The mobile app industry continues to grow rapidly, and in the face of growing competition, localization is becoming not just an option, but a mandatory element of a global digital strategy. Research confirms that app localization increases downloads by 128% in each country, and revenue by 26%. In order not to miss out on an international audience, companies need to partner with professional translation agencies. Seven steps to successful app localization:
Adaptation to cultural specifics
Cultural accuracy is the basis of localization. Symbols, colors, units of measurement, date and address formats can have different meanings in different regions. For example, the "OK" gesture is perceived positively in the US, but is associated with money in Japan.
Flexible design to support multilingualism
Language differences affect design: Japanese text takes up 60% more space than English, and Portuguese takes up 15% less. Some languages, such as Arabic, require layouts with the text direction from right to left. Universal design adapted to different languages is a prerequisite for localization for the Asian and Eastern markets.
Translation of metadata for search visibility
The name, description, keywords, and screenshots of an app directly affect its position in stores. Localization of metadata taking into account regional queries increases the chances of getting to the top of the search results.
External resources to simplify translation
Storing text in external resource files speeds up localization. Each line is assigned a unique identifier, which allows you to quickly create language versions and upload them.
ASO optimization
Most downloads in the App Store come from organic search. Localization of keywords and descriptions for each region (ASO) increases the visibility of the application.
Pseudo-localization for preliminary verification
Testing the layout using machine translation reveals problems: truncated text, hard-wired strings, incorrect characters. This allows you to eliminate errors before starting full localization, saving time and budget.
Multi-stage testing
After translation, linguistic tests are carried out. Line breaks, translation accuracy, and interface correctness are checked. The final stage is testing by native speakers to ensure the app works.
Investments in professional localization of an app pay off in increased downloads, revenue, and user loyalty.
