Localization strategy hacks: the right localization tool brings your business to the top

Localization is the epitome of user experience: users feel more comfortable and confident using products in their native language. Therefore, embedding a localization strategy into development planning and cycles is critical. If your online business chooses to serve its customers only in English (or, in fact, any other language), this probably indicates that you are missing out on a chance to acquire new customers and grow revenue.

In this article, we will talk about how to hack localization and make it perfect.

The right tool is key to successful localization.

Why do I need an application for localization, you can ask? After all, I can hire the linguistic team to translate and add texts to an existing interface. But not everything is so simple. Localization means not just translation but content completely "tailored" to the audience. Even at the design stage, you should understand what colors will be popular and attractive in the region you are going to work for and which emojis can be used or not. You must consider the direction of the font and much more, which we recently described in our article about localization in UX design.

Without the software localization tools, development and translation teams will have to constantly exchange files, redevelop interface elements, and shorten/lengthen texts due to edits or new language peculiarities. All additional back-and-forth is a waste of extra time = money.

Also, don't forget that the localization process generates a massive amount of new information - hired people, payment for translations, progress management, target and source documentation kept up to date, etc. The right tool integrates the translation process into the development process, and allows you to stay flexible and keep your project clean.

So, as we have seen above, the localization process is challenging. How to make it simpler? Here the translation/localization management systems enter the stage.

Hack the localization with:

1. Speed up features

Machine translation (MT)

Get accurately translated texts with MT. Imagine how much time and money one would spend to translate all the content on a website from scratch only with the help of employees — instead, the task is handled by a computer within seconds. Lingohub uses a combination of powerful engines: Deeps, Amazon, and Google translate to provide high-quality pretranslation. Machine translation automatically fills the empty text segments and reduces time and cost spending. Another advantage of using this feature is that you can quickly try on texts for design. You do not need to manually re-upload the text after each correction - Lingohub has a vast pool of integrations, and we will talk about them in detail below.

Translation memory

While working with Lingohub, all your text segments' (sentences, paragraphs) are stored in the database, which we call translation memory. The default (virtual) translation memory is automatically assigned to every new project you create (you can set this up on your own). It gradually replenishes as you translate. Besides virtual translation memory, Lingohub provides the file-based option as well. If you have existing texts - you can upload them to the system.

So what does translation memory do? It suggests up to three variations for the segment based on the previous translations. The suggestions offered for pairs (source + target) depend on how much the text matches the stored values in the database. In a few words - your translators in the working process will see the appropriate options for some parts of texts and can choose from them.

Prefill

The prefill combines the power of the features above. When you start with a new project, translations can automatically fill with matching texts pulled from the translation memory database or a new translation offered by machine translation. Thus, by having, for example, a German version, you can quickly expand your localization to France. You save valuable resources while your translators save from mundane work.

Automation

If there exists a process that you can automate, do it. And the localization process is just a perfect candidate. With the right localization tool in place, teams can shift away from the inefficiency of file-based processes that imply repetitive cycles of revisions, modifications, saving, transfers, sharing, etc. Team members can focus on things that bring more value to a project, such as unique selling propositions, quality control, creativeness, and other essential activities. You can read more about it in our article. You can read more about how automation works in our article.

Integrations

A localization product should integrate with other technologies. The Lingohub offers a list of supported integrations:

• Exchanging files with repositories like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket is essential for keeping source files and translations synchronized and well-organized. This also saves a great deal of time since the need for manual file uploads between the tool and repositories is eliminated.

• SDKs for the top-used mobile device operating systems allow instant translation and translation updates for mobile apps in a couple of clicks.

• Tying a localization tool with Figma can bring designers and translators together to improve translation quality, discover early-stage pitfalls, and save both teams a headache.

• REST API empowers you to define your workflow and integrate Lingohub into your development process.

  Find the complete list of the integrations here - or contact us to get a quick demo.

2. Quality up features

Quality check

The flawless quality of the text is hard-to-achieve but never impossible with a proper localization tool in place. Quality check helps avoid additional iterations by screening the content against multiple criteria to detect issues timely.

The quality check keeps projects' translations within predetermined criteria. It instantly notifies deviations from the defined rules like text length, space similarity, markup, and placeholders. The feature also provides the source and target text checking, warns when the text violates terminology guidelines, and suggests the correct form.

The quality check feature is one of the pillars of an effective localization tool since it guarantees that the final results meet the requirements and enable outstanding product quality.

Term base

Glossary or term base saves entries in pairs that include a source and target language(s). A term base is inevitable for setting linguistic consistency benchmarks for a project. Creating and maintaining a term base within a tool ensures that all team members develop messaging and build communication about a product uniform across all language versions. The functionality reduces the possibility of mistranslations leading to confusion and misleading understanding. It is a tremendous time-saving asset, too – translated terms are reused multiple times, with no need to start the research over again.

Style guide

Should the translation be formal or somewhat colloquial? Which grammatical person should be used? What is the tone of voice the company uses? The style guide is the groundwork for translators. Your entire team or ordered translators will have "a single source of truth," and you can be sure about the consistency of the translations within all the projects. Clear instructions are crucial in guiding the translator to maintain your company's image in a new market, while considering the target audience and cultural nuances.

There are no limits of created style guides with Lingohub. You can make it different for separate audiences based on categories, age ranges, etc.

Manage it all

All features we described above are often called CAT (Computer-assisted translation). But Lingohub is more than just a translation system - we provide a list of management features that will help the customer understand in what stage the localization process is, what issues exist, etc.

• Сomprehensive data overview with the dashboards. The dashboard lists all your projects with convenience filters to give you all information about team activities.
• In-place discussions with the team - stay in a single interface for localization and conversations. Mention users and projects, open and close dialogs, and upload files.
• Control permissions and roles to efficiently manage the any-size team. Provide individual accesses (for languages, backups, import, export, and more).
• Set up backups and ensure your data is never lost.
• Create contracts and provide transactions just inside the Lingohub.
• Order translators directly from Lingohub with a transparent price formation.
• Monitor the critical activities throughout the projects. Be able to check the shared accesses (who, when, and what did), as well as all API requests.

The Bottom Line

The high-quality localization process is almost impossible without the right tools. It ensures you present well-adapted translations, shortens your time to market, and you gain a competitive edge. On top of that, it introduces more control, transparency, and efficiency into your work environment.

Lingohub is an all-in-one solution that can help you start a new localization project from scratch or pursue an existing one from any stage (we have a great offer for users who want to switch their TMS). Also, our flexible subscription model allows customers to select packages depending on their company size, localization goals, and the functionality they need.

Get a full-featured two-week free trial to try by your hands-on experience with Lingohub or contact us to get a demo call. Our team will be glad to support you with localization needs.