How to go global with mobile app localisation?
According to the latest figures, there are 2.8 million apps in the Google play store. (Source)
Many of these apps fail to connect with their audience. There is a host of factors behind the failure of a mobile app including its features, its usability and its user-experience etc. One important aspect of an app’s user experience that must not be ignored is localisation. It plays a crucial role in the app’s overall growth and success. Let’s understand what exactly is app localisation:
What exactly is Localisation?
Localising an application requires you to customise it according to the culture and language of the place you are targeting.
You need to understand the country and your target audience thoroughly and then work on the process to fulfil their specific requirements. Hiring local professionals can help you to understand what user experience you need to provide, to engage with a local audience.
You can either localise your app partially or entirely. In the case of complete localisation, the app UX and the language both are customised. In the event of a partial customisation, you can just translate the app to a local language leaving out the UX part. You can go with localising your app for a few countries, to begin with, and analyse the results before moving further.
Why is it Important?
“50% of the countries within the Top 10 for downloads and revenue in iOS App Store are non-English speaking countries from Europe and East Asia.” (Source)
One of the key reasons for the success of a mobile app is its user experience. The more you customise your app to your target market, the better. If a user relates to your app, they will be more comfortable using it and sharing it with others. Localisation will help you to improve the level of engagement on your app. Localisation shows that you respect your app users and gives them a sense of belonging towards your services.
“App localisation can increase app downloads by 120% and revenue by 20%.”
Your app can definitely reach out to a large audience with localisation and you would have a larger market to tap. If you do not choose to localise and still launch your product in a particular territory, your probability of not being able to compete effectively are quite high. For any global app, localisation is one of the most important aspects of marketing.
Defining The Localisation Strategy
You can localise your app using different methods. The first option is to create different versions of the application for different regions. In this case, each region has it own predefined language and localisation features. You can also have an option wherein your app can give the user a few languages to choose. Besides that, there is a third option where the user’s preferred language can be identified with the help of the device settings.
Each approach has its own advantages and you can choose the one based on your business and customer requirements.
What languages to start with?
The choice of initial languages for localising your app completely depends on the product and your primary focus with respect to the markets. Check whether these markets have a strong preference for the local language. Do a research on the languages that your competing apps have translated to and the type of competition that already exists in the local markets. Study the impact of localisation on these apps to understand the benefit you can achieve.
Some of the popular languages and markets for mobile apps include English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, German, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and Russian.
Choose Your Service Provider
You can either discuss your requirements with your app development company or choose a specialist localisation service provider. Besides that, there is an option to hire an in-house team of translators and researchers to help you with the process. If your app is complex and you are looking to enter more than a few markets, then hiring an in-house team will surely help you save on time and costs.
Make Sure The Language Fits The UI
The size of the words and sentence structure in each language is different. The way you add text in the localised version of the app will be different from the way you add it in English. You need to plan these differences before you start the process. This would include changes to the content and UI elements so that the localised version does not look out of shape.
Create a Guideline Document
You need to explain your app and the context of the communication in it, to your translators. You can also add key terms and details of your brand tonality to make sure these are taken into consideration as well. Create a style guide to help your service provider to give you a better outcome.
The Translation Process
Localisation is supported by software development kits provided by the respective app stores. The developers prepare a localisation file which is given to the translation company. The file contains the strings of various languages in which the text can be placed. The developers also provide supporting material such as app screenshots for the translation company to localise the app in the required languages.
Test The Results
You need to have a local specialist who understands your product thoroughly, to test it effectively after it is ready. App familiarity and language fluency, both are important in this case. You need to know the quality of the translation as well as the final usability of the app in a local context. Any issues with the app store profile or the UI or the in-app content must be traced and rectified at this stage.
Share the beta version of your app with the tester along with a testing guideline so they can test it accurately.
The Success of Airbnb’s Localisation Strategy
We all know how Airbnb achieved success in over 190 countries across the globe. A lot of the credit for the success of this unique app goes to the way it was able to adapt itself to the needs of its local audiences across countries. The app runs in over 26 languages and the company is able to maintain the app usability and interface standards in all of its versions. The company has a localisation system and a dedicated team to manage the localisation of each and every update that happens on the app.
Careful planning and precise execution are some of the essentials of any app localisation project. You need to the know the scale of your app and the scope of the localisation task before implementing it. A thorough market understanding is equally important to bring out the desired quality in the localised versions of your application.