The translation of a website enables you to communicate online with a huge number of visitors and potential clients. Making your services or products available internationally is a factor that can contribute to a continuous growth and expansion of your business. Our native speaking translators will adapt the content of your website to the cultural, linguistic, and technical requirements of the target market. If your website is managed by a CMS, such as WordPress, we can insert the translated text within the latter.
Website localization is the process of adapting an existing website to local language and culture in the target market. A website is adapted into a different linguistic and cultural context involving much more than the simple translation of text. This modification process must reflect specific language and cultural preferences in the content, images and overall design and requirements of the site – all while maintaining the integrity of the website. Culturally adapted web sites reduce the amount of required cognitive efforts from visitors of the site to process information, making navigation easier and attitudes toward the web site more favorable. The modification of the website must additionally take into consideration the stated purpose of the new website with a focus on the targeted audience/market in the new locale. Website localization aims to customize a website so that it seems “natural”, to its viewers despite cultural differences between the creators and the audience.
Translation versus localisation
Website localization is more than mere translation. Translating only solves partial language problems. In addition to translation (and, therefore, grammar and spelling issues that vary from place to place where the same language is spoken), the localisation process might include adapting graphics; adopting local currencies; using proper format for date and time, addresses, and phone numbers applicable to the location; the choices of colours; cultural references, and many other details.
We can apply the following methods:
We can translate directly into the source code of the website files (HTML, XML, PHP) with the use of the appropriate translation software. In this way, it is not necessary to firstly complete the translation using other files or format (e.g. DOCX) and then try to integrate it manually into the source files.
We can provide the translated text in text format (e.g. DOCX, XLSX). Moreover, if requested, we can translate the multimedia text of your website, including images or other visual representations.
If you manage your website with a CMS such as WordPress, we can add the translated text to the appropriate parts of your website using the CMS, if you grant us direct access to it.
Translation of the website content
The website is translated by taking into account the adaptation of the content to the linguistic, cultural and technical requirements of the targeted market. Vocabulary, syntax, grammar, punctuation and style are taken into detailed consideration to ensure that the language used corresponds to the successful implementation of the aforementioned requirements.
Localization of page layout and website navigation
The translation process usually affects the layout of the web pages; depending on the target language, on the direction of writing and on other spatial or cultural peculiarities, more or less space may be required, or some layout elements or even whole pages may be removed.
Localizing Symbols
Usual measurement elements such as date and time, currency, measurement units and numerical symbols are detected and managed correctly during localization.
Certain icons and gestures have different meanings across different cultures and parts of the world. For example, the thumbs up signal means “Good” or “OK” in the USA, England and many other European countries. However, its perceived meaning varies significantly from culture to culture. The sign is said to have a pejorative meaning in some Asian countries including Iraq and Iran. In Germany, France, and Hungary, the gesture can simply indicate the number one, in the right context; however, it represents the number 5 in Japan. In the United States, American Sign Language users use a single thumb up tilted slightly and rapidly left and right to indicate the number ten.
The International Organization for Standardization provides a set of symbols and graphics which are understood across cultures. They are recommended to use as they have been tested thoroughly and repeatedly across several different groups which assigned them the same meanings.
Adapting Pictures to the Audience
Pictures or visual representations may portray negative meanings that can be disturbing to some readers. So, they need to be examined thoroughly and altered to accommodate to certain requirements.
Adapting Colors to Cultures
Colors may also convey cultural meanings, and they need to be considered during the localization process. They can influence the way the audience may interpret some concepts, positively or negatively. For example, in Western cultures, red symbolizes excitement and passion, love and danger. In China, red represents happiness, good fortune, luck, and prosperity. In East Asian stock markets, red signifies a rise in stock prices, whereas it signifies a fall in North American markets. The Japanese flag is a white rectangle with a central crimson-red disc. Perhaps this is why most Japanese children often draw the sun as a large red circle.
Localization Testing
TranslateFromTo will ensure that the localized site works the same as the source language version and that the links function correctly. We will also that the translation is placed and appears correctly across the website.