Subodh Dharmwan, a Mobility Technical Lead at Cynoteck Technology Solutions, has 7+ years of extensive experience in Mobile Application Development. He has excelled in delivering ERP, enterprise, E-commerce, and customized applications utilizing Swift, Objective C, Java, Kotlin, and Flutter (Dart). Subodh has worked closely with diverse clients, catering to their mobile app and web admin Read More
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Assurance is always linked to relatability. People get hooked on anything which is even slightly relatable. We are obsessed with our cell phones; we have them all the time. That is why mobile app localization has become quite necessary. If you want your business to grow exponentially you must incorporate local mobile apps. The results are great and impactful; we have seen this in almost every entrepreneurial strategy.
What is App Localization?
App localization is the process of modifying and improving an app so that it would appeal to a target audience. More specifically based on the geographical basis. One must make sure that the app is just as engaging and simple to use. The key element to be kept in mind is that your app must hold the same engagement capacity everywhere as it has in the primary region.
Mobile app localization involves much more than mere translation: While translation concentrates on the literal conversion of text from one language to another, localizing a mobile app makes sure that every component of your app—including user interface (UI) elements, particular features, in-app copy, graphics, and app store descriptions—is customized to users' cultural preferences, customs, or expectations.
According to data, around 80% of the top five countries for downloads and income on Google Play are non-English speaking nations from Europe and East Asia, as are 50% of the top 10 countries for downloads and profitability on the iOS App Store.
Asia accounted for 41% of all app income globally, compared to North America's 31% and Europe's 23%.
To expand to localize mobile apps to a wider audience they must become accessible as well as relatable. Converting your app’s primary language into different linguistic interfaces attracts users. It becomes easier to connect with consumers.
[embedimage]
1. Increase App Engagement
From mega giants to young start-ups, everyone nowadays dedicates all their resources to first knowing their audience.
If you understand your consumer and you are aware of what they do or what they want it gets easier to engage with them.
Mobile App Localization helps to increase app engagement with all the user-centric features.
2. Personalized UX to users
There are several apps with great features and attractive offers, yet they don’t attract users. One of the primary factors which attract consumers is the overall user experience.
An overall personalized UX will relate to consumers even more and eventually increase users. Localize mobile apps includes a personalized UX, improving attractive user consumption.
3. Enrolling in a new market
To grow further in business is the ultimate objective of every business. An app may lose up to 13% of users if it fails to localize mobile apps for a local audience.
Mobile app localization helps to expand business in a new market and tap new consumers. This can be something interesting for firms to understand new user trends as well as challenging.
4. Amplify downloads
Users do not think twice about trying out any new application if they find it interesting. Local Facebook pages experience up to 50% more engagement.
Smartphones have enough cloud space to accommodate unlimited data. Over the years it is expected that smartphone users will reach 5,575.24 million by 2025. It means that the market for Google Play and iOS users will tremendously increase.
If you have a trending features app catering to the needs of consumers in the local language it becomes quite easy to increase the overall downloads.
In minimum viable localization, only the primary content changes such as the app store description. This could also include app store metadata.
Recommended for start-ups, MVL helps to drive results with minimum effort compared to full-length localization for mobile app localization.
Complete localization of application
Full app localization entails changing every aspect of the application. Every component of the app must be customized for each target market, including app store localization.
Complete app localization ensures that users in every market are comfortable using your app.
Even though your mobile app localization strategy may differ from one app to the next and evolve to meet your app's needs, it is a good idea to incorporate localization into the design and development of your app. You must prepare yourself to be clear with the needs and demands you have.
There are certain areas where it is preferable to reflect your thought into. Budget, you need to be clear with the amount you are planning to spend in your app while localizing it. Another key factor to consider is which platform you are switching your app.
Many contradictions might impact you while you commence on to change your app. Understand the cultural variation you might have to witness. Apart from that budget, priority, and much more. The whole approach is different and requires thought.
Using a mobile app localization platform to administer & store the texts on a distant server is a popular method of localization. Most platforms already offer features like cross-platform connectors, repository linking, application sharing, and two-way translation synchronization.
1. Localazy
It can be OTA (over-the-air). Additionally, it offers a free tier of 200 keys (terms) with a long number of integrations, including those for React, Vue, Angular, and other less well-known frameworks.
As well as for most of the main repository hosting services and localization file formats. Additionally, it features a thorough review process with numerous translation versions.
2. Lokalise
Lokalise has the capacity for OTA. Version control for localization is already built in. Support for managing plurals is also included. Localization-related duties can be delegated and managed.
3. Phrase
You can view the translation's context in an in-context editor. It has OTA capabilities and a variety of integration possibilities. It is possible to work on various branches, which is advantageous for bigger projects.
4. PO Editor
A great 1000-string free plan. For every string, the collaborators can add comments. You may also design a simple file synchronization flow. Webbooks can help with this and save translation history.
After discussing strategic factors and addressing some potential difficulties with mobile app localization, it is time to compile the best practices to localize a mobile app.
You may build up a localization process that is integrated into your app development workflow and avoid potentially expensive mistakes by using the advice in the sections below, which we have divided into separate categories.
1. App Internalization
It is important to structure your app through mobile app localization. Work must be done throughout the app development stage to thoroughly localize the mobile app so that it is ready for the worldwide market.
The process of creating a localized mobile app that can work in any market without requiring code changes or UI adaptations once it is released is known as internationalization.
Following is the few common localize mobile app features that need early internationalization consideration include:
2. Switching user-interface strings from the code into resource files
Before deploying code, app strings can be stored in resource files, allowing the team to access those files later for translation without having to alter the code itself.
3. Not hard-coding date, time, number, and currency formats
Future issues are caused when developers hard-code the software with only one language's formats.
To prevent this, date, time, number, and currency formats ought to be kept in variables that can be utilized to generate strings at runtime based on the locale preferences of the device.
Ensure that formatting follows user expectations and that everyone agrees on how to style these items for various languages.
4. Integrate identical keys across mobile platforms (iOS & Android)
Instead of developing app strings twice, developers can establish a shared set of integrated app texts that are compatible with iOS and Android to prevent duplicating localization efforts and make app localization tasks reasonable.
5. Ensuring different pluralization rules
Although it may seem like a minor point, app developers must keep in mind how to organize app strings so that pluralization is supported. Every language has various plural forms; therefore, the program needs to be aware of this when handling things like error messages or app notifications that might display several items.
6. Layout and design considerations of App user interface
Mobile App Localization should be considered early in UI design. The program will be incredibly challenging to localize if the UI elements are rigid. All languages should be supported by the app's screen layout, not just one or two (which often happens).
Some excellent UI design guidelines for international apps are:
Maintaining flexibility in your app's design to accommodate different languages. Designers should rely on adaptable pixel dimensions and percentage metrics to ensure that the app's UI resizes smoothly as text expands between languages.
Allowing for various language directions, verify that your application will handle languages that read left to right. The last thing you want is a flawed design or functional difficulties once localization has been finished. A change in translation direction might affect anything from button placement to navigation flows.
Integrating app design tool via mobile app localization platform. It is possible to identify design flaws early in the development phase by integrating design tools like Figma or Sketch with an app translation platform. This helps with app translation and prevents expensive bugs in the future.
7. Translating & Preparing an App Copy
When the initial work gets done of developing the localized mobile app. The next stage starts with content preparation by copywriters and localizers. The following are a few steps that can help you to work for the App Copy.
65% of readers prefer reading content in their native tongue, even those who are fluent in English.
Assisting copywriters with images and screenshots:
Unrelated UI elements frequently cause translators' confusion because they are unclear. The process of localizing an app may be hampered since they may need to spend additional time getting clarity from app developers about features.
By including app pictures that provide context for translators so they may gain a better understanding of app activity, you can eliminate any unclear terms from your app before they even appear.
55% of consumers worldwide chose only websites that offer information about a product in their language.
Using a translation guide and vocabulary to achieve compliance:
Mobile App Localization teams can prevent consistency between texts by reusing translated text segments when they make use of the translation memory features of your localization software.
Maintaining a consistent mobile app localization style throughout the app with vocabulary help will help you improve marketing strategy and user experience.
The mobile app localization also heavily relies on visual elements. To make your apps stand out from the crowd and catch the attention of locals, you should try to localize your mobile app with pictures for each app market.
A few of the factors you must keep in mind:
Allotting pictures and text differently
Avoiding inserting text in graphics will make the mobile app localization process much simpler and more effective.
If your graphics, such as app screenshots in the app store, contain source text that no one can understand or that differs from what you see on the translated screen, it might negatively affect the user experience.
Create a customizable text layer. This will help the app developers to use it to generate app strings at runtime as an alternative.
Substantiate the ethnicity of the image
You must utilize visuals that are appropriate for and indicative of each market for both your local mobile app and the app stores. For instance, any image displaying an incorrect resemblance to any culture will not relate to the consumers.
Push all back into your localized mobile app once your resources have been retrieved and your strings have been translated. Even though it could be alluring to believe that this marks the completion of localized mobile app effort, problems can develop if you neglect to check your program for bugs.
The following actions can help you reduce:
Conduct linguistic examinations:
The easiest strategy to correct errors once your localized mobile app is readily available to consumers is to implement a thorough linguistic evaluation to ensure that there are no problems with your content. You may come across untranslated app strings, a converted UI element that does not make sense in its context, etc.
Performing functional mobile app localization testing and pre-production quality assurance:
Conduct app localization tests to assess how your app operates and appears in various locales and languages. Unexpected problems, such as a bad layout, can occasionally arise.
Have an App Idea?
Send us your requirements, we will help you to build customized mobile apps according to your requirements.
It is an innovative idea to optimize your product for the app stores' search to get the most out of app store exposure. The process of optimizing app titles, keywords, images, descriptions, etc. for app stores is known as app store optimization (ASO). ASO must be done from the beginning in every language when using a worldwide app.
Finding the most common keywords in each location is the initial step, after which you should modify your localized mobile app's original title, summary, and other pertinent sections, as necessary. The last step is to think about how various app shops approach optimization. Let us examine some factors you should consider while localizing an app store.
Screenshot
In the app store assets, have you provided any screenshots? If that is the case, they must also be tailored to the region. It is important to make sure that local customers can recognize what they see in the image because app screenshots are a vital tool for helping you promote your localized mobile app and present it in its best light.
User Content
Reviews and ratings for apps are important to pay attention to because they can influence whether people download certain apps. User reviews and ratings are crucial for app visibility, ranking, prominence, and adoption; therefore, they must be localized for each region.
Keywords
The main strategy for attracting app users' attention is using keywords. The greatest mobile app localization technique is not always translating keywords word-for-word through every app store language because language and culture have a significant impact on an internet search.
The wise course of action is to conduct keyword research from scratch for each market. By doing this, you can be certain that people who search for related words in their native language in the app store will come across your application.
Icons
Consider the appearance of your icon and how it will appear with both rounded edges (the iOS app icon) and a squared-off bottom when you are localizing your mobile app for Android and iOS (the Android app icon).
Video Content
You must also localize the app video assets if you intend to upload any video material to the app store. Visitors to the app store may find it easier to grasp your app's features and benefits by seeing a localized app video.
Positional information
To enable app stores to better analyze your app when users search for your app by location, it is a good idea to add positional information, such as a city or region name where it is appropriate if your app is location-specific.
Metadata
Increasing app exposure, downloads, ratings, and reviews can be achieved by optimizing the app's metadata for each app store, which is a wonderful first step toward increasing app store revenue. To encourage people to download your app, you must localize the app's titles and descriptions so that they show in app stores across all relevant geographies.
Whether you want to localize your software for all markets or just a few specific ones. There are chances to run through several obstacles. Challenges not only slow down the entire process but can also cause issues if not addressed in advance.
[embedimage]
1. Unforeseen delays and extra costs
While commencing a new venture, few goals are set. Some are short term which can be achieved upon the project's completion. Then for long-term development, there are also some targets. To achieve those targets, one must keep the process prepared.
When compared to posts posted internationally, geo-targeted content can engage an audience 6 times more effectively.
When it comes time to modify the software for new markets, this error could cause issues that you will not be able to address without incurring delays and additional expenditures.
While automating and centralizing manual tasks can undoubtedly help cut costs and expedite the localization of apps. If app development is not planned with mobile app localization in account from the beginning, it is unlikely to be extremely helpful.
Taking care of app internationalization in the initial stages of app development and design is the best way to guarantee a seamless app launch. You can more efficiently manage app translation efforts and costs when your app is designed from the ground up to accommodate various languages.
2. Quality issues detected at app release
Many localized apps are released to the app stores only to discover that the program is utterly unusable due to app localization errors, such as app commands that were incorrectly translated or even incoherent. When your software is first released, localization issues can harm its reputation, drive people away because they cannot use it correctly, and even result in negative reviews.
Investing in testing and quality assurance for every language is the greatest strategy to prevent app localization errors at the app's release.
Consider using pseudo localization—replacing all localizable UI elements with pseudo-language—in situations where it is not possible to thoroughly test every single string, layout, date, time, number, and currency format.
This will allow you to see whether any source strings contain errors that should be fixed before the translation process begins.
For developers to analyze usability, readability, space needs, and user input, here are many pseudo localization tools.
3. App localization should be part of the process
If localization is organized as a distinct task outside the agile framework, it may take longer to complete than app development in a workflow that moves quickly.
Due to delays in app release and the inability of app developers to work on new functionality while waiting for app translation, the need to wait for app localization before the app launch might raise costs.
Also, ongoing communication and feedback loops across all stakeholders—including translators—break down, resulting in potential time, productivity, quality, and money loss.
4. Inadequate app localization technology
The right strategy helps to finish the task on time. You must incorporate the right development process.
Your workflow will suffer if the wrong tools are not put in place; lengthy email exchanges will become the standard practice, developers will spend more time finding app strings and sending them to interpreters, app releases will take longer due to bottlenecks, errors will not be caught, and localization quality will suffer.
Utilizing a specialized mobile app localization system that was created from the initial concept with the developer, product teams, and a focus strategy in mind can easily address these issues.
Your app process must be in sync with your localized mobile app:
Streamline the operation process
The translation process becomes much quicker and simpler by eliminating manual labor. The manual process of separating code from copy and reversing the process when translation is finished is no longer required for developers. The task can be done quickly.
Manage your project easily
With the assistance of a mobile app localization platform, it becomes simple and efficient to manage and track the complete process in one platform.
It becomes quite easy to integrate the whole mobile app localization process. You can track and manage all tasks. Also, with the help of a platform, all the integration can be done swiftly and easily.
How Cynoteck can help you?
Cynoteck is one of the top providers of custom mobile app development services. Our team of experienced professionals is always ready for any challenge, including complicated CRM, eCommerce applications, or social media. We perform deep analysis to localize apps and provide the best results for smooth functioning.
We offer the kind of mobile app development services that are highly effective for communicating with target consumers. To help localize the mobile app, we have an expert team to assist with your endeavors. Our QA professionals undertake thorough tests to ensure your app functions flawlessly. All our apps, whether hybrid or native, go through our process of rigorous testing before they are launched.
Have an App Idea?
Send us your requirements, we will help you to build customized mobile apps according to your requirements.
If you are planning on how to approach localizing your app. Then there are the following tips might help you to get a start:
Get going early
Consider the localization of your app from the beginning of the app development process.
While developing an application, you must keep in mind that you must also include other languages. An adaptive app development process helps to support different languages other than English. You know the entire process becomes easier.
It becomes quite convenient to include other languages in the application if it has been easier from the start. The whole objective of this process is that makes the translation process simpler.
Less than 400 million people in the globe use English as their first language, despite it being spoken by almost 75 billion people globally.
Avoid constraints and go beyond translations
An app's attractive features include not only the translated language but also the app’s wholesomeness. To better simplify you must have tried to translate something in google translations. It does the task of translating the language, but it might not make sense in another language. Sometimes it is more than converting language. It is about adapting the whole essence of the region.
The format should remain the same
Remember to translate in the same order. Now the order differs according to different language diversities around the globe. While localizing your app, keep it in mind. The languages you are switching must incorporate the names in the correct order.
Multiple ways to pluralize
English is the most dominant language on this planet. Its usage is quite easy comparatively. Changing sentences to plural is quite convenient. Now while switching the app, it is essential to make sure the plurals are changing in the same manner.
Localization can raise website visits by 70%, search traffic by 47%, and conversion rates by 20%.
And this is for just one language. Develop a fixed message and enable users to add variable pieces based on a collection of plurals from other languages.
Avoid text embedded in images
Images are more impactful to users. It should be noted that while the whole app is switched. The text on images should also change. Using photos with text interferes with the other mobile app localization efforts made in your program. To provide consumers with a tailored experience, images should be localized for each location. If this is not possible, you can design your app so that images can be shown and hidden quickly.
Localization testing is mandatory
For localization testing, a variety of devices with various screen sizes that are typical for use in a particular region should be used. It helps to make sure that the entire process is working smoothly. No one would like to give a terrible experience to new users. Retention is the key, only a bug-free experience is going to enhance overall reach.
Before starting any mobile app localization procedure, experts advise performing a "pseudo-localization test" to make sure the program is internationalized. Your company will bridge linguistic and national boundaries if you can turn a locally successful app into a globally successful app. The goal must be to serve the needs of both employees and customers.
App localization provider
Localizing mobile apps is not an easy job. It requires time, skill, and efficiency. There are many reasons why firms prefer to switch to localizing their app provider. Most app developers pick to work with a localization provider who not only translates, internationalizes, and localizes your app but also combines business and technological expertise to advise changes based on considerable experience.
We have explained thoroughly the detailed analysis and procedure of mobile app localization. Incorporating app localization has many benefits beyond simply expanding the user base. The inclusions are text content management, reducing code duplication, and content synchronization. Using any of the localization services is a decent technique to implement localization, although it could be overkill for smaller applications. Managing text material using Google Sheets is a quick and easy approach.
Any action you take to streamline the mobile app localization procedure after deciding to move forward with it can help you save a significant amount of time and money. This will affect how well your localization efforts turn out. In the end, the more app users you are going to attract—and make them happy—the quicker you launch in the target market and the more accurately your localization will be.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How does localization work?
Translation, accompanying images, and cultural considerations that affect how your material will be interpreted are all part of the localization process, which adapts to a part of the content's whole significance to a new audience. The main goal of localization is to increase your app’s overall visibility & target audience.
Q. How much does it cost to localize an app?
The intricacy of the target language, the sustainability of the language pair, the number of languages you are converting the source content into, the app components you wish to localize the mobile app, and the timetable of your localization project are all factors that determine how quickly an app is localized.
Q. Why is it crucial to localize your mobile app?
An application's localization is important for its development. When you expand your customer base and make your brand more attractive to the public, you can beat out a huge portion of the competitors.
Q. How can mobile app localization assist in the growth of an app?
Mobile app localization has several advantages, including raising your brand's visibility and, consequently, the number of downloads, better conversion rates, less competition for local keyword ranks, and improving the brand's credibility.
Q. What is the importance of mobile app localization?
If a firm wants to grow beyond geographical boundaries, app localization is now a requirement for every app. When done properly, localization helps guarantee higher downloads, more consumers, and high revenues.
Assurance is always linked to relatability. People get hooked on anything which is even slightly relatable. We are obsessed with our cell phones; we have them all the time. That is why mobile app localization has become quite necessary. If you want your business to grow exponentially you must incorporate local mobile apps. The results are great and impactful; we have seen this in almost every entrepreneurial strategy.
App localization is the process of modifying and improving an app so that it would appeal to a target audience. More specifically based on the geographical basis. One must make sure that the app is just as engaging and simple to use. The key element to be kept in mind is that your app must hold the same engagement capacity everywhere as it has in the primary region.
Mobile app localization involves much more than mere translation: While translation concentrates on the literal conversion of text from one language to another, localizing a mobile app makes sure that every component of your app—including user interface (UI) elements, particular features, in-app copy, graphics, and app store descriptions—is customized to users’ cultural preferences, customs, or expectations.
According to data, around 80% of the top five countries for downloads and income on Google Play are non-English speaking nations from Europe and East Asia, as are 50% of the top 10 countries for downloads and profitability on the iOS App Store.
Asia accounted for 41% of all app income globally, compared to North America’s 31% and Europe’s 23%.
To expand to localize mobile apps to a wider audience they must become accessible as well as relatable. Converting your app’s primary language into different linguistic interfaces attracts users. It becomes easier to connect with consumers.
Copy Infographic
×
1. Increase App Engagement
From mega giants to young start-ups, everyone nowadays dedicates all their resources to first knowing their audience.
If you understand your consumer and you are aware of what they do or what they want it gets easier to engage with them.
Mobile App Localization helps to increase app engagement with all the user-centric features.
2. Personalized UX to users
There are several apps with great features and attractive offers, yet they don’t attract users. One of the primary factors which attract consumers is the overall user experience.
An overall personalized UX will relate to consumers even more and eventually increase users. Localize mobile apps includes a personalized UX, improving attractive user consumption.
3. Enrolling in a new market
To grow further in business is the ultimate objective of every business. An app may lose up to 13% of users if it fails to localize mobile apps for a local audience.
Mobile app localization helps to expand business in a new market and tap new consumers. This can be something interesting for firms to understand new user trends as well as challenging.
4. Amplify downloads
Users do not think twice about trying out any new application if they find it interesting. Local Facebook pages experience up to 50% more engagement.
Smartphones have enough cloud space to accommodate unlimited data. Over the years it is expected that smartphone users will reach 5,575.24 million by 2025. It means that the market for Google Play and iOS users will tremendously increase.
If you have a trending features app catering to the needs of consumers in the local language it becomes quite easy to increase the overall downloads.
In minimum viable localization, only the primary content changes such as the app store description. This could also include app store metadata.
Recommended for start-ups, MVL helps to drive results with minimum effort compared to full-length localization for mobile app localization.
Complete localization of application
Full app localization entails changing every aspect of the application. Every component of the app must be customized for each target market, including app store localization.
Complete app localization ensures that users in every market are comfortable using your app.
Even though your mobile app localization strategy may differ from one app to the next and evolve to meet your app’s needs, it is a good idea to incorporate localization into the design and development of your app. You must prepare yourself to be clear with the needs and demands you have.
There are certain areas where it is preferable to reflect your thought into. Budget, you need to be clear with the amount you are planning to spend in your app while localizing it. Another key factor to consider is which platform you are switching your app.
Many contradictions might impact you while you commence on to change your app. Understand the cultural variation you might have to witness. Apart from that budget, priority, and much more. The whole approach is different and requires thought.
Using a mobile app localization platform to administer & store the texts on a distant server is a popular method of localization. Most platforms already offer features like cross-platform connectors, repository linking, application sharing, and two-way translation synchronization.
1. Localazy
It can be OTA (over-the-air). Additionally, it offers a free tier of 200 keys (terms) with a long number of integrations, including those for React, Vue, Angular, and other less well-known frameworks.
As well as for most of the main repository hosting services and localization file formats. Additionally, it features a thorough review process with numerous translation versions.
2. Lokalise
Lokalise has the capacity for OTA. Version control for localization is already built in. Support for managing plurals is also included. Localization-related duties can be delegated and managed.
3. Phrase
You can view the translation’s context in an in-context editor. It has OTA capabilities and a variety of integration possibilities. It is possible to work on various branches, which is advantageous for bigger projects.
4. PO Editor
A great 1000-string free plan. For every string, the collaborators can add comments. You may also design a simple file synchronization flow. Webbooks can help with this and save translation history.
After discussing strategic factors and addressing some potential difficulties with mobile app localization, it is time to compile the best practices to localize a mobile app.
You may build up a localization process that is integrated into your app development workflow and avoid potentially expensive mistakes by using the advice in the sections below, which we have divided into separate categories.
1. App Internalization
It is important to structure your app through mobile app localization. Work must be done throughout the app development stage to thoroughly localize the mobile app so that it is ready for the worldwide market.
The process of creating a localized mobile app that can work in any market without requiring code changes or UI adaptations once it is released is known as internationalization.
Following is the few common localize mobile app features that need early internationalization consideration include:
2. Switching user-interface strings from the code into resource files
Before deploying code, app strings can be stored in resource files, allowing the team to access those files later for translation without having to alter the code itself.
3. Not hard-coding date, time, number, and currency formats
Future issues are caused when developers hard-code the software with only one language’s formats.
To prevent this, date, time, number, and currency formats ought to be kept in variables that can be utilized to generate strings at runtime based on the locale preferences of the device.
Ensure that formatting follows user expectations and that everyone agrees on how to style these items for various languages.
4. Integrate identical keys across mobile platforms (iOS & Android)
Instead of developing app strings twice, developers can establish a shared set of integrated app texts that are compatible with iOS and Android to prevent duplicating localization efforts and make app localization tasks reasonable.
5. Ensuring different pluralization rules
Although it may seem like a minor point, app developers must keep in mind how to organize app strings so that pluralization is supported. Every language has various plural forms; therefore, the program needs to be aware of this when handling things like error messages or app notifications that might display several items.
6. Layout and design considerations of App user interface
Mobile App Localization should be considered early in UI design. The program will be incredibly challenging to localize if the UI elements are rigid. All languages should be supported by the app’s screen layout, not just one or two (which often happens).
Some excellent UI design guidelines for international apps are:
Maintaining flexibility in your app’s design to accommodate different languages. Designers should rely on adaptable pixel dimensions and percentage metrics to ensure that the app’s UI resizes smoothly as text expands between languages.
Allowing for various language directions, verify that your application will handle languages that read left to right. The last thing you want is a flawed design or functional difficulties once localization has been finished. A change in translation direction might affect anything from button placement to navigation flows.
Integrating app design tool via mobile app localization platform. It is possible to identify design flaws early in the development phase by integrating design tools like Figma or Sketch with an app translation platform. This helps with app translation and prevents expensive bugs in the future.
7. Translating & Preparing an App Copy
When the initial work gets done of developing the localized mobile app. The next stage starts with content preparation by copywriters and localizers. The following are a few steps that can help you to work for the App Copy.
65% of readers prefer reading content in their native tongue, even those who are fluent in English.
Assisting copywriters with images and screenshots:
Unrelated UI elements frequently cause translators’ confusion because they are unclear. The process of localizing an app may be hampered since they may need to spend additional time getting clarity from app developers about features.
By including app pictures that provide context for translators so they may gain a better understanding of app activity, you can eliminate any unclear terms from your app before they even appear.
55% of consumers worldwide chose only websites that offer information about a product in their language.
Using a translation guide and vocabulary to achieve compliance:
Mobile App Localization teams can prevent consistency between texts by reusing translated text segments when they make use of the translation memory features of your localization software.
Maintaining a consistent mobile app localization style throughout the app with vocabulary help will help you improve marketing strategy and user experience.
The mobile app localization also heavily relies on visual elements. To make your apps stand out from the crowd and catch the attention of locals, you should try to localize your mobile app with pictures for each app market.
A few of the factors you must keep in mind:
Allotting pictures and text differently
Avoiding inserting text in graphics will make the mobile app localization process much simpler and more effective.
If your graphics, such as app screenshots in the app store, contain source text that no one can understand or that differs from what you see on the translated screen, it might negatively affect the user experience.
Create a customizable text layer. This will help the app developers to use it to generate app strings at runtime as an alternative.
Substantiate the ethnicity of the image
You must utilize visuals that are appropriate for and indicative of each market for both your local mobile app and the app stores. For instance, any image displaying an incorrect resemblance to any culture will not relate to the consumers.
Push all back into your localized mobile app once your resources have been retrieved and your strings have been translated. Even though it could be alluring to believe that this marks the completion of localized mobile app effort, problems can develop if you neglect to check your program for bugs.
The following actions can help you reduce:
Conduct linguistic examinations:
The easiest strategy to correct errors once your localized mobile app is readily available to consumers is to implement a thorough linguistic evaluation to ensure that there are no problems with your content. You may come across untranslated app strings, a converted UI element that does not make sense in its context, etc.
Performing functional mobile app localization testing and pre-production quality assurance:
Conduct app localization tests to assess how your app operates and appears in various locales and languages. Unexpected problems, such as a bad layout, can occasionally arise.
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It is an innovative idea to optimize your product for the app stores’ search to get the most out of app store exposure. The process of optimizing app titles, keywords, images, descriptions, etc. for app stores is known as app store optimization (ASO). ASO must be done from the beginning in every language when using a worldwide app.
Finding the most common keywords in each location is the initial step, after which you should modify your localized mobile app’s original title, summary, and other pertinent sections, as necessary. The last step is to think about how various app shops approach optimization. Let us examine some factors you should consider while localizing an app store.
Screenshot
In the app store assets, have you provided any screenshots? If that is the case, they must also be tailored to the region. It is important to make sure that local customers can recognize what they see in the image because app screenshots are a vital tool for helping you promote your localized mobile app and present it in its best light.
User Content
Reviews and ratings for apps are important to pay attention to because they can influence whether people download certain apps. User reviews and ratings are crucial for app visibility, ranking, prominence, and adoption; therefore, they must be localized for each region.
Keywords
The main strategy for attracting app users’ attention is using keywords. The greatest mobile app localization technique is not always translating keywords word-for-word through every app store language because language and culture have a significant impact on an internet search.
The wise course of action is to conduct keyword research from scratch for each market. By doing this, you can be certain that people who search for related words in their native language in the app store will come across your application.
Icons
Consider the appearance of your icon and how it will appear with both rounded edges (the iOS app icon) and a squared-off bottom when you are localizing your mobile app for Android and iOS (the Android app icon).
Video Content
You must also localize the app video assets if you intend to upload any video material to the app store. Visitors to the app store may find it easier to grasp your app’s features and benefits by seeing a localized app video.
Positional information
To enable app stores to better analyze your app when users search for your app by location, it is a good idea to add positional information, such as a city or region name where it is appropriate if your app is location-specific.
Metadata
Increasing app exposure, downloads, ratings, and reviews can be achieved by optimizing the app’s metadata for each app store, which is a wonderful first step toward increasing app store revenue. To encourage people to download your app, you must localize the app’s titles and descriptions so that they show in app stores across all relevant geographies.
Whether you want to localize your software for all markets or just a few specific ones. There are chances to run through several obstacles. Challenges not only slow down the entire process but can also cause issues if not addressed in advance.
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1. Unforeseen delays and extra costs
While commencing a new venture, few goals are set. Some are short term which can be achieved upon the project’s completion. Then for long-term development, there are also some targets. To achieve those targets, one must keep the process prepared.
When compared to posts posted internationally, geo-targeted content can engage an audience 6 times more effectively.
When it comes time to modify the software for new markets, this error could cause issues that you will not be able to address without incurring delays and additional expenditures.
While automating and centralizing manual tasks can undoubtedly help cut costs and expedite the localization of apps. If app development is not planned with mobile app localization in account from the beginning, it is unlikely to be extremely helpful.
Taking care of app internationalization in the initial stages of app development and design is the best way to guarantee a seamless app launch. You can more efficiently manage app translation efforts and costs when your app is designed from the ground up to accommodate various languages.
2. Quality issues detected at app release
Many localized apps are released to the app stores only to discover that the program is utterly unusable due to app localization errors, such as app commands that were incorrectly translated or even incoherent. When your software is first released, localization issues can harm its reputation, drive people away because they cannot use it correctly, and even result in negative reviews.
Investing in testing and quality assurance for every language is the greatest strategy to prevent app localization errors at the app’s release.
Consider using pseudo localization—replacing all localizable UI elements with pseudo-language—in situations where it is not possible to thoroughly test every single string, layout, date, time, number, and currency format.
This will allow you to see whether any source strings contain errors that should be fixed before the translation process begins.
For developers to analyze usability, readability, space needs, and user input, here are many pseudo localization tools.
3. App localization should be part of the process
If localization is organized as a distinct task outside the agile framework, it may take longer to complete than app development in a workflow that moves quickly.
Due to delays in app release and the inability of app developers to work on new functionality while waiting for app translation, the need to wait for app localization before the app launch might raise costs.
Also, ongoing communication and feedback loops across all stakeholders—including translators—break down, resulting in potential time, productivity, quality, and money loss.
4. Inadequate app localization technology
The right strategy helps to finish the task on time. You must incorporate the right development process.
Your workflow will suffer if the wrong tools are not put in place; lengthy email exchanges will become the standard practice, developers will spend more time finding app strings and sending them to interpreters, app releases will take longer due to bottlenecks, errors will not be caught, and localization quality will suffer.
Utilizing a specialized mobile app localization system that was created from the initial concept with the developer, product teams, and a focus strategy in mind can easily address these issues.
Your app process must be in sync with your localized mobile app:
Streamline the operation process
The translation process becomes much quicker and simpler by eliminating manual labor. The manual process of separating code from copy and reversing the process when translation is finished is no longer required for developers. The task can be done quickly.
Manage your project easily
With the assistance of a mobile app localization platform, it becomes simple and efficient to manage and track the complete process in one platform.
It becomes quite easy to integrate the whole mobile app localization process. You can track and manage all tasks. Also, with the help of a platform, all the integration can be done swiftly and easily.
How Cynoteck can help you?
Cynoteck is one of the top providers of custom mobile app development services. Our team of experienced professionals is always ready for any challenge, including complicated CRM, eCommerce applications, or social media. We perform deep analysis to localize apps and provide the best results for smooth functioning.
We offer the kind of mobile app development services that are highly effective for communicating with target consumers. To help localize the mobile app, we have an expert team to assist with your endeavors. Our QA professionals undertake thorough tests to ensure your app functions flawlessly. All our apps, whether hybrid or native, go through our process of rigorous testing before they are launched.
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If you are planning on how to approach localizing your app. Then there are the following tips might help you to get a start:
Get going early
Consider the localization of your app from the beginning of the app development process.
While developing an application, you must keep in mind that you must also include other languages. An adaptive app development process helps to support different languages other than English. You know the entire process becomes easier.
It becomes quite convenient to include other languages in the application if it has been easier from the start. The whole objective of this process is that makes the translation process simpler.
Less than 400 million people in the globe use English as their first language, despite it being spoken by almost 75 billion people globally.
Avoid constraints and go beyond translations
An app’s attractive features include not only the translated language but also the app’s wholesomeness. To better simplify you must have tried to translate something in google translations. It does the task of translating the language, but it might not make sense in another language. Sometimes it is more than converting language. It is about adapting the whole essence of the region.
The format should remain the same
Remember to translate in the same order. Now the order differs according to different language diversities around the globe. While localizing your app, keep it in mind. The languages you are switching must incorporate the names in the correct order.
Multiple ways to pluralize
English is the most dominant language on this planet. Its usage is quite easy comparatively. Changing sentences to plural is quite convenient. Now while switching the app, it is essential to make sure the plurals are changing in the same manner.
Localization can raise website visits by 70%, search traffic by 47%, and conversion rates by 20%.
And this is for just one language. Develop a fixed message and enable users to add variable pieces based on a collection of plurals from other languages.
Avoid text embedded in images
Images are more impactful to users. It should be noted that while the whole app is switched. The text on images should also change. Using photos with text interferes with the other mobile app localization efforts made in your program. To provide consumers with a tailored experience, images should be localized for each location. If this is not possible, you can design your app so that images can be shown and hidden quickly.
Localization testing is mandatory
For localization testing, a variety of devices with various screen sizes that are typical for use in a particular region should be used. It helps to make sure that the entire process is working smoothly. No one would like to give a terrible experience to new users. Retention is the key, only a bug-free experience is going to enhance overall reach.
Before starting any mobile app localization procedure, experts advise performing a “pseudo-localization test” to make sure the program is internationalized. Your company will bridge linguistic and national boundaries if you can turn a locally successful app into a globally successful app. The goal must be to serve the needs of both employees and customers.
App localization provider
Localizing mobile apps is not an easy job. It requires time, skill, and efficiency. There are many reasons why firms prefer to switch to localizing their app provider. Most app developers pick to work with a localization provider who not only translates, internationalizes, and localizes your app but also combines business and technological expertise to advise changes based on considerable experience.
We have explained thoroughly the detailed analysis and procedure of mobile app localization. Incorporating app localization has many benefits beyond simply expanding the user base. The inclusions are text content management, reducing code duplication, and content synchronization. Using any of the localization services is a decent technique to implement localization, although it could be overkill for smaller applications. Managing text material using Google Sheets is a quick and easy approach.
Any action you take to streamline the mobile app localization procedure after deciding to move forward with it can help you save a significant amount of time and money. This will affect how well your localization efforts turn out. In the end, the more app users you are going to attract—and make them happy—the quicker you launch in the target market and the more accurately your localization will be.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How does localization work?
Translation, accompanying images, and cultural considerations that affect how your material will be interpreted are all part of the localization process, which adapts to a part of the content’s whole significance to a new audience. The main goal of localization is to increase your app’s overall visibility & target audience.
Q. How much does it cost to localize an app?
The intricacy of the target language, the sustainability of the language pair, the number of languages you are converting the source content into, the app components you wish to localize the mobile app, and the timetable of your localization project are all factors that determine how quickly an app is localized.
Q. Why is it crucial to localize your mobile app?
An application’s localization is important for its development. When you expand your customer base and make your brand more attractive to the public, you can beat out a huge portion of the competitors.
Q. How can mobile app localization assist in the growth of an app?
Mobile app localization has several advantages, including raising your brand’s visibility and, consequently, the number of downloads, better conversion rates, less competition for local keyword ranks, and improving the brand’s credibility.
Q. What is the importance of mobile app localization?
If a firm wants to grow beyond geographical boundaries, app localization is now a requirement for every app. When done properly, localization helps guarantee higher downloads, more consumers, and high revenues.
Do you want to leverage mobile technology for your business? Cynoteck is a one-stop Mobile app Development Services provider. We provide iOS and Android application development services so that you can reach your target audience on any device.
