Globalization vs. Localization: What the Difference Means in

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Globalization vs. Localization. Just looking at the words, you might think they mean opposite things. That may be part of the reason the terms are often misunderstood. The real truth is that they work hand in hand. And if they’re not working for you yet, it’s time to get the wheels in motion. Let’s take a closer look at globalization vs. localization—and especially their significant intersection points.



Globalization vs Localization: Why You Need Both

Globalization

As a broad generalization, one could say that globalization fuels localization. This means that there is a process of globalization that needs to occur before you can engage wordpress web design agency in localization. But this does not mean that globalization ends where localization begins. Globalization is characterized by the continuous attention to and solution of large-scale problems.



1. Business preparation and strategy

An important first step to going global is choosing your markets. This isn’t a matter of compiling a wish list. Instead, you need to determine where there will be a market for your product and how realistic it is for you to meet that demand. You need to conduct real research and analysis. You need to answer big planning questions about where, what, and how. For example, if you plan to sell your product in retail stores, you need to partner with local retailers. You may need local marketing support, and you may need to provide customer support in the local language . These and other questions have answers, and they have costs; every market is a serious commitment. You can’t put all your eggs in every basket, so a cost analysis is also necessary. Likewise, you will need to rank your markets according to their importance or profitability to your organization and direct your efforts based on this data-driven research.







2. Design and development

Globalization involves designing the best user experience for your target markets. You can’t safely assume that users in distant countries are ready to interact with your product exactly as users do in your original target location and language. So, your software and marketing content may simply need a decent-quality translation, but more likely you’re looking for a more comprehensive and intentional strategy. You may need additional content, product adaptation, and new workflows to continue meeting the demands of your new markets. Again, it’s important to be realistic about the time and resource costs when prioritizing next steps. You may find that certain markets will require too much effort and money, and that it’s not practical to move forward with those targets at this point.



3. Creating adaptive patterns

Involved in globalization and localization is also internationalization. Software needs to be internationalized before it is ready for localization. It needs to be able to handle unique conventions through translation that may not have been necessary in the original source language. For example, different countries write dates differently - month, day, year vs day, month, year. Measurements, sizes, addresses, text direction, text expansion. It pays to anticipate and establish working systems before moving forward with translation and localization for a specific language.