Your website is essential to your business’s success, but your app can sometimes be even more important because more people worldwide shop on their phones than on their computers. To reach as many consumers across markets as possible, you should make a plan for localizing your app.
For the best result possible, you can use a reliable tool, such as the Phrase Localization Suite, which combines a translation management system, software localization features, and machine translation capabilities to cover all aspects of localization across an enterprise.
Apart from that, make sure to avoid the mistakes listed below.
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1. Bad Design
The failure to check for the format and style of the script throughout the app development process is an issue that can often arise once you start localizing your app. For instance, Arabic is typically read from right to left, whereas Chinese is typically read from top to bottom.
Therefore, if you want to effectively localize your mobile app for the Arabic or Chinese language, your application should support the various scripts used in those languages. This will ensure that the app’s graphics and products are presented in the most favorable light.
2. Unrealistic Launch Deadlines
When compared to others (e.g., Finnish and Japanese), only a select few languages (e.g., French and German) are significantly simpler to localize.
This means that, when beginning the process of localizing your app, you should always be aware of the potential time commitment involved.
By following this tip, you won’t have to worry about creating any misleading claims or missing the launch date of the app.
3. Failing To Meet the Cultural Context
It’s possible for a term to have one meaning in one language, but in another language, it could indicate something entirely different, something irrelevant, or something disagreeable. Your translators are likely familiar with these distinctions, but what about your coders?
A great number of companies fail to keep their coders informed about the various linguistic challenges that may arise in the process of localization. This results in a significant number of issues with regard to the app’s internal linking and overall performance.
4. Script Space
The individual letters that make up the English alphabet are not particularly large. However, other languages such as Hindi, Korean, and Mandarin Chinese use characters that are far larger than English letters and may also include flourishes and accents.
This indicates that they take up more room on the screen of your application. Your developers need to take this into consideration so that the script on your app does not appear distorted or compressed when viewed on a device that is different from the one used to produce it.
5. Translation Length
When considering translation and localization, interface formats should not be centered on the English language. Not every language has the same adaptability and brevity as English.
In comparison to languages such as Finnish or German, it is occasionally quite condensed, which suggests a significant difference in text density and length. Imagine the chaos that would ensue if messages began to overlap and extend outside the interface, producing more effort for the developer and necessitating sophisticated and costly solutions.
So, make sure to consider this before submitting your content for translation. To avoid these unpleasant interface errors, allow space for buttons, banners, and menu items to expand and contract. A dynamic interface easily accepts texts of varying lengths.
By relying on the features of each locale and the pixel placement of widgets at runtime, layout managers are effective at modifying the interface elements properly. Finally, despite the fact that the majority of the work will be done through files, it is smart to keep the measurements of labels on resource files.
6. Take Care of Graphics
Mistakes in the localization of the text are not the only thing that might cause issues. As a matter of fact, graphics can also be quite problematic. For instance, having images on your app that are appropriate in one culture but not in another can be detrimental to the app’s reputation and cause it to lose users. Needless to say, you need to avoid this practice at all costs.
7. Test, Test, Test
It’s human nature to make mistakes, so it’s possible that your developers and translators will make blunders when localizing your app. A well-timed quality assurance test can go a long way toward identifying issues requiring correction.
Unfortunately, many businesses simply don’t test their localized apps enough. This stage can have a significant negative impact on the effectiveness of the product if it is skipped.
Final Words
Localizing an app involves significant work, the right experts, and, most importantly, the right localization platform. Make sure to avoid these mistakes, as it is the first step in creating high-quality multilingual content.
So, come back to the list of mistakes you have just seen here once you start your localization efforts.
