Localization and Translation services: Navigating between the Two

 

Translation is the methodology of changing the text into varied languages but localization is the process of altering the language and culture altogether. Overall, it goes into depth and alters the cultural, technological, and visual aspects of a particular site. From another angle, translation services fall under the umbrella of localization services.

Let us explore more into them.

Website Translation-

As simple as it sounds, website translation will just alter the source language of a website/application/eBook/multimedia into different languages so as to make it readable to a greater audience. And that is all it covers, even for the best web translation and localization serving company in India.

For a translation project, professional translation and localization services in India will charge a certain amount for only a certain change in the source language to varied languages as desired by the businesses but one has to check the accuracy levels. In the end, the translated content should imitate the style and tone of the source language while keeping in mind the context. 

Website Localization-

It is a more specialized process of adapting to the environment and conditions of one’s website. The best localization company will not only translate the web context but will take a deep dive into the culture, visuals, and web coding to set the tone for their target customers for whom they are working to market their respective websites or applications. Here, professional translation and localization services in India will notice the visuals at every angle, where the buttons might even need changing in height and width. For them, the ultimate goal would be to create a far-reaching impact on one’s website.

What makes website localization important?

With translation, issues of intent and clarity often arise if the source language remains in an antique, word-to-word state.  This happens, for example, when machine translations aren’t followed by a professional service. The best localization company would try its best to alter its localization strategy to adjust its online assets for regional specificity. Contrariwise, we can view website localization as the medium by which one refine their content to meet the functional, cultural, and language expectations of their global markets.

Functional and Cultural Content-

To meet the standards of the international market in today’s global economy; one must adopt and localize their website or application content in the best way possible. This will ultimately meet the expectations of end users worldwide.

To understand the cultural content perspective let us go through some examples-

·         Icons, images, and graphics.

·         Shapes, sizes, styles, and colors.

·         Societal codes like etiquette, myths, symbols, humor, etc.

·         Societal values, beliefs, relationships and power.

Subsequently, let us see some functional content examples to get the perspectives-

·         Telephone numbers, date and time formats, and contact information in a document. Hence document translation services become critical too.

·         Similarly, a document may also contain measurements, geographical references, and weights.

·         Product catalogs, reviews, and linguistic content.

Localization Vs Translation: which one to go for?

Now this is a highly debatable topic as professional translation and localization services in India differ on a tactical level. If one is looking for a simple language translation, then translation services would be the best in those marketing strategies of their businesses. Wherein localization becomes vital when businesses need to hit the locale markets and simultaneously put a mark worldwide.

A translation localization company provides 360-degree support to their clients’ websites ranging from legal copy to marketing and technical information, as well as user-generated forum content. For business elements like cost and efficiency, it is wise to go for the service that suits one’s requirements. For example, it might be more sensible to focus on making appropriate marketing materials rather than recording the nuance of every comment marked on one’s business website.

To figure out the best fit, one should consider reading their target audience and the content’s intent and nature. The best website translation and localization companies look out for parameters like update cadence, budgetary considerations of the businesses they are serving, volume, and lifespan. So it is imperative to expect that if a business is seeking help from website translation service providers for guidance, then they will be guided to the best experience with correct budgeting.