Software localization across global markets

In recent years, CSA (Common Sense Advisory) Research conducted a study titled Fortune 500 Companies that Invest in Translation Report Higher Revenue, in which it identified that localization efforts make businesses 1.5 times more likely to experience revenue growth compared to those that don’t. (Sourced from CSA Research.) Localization, which involves adapting content to meet the cultural, linguistic, and functional expectations of local markets, allows businesses to effectively communicate their value propositions to global audiences, foster deeper connections with the,, and enhance their customers’ experiences across regions. 

Further CSA research, titled Can’t Read, Won’t Buy, states that 75% of consumers prefer to buy products in their native language. As the world’s digital population continues to grow, with internet users surpassing 5.44 billion in April 2024, it’s more important than ever for businesses to dub their materials into their audience’s preferred languages. 

Deepdub is leading the revolution in this field, by enabling content production across multiple industries to use AI-driven dubbing technology to create high-quality, culturally nuanced dubbing in multiple languages. In this article, we’ll reveal how businesses can take their content across global borders to drive their success anywhere and everywhere. 

Software localization key consideration points

Adapting software to meet the linguistic, cultural, and technical requirements of a target market, involves several key steps such as translating content into the local language, ensuring cultural nuances and preferences are respected, and modifying the user interface to suit local conventions. In layman’s terms, this might mean altering date formats, adjusting color schemes to match cultural significance, and ensuring the software complies with local regulations and standards.

Localization also extends to functional aspects, such as adapting payment systems to support local currencies and payment methods, and ensuring that technical support is available in the local language. Even dubbing training videos, customer instruction videos and social media content are part of localization efforts. 

Best practices to localize software

Cultural relevance

Cultural nuances significantly impact how your customers perceive and interact with your software. Incorporating local idioms, symbols, and customs help ensure that it resonates with the target audience. Moreover, understanding and integrating cultural customs can enhance the user experience and make the software feel more intuitive for that audience. Just consider the issue of Hebrew or Arabic, both right-to-left text languages that require adaptation, in software writing and video subtitles. This is also true of date formats. Most countries use the numeral DD/MM/YY date format, but in the U.S., the MM/DD/YY format is expected. 

Transcription and translation 

An often-overlooked aspect of software localization is dubbing instructional content. These resources are an important part of getting global audiences to adopt and become experts in using your product. This is an area Deepdub excels in since our software transcribes and translates the script of your original videos automatically, matching the tone and style of the original content to ensure it aligns with the local cultural context.

Consistency

Consistency is key in localization. When localizing, you need to ensure that terminology and style are consistent across all platforms and all content. Terminological glossaries are vital in achieving this, and while they’re a little time consuming to maintain manually, they’re a necessity if you want your customers to have a consistent experience in every language. (Deepdub’s glossaries are automatically created and maintained, making this process a lot easier!)

Expert global adapters

Experts in cultural and linguistic nuances, global adapters help tailor your content to meet the specific needs of each market. By leveraging their expertise, you can ensure that your training materials, onboarding videos, and any other dubbed content are not only accurately translated but also culturally relevant and engaging. This also contributes to consistency, as a global adapter can add to your terminological glossary giving you nuances that may be relevant within a certain country. In Latin-based languages, for example, gendered language like "amigo" (friend) and "amiga" (female friend) must be appropriately addressed to resonate with the target audience.

Accent control for videos

Deepdub's accent control feature lets you tailor the accents in your localized videos – for your knowledge base, onboarding videos and more – to match the regional preferences of your target audience. In its extensive research, Nielsen indicates that viewers are more likely to connect with and trust content that features familiar accents and dialects, and this could be a significant differentiating factor for your business. 

Software localization has the power to open global revenue streams

Studies and expert opinions consistently highlight the significant impact of localization on user engagement and conversion rates. As businesses continue to expand globally, those that invest in robust localization strategies will be better positioned to capture new markets, improve user satisfaction, and achieve sustainable growth. Businesses must embrace though, that localization is not just about meeting current demands; it's about investing today for the future of your business to compete and differentiate in this increasingly interconnected world.