Website Localization
What is Localization?
Localization is more than translating written materials about a product or service, though it does often entail converting the language of the packaging, labeling, promotional materials, technical manuals, users guides and web pages into another tongue. For a web site to appeal to people in different countries and cultures, or for a product or service to be understood across international boundaries, the text, the icons, and all cultural content must be adapted. This includes obvious matters like units of measurement, time and date displays, currency, numbering systems, fonts, and legal-commercial procedures and terminology. It also includes non-obvious points, like the appropriate form of address and level of speech to an unknown person, use or avoidance of non-standard words (as desired), use or avoidance of references to local expressions (like "smart as a whip" or "white as snow"), and acceptable (non-strained) phrase constructions.
How Should a Website be Localized?
Website localization takes place in phases:
- Planning. The first step is to have Green Crescent website development
experts perform a detailed analysis of the website in its current state, isolating
both technical and translations issues. This work typically must be accomplished
in close coordination with the translator assigned to the project. Examples
of design planning might include recommending a different color scheme for
the website, particularly if certain colors are considered more appealing
in the target culture.
- Transforming the Assets. Each website will have many separate components,
called "assets." They may be web pages themselves, images, media files, scripts
or a number of other website building blocks.
- Programming Assets. Programming assets (like style sheets and scripts) will
usually not require translation into a foreign language other than any interface
elements like help screens or notices to the user. Some format specifications
will probably require adjustments. Examples are periods and commas as separators
for numbers, the order of presentation in date displays, and the use of a
24-hour clock rather than "am/pm".
- Text Assets. The actual text, of course, will be separated out and placed
with the translator, together with instructions for how the material should
be returned for easy reassembly into the website. This translation is more
than linguistic - it must capture the content in terms of the local culture.
- Other Assets. It is possible, perhaps likely that some images, diagrams
or icons may require execution in the foreign language as well.
- Testing. Once the elements have been reassembled, the Green Crescent development programmers will test the web site prior to launce, as usual, tweaking links and formats, and making sure that everything fits together and flows as it should be. This process also involves the intimate involvement of the site translator, who will have one more chance to proofread all translated text and be sure the order of links and pages is correct. Then the website is delivered to the client.
Website localization may be part of a more general localization effort, involving DTP translation of printed materials that help establish and maintain relationships between the client and its foreign market or audience.
Why Use Green Crescent Translations to Handle your Website Localization?
Green Crescent Translations has the programming capability in-house to work with just about any technology in use on the Web. In addition, Green Crescent performs localization services in over 100 different languages of the world, having served some of the world's most active international companies. Additionally, Green Crescent can advise clients with recurring requirements on the economic benefits of creating translation memories, to streamline the localization process, reduce costs, and help make output consistent across the spectrum of markets.
