Playbook for B2B SaaS companies localizing for Japan market

Playbook for B2B SaaS companies localizing for Japan market

Localizing a product for a certain market means adapting to that locale and making the software accessible to the users in the new foreign market. This includes different things which have cost & resource implications & hence it might be better to consider the various aspects.

This is not a definitive guide but more of an attempt to summarize some thoughts /some steps / some playbook considerations around it from a Japan perspective. Feel free to share your experiences (or reach out in DM) as well so that it helps all new firms trying to make it to Japan. Some of these points might or might not be applicable to your firm but certainly can help you save time if you are prepared with the same before venturing into Japan.?

In most countries, the B2B SaaS users typically understand English and if you are targeting B2C or D2C consumers then only you get recommended to localize the application. But in Japan even if your target is the B2B user, one needs to ensure that you have localized your SaaS application. Localization offcourse covers local language translation or UI (user interface) translation but for Japan the overall UX (user experience) matters as well & hence the localization scope needs to be considered on a broader range.

Localizing for Japan should ideally address –?

1. Sales material localization – this could be the starting point .. Key sales or marketing collaterals can be localized in Japanese. Here the rule is that the translation be done ideally by native in-country Japanese person – having some background or domain experience in your field.?

2. Website localization – this can be also important to showcase your seriousness to the Japan market. While there might be no need to translate the entire English website as-it-is, but 1-2 pages which showcase details of the firm including capital / founders / date of registration / key clients / product information / features of the same / any Japanese client references or case studies (in any geography) can all be helpful. (pls check the Japanese company websites to see how these are structured).

3. User interface – This again is straightforward (though might not be simple). All the labels, text, dropdown data, error messages, data formats, currency, consumption tax (10%) all needs to be considered & localized in Japanese. If you have a tie-up with a local channel partner, it might be better to ask them for translator references or ask them to do it. Because later if the SaaS product is not selling, sometimes you might get blamed for the translation by the channel partner....

Here there are further 2 points to be noted –?

a. The typical approach is that “You give us the PO (purchase order) and we will deliver the localized UI” but the buyer might not move unless you actually show them the localized UI.?

b. Secondly there is another thought of showing the localized UI with machine translation contents to just showcase that the application is localizable. But it could be backfire and the client links the bad translation to a bad product itself (though the product might not have to do anything with the translation). Here an English only UI might still be a good approach instead of a half-hearted machine translation approach.?

Again all depends on the resources you have and how such scenarios can be negotiated.?

4. API related material translation – if the B2B application needs to be integrated with some other local applications and already has certain APIs, then the API related document needs to be localized as well.

5. Help and Training material – While this might be not mandatory but this gets asked by prospect clients and hence some key material if localized beforehand will surely help. It also shows empathy and that you have considered the user training or partner engineers training part as well.?

6. Hosting and data – If the SaaS hosting is in the Amazon or Azure local Japan geographical zone, then again it helps especially if the application is targeting finance /insurance domain clients. So from hosting perspective too, localization of servers (hosting in this geography) needs to be considered.?

7. Payment gateway – If there is any purchase or payment option available, then integrating it with local payment options like Softbank /PayPay is helpful and preferred?

8. Localized Support – B2B SaaS requires L1 (level1) -L2 or chat based support. Localizing this piece is equally important. Providing access to a localized FAQ or DIY guidebook can reduce the support queries. Interestingly Japanese users read all the FAQ or guidebook before reaching out to the support (unlike in some countries where the users prefer to call the support staff before reading any manual). Tie-up with some local L1 support partner in Japan or hiring some bilingual support staff in Japan or your home country to provide the first level of interaction in Japanese can also be helpful.?

9. Sales support – in case you start finally receiving queries in Japanese from prospect buyers, then how would these be answered should also needs to be considered. Again if the sales query support can get localized then this helps. Developing local channel partners obviously is the key (which in itself is a complex topic and needs separate discussion).?

All the above parts of the localization journey will need serious investment in terms of resources (people/time/money). In your particular case, all might or might not be necessary as well. But an awareness of the above and some preparedness and understanding can give a pleasant surprise to your prospective Japanese client or channel partner and further shorten the discussion or market entry time.

Hope this helps in your Japan localization journey.?

About us - We are an LangTech Consulting firm & work closely with clients in the areas of IT integration & implementation services, Localization & bilingual support services and Consulting & staffing services.?

Fidel Technologies KK – www.fideltech.com

Fidel Consulting KK – www.fidelconsulting.com

Fidel Softech Ltd - www.fidelsoftech.com

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