. If in the past, you have found that foreign visitors quickly left your website because they couldn’t find information in their language, once your website has been localized and properly optimized through SEO, the number of visitors and conversions will increase significantly.
A website that has been properly localized also offers a better user experience as the personalization makes it resonate with more customers and leads to a stronger relationship with the brand.
Combine localized content with SEO to address search intent
Search intent refers to the user’s goal when they type a request into a search engine and varies from country to country. In SEO, the ability to respond to search intent is vital. Localisation makes it possible to provide an adapted response for each target region.
In addition, this content needs to be constantly updated and enriched with new key words based on the target market to be able to keep up with how requests change: every month, 15% of new requests are added to the current requests.
To do this, you need to conduct a keyword audit for each language and target market and to use effective tools that allow you to assess the performance of your content in terms of its keywords and SEO. For example, the tool Textfocus can be used to analyze this type of performance and to identify the most promising strategic keywords for each country and specific SEO areas to work on.
Deliver a well-rounded user experience
When it comes to localization, your customer reviews are just as important as the content for your product. Word-of-mouth marketing can have a powerful impact and shouldn’t be overlooked. Using this strategy will reduce your customer acquisition cost while increasing customer loyalty.
It is also important to ask your customers for feedback regarding their experience using your website or application. This will allow you to constantly improve your website and thus improve the user experience.
You should also request customer feedback on your products and services in every country in which you operate as people have different expectations and needs depending on the country. By better understanding your customers’ opinions, this will increase your understanding of the market as a whole and help you improve your services based on customer feedback. Feeding into a virtuous circle, improving your services will greatly increase customer satisfaction. These customers will then be more likely to recommend your services as they trust your brand. Your bottom line will only get better from there.
You can also test out different types of content, taglines and messages, specifically using A/B testing to compare them. This method allows you to test two different versions of the same application or website to identify which one works better. Certain content types are better adapted to certain countries, and this method helps you determine which to use.
Keep in mind that some new highly influential types have been gaining momentum over the past few years including online courses, videos, social networks and online communities. These are worth trying out, but don’t forget to localize and properly adapt them.
