Localization vs Internationalization: Key Differences & Benefits

Your business is doing great locally, and now you are planning to take it one step further into new global markets.

One important thing you need to know is your global customers are expecting more than getting easy access to your products and services. They are expecting to get them in their native language. 

And you know what they are expecting even more? To feel that what you are offering is originally made for them, adapted and personalized for them based on their culture and preferences.

So, is it localization vs. internationalization? Or both? If you aren’t sure, this blog post is for you. 

Let’s dive in. 

Localization vs. Internationalization

What Is Internationalization?

The term internationalization, also known as “i18n,” refers to the design and engineering of software products so that they can easily be localized for different multilingual markets. 

The main goal of internationalization is to create modular products that are culturally neutral so that they can effectively be adapted to support multiple languages, cultures, and other locale-specific components.

We can simply say that internationalization is the process that paves the way for localization to happen. 

Here is a quick glimpse into the key practices internationalization entails when preparing software products for global use.

4 Key Practices of Software Internationalization: The How

1. Basing The Software On The Unicode Standard

You want to make your software product universal, which means that it should support almost all languages.

For that to happen, a successful software internationalization process leverages a large character encoding system, which prepares the software codebase to receive various configurations based on your target language. 

While ASCII character encoding has been great with most Western European languages, languages like Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Hindi required larger character encodings like Unicode.

The creation of the Unicode Encoding Standard has facilitated the process of software localization to a greater extent.

This encoding system encompasses all characters used in all modern languages including Arabic, which helps make your software-displayed text readable after translation, and ultimately allows your software products to be adapted to literally every area of the world.

2. Adapting Code to Recognize Cultural Differences 

A very important step in software internationalization that prepares for an easy localization process is for the software developer to adapt your software code to recognize cultural differences and divergences in language rules.

To do so, you have to incorporate localization data and culture-specific components into your software source code library.

Cultural differences affect number formats and numeral systems of elements like date and time format as well as currency. Some countries, for example, adopt the 12-hour clock format while others follow the 24-hour clock format.

3. Adapting User Interface (UI) for Variations in Text Length 

Considering text length variation is another key practice for software internationalization. Internationalization will help you adapt your software user interface for variation in text length after translation to avoid issues associated with text expansion, for instance.

When you translate text into the language of your target audience during the localization stage, text expansion is usually one of the challenges you will encounter. And it can actually be time consuming to handle if your software has not been prepared for it earlier.

Text expansion occurs when the text expands and the number of letters increases, after translation, to the extent that the text overflows within other UI elements including buttons, menus, and text boxes. And unless it is accounted for, it can lead to several layout issues like text misalignment and text truncation.

This is a real challenge as it can badly affect the readability and usability of your software, which can be confusing and frustrating for users who might find it difficult to navigate through it.

However, with the help of the in-context reviews feature, software engineers and translators ensure that the translated text fits within the character limit in the context of the software’s UI elements.

4. Organizing Source Code Via String Externalization 

Sounds really complicated, doesn’t it? Let us put it simply.

String externalization is the process of separating translatable text and localizable elements in your software application to store it outside the source code. This is typically done to facilitate importing and exporting the text for translation without affecting the rest of the code.

After extraction, the strings are saved in certain file formats that translators can easily access during translation and localization. 

This is one of the crucial practices of internationalization that need to be carried out early because leaving it until the actual localization will definitely be time, effort, and also money consuming.

What Is Localization?

Also known as “l10n,” localization is the process of adapting products to meet the language and culture as well as the technical and legal requirements of a specific target audience.

When it comes to software localization, the process involves translating content, adjusting it to cultural references, and modifying the software’s UI and visual elements, while optimizing the software’s performance and functionality.

The main goal is to create a final version of your software that seems and feels local to your target audience as if it was never translated, as if it is made specifically for them.

Curious to know how localization achieves this? Let’s explore some of the practices localization entails.

3 Key Practices of Software Localization: The How

1. Content Translation

Content translation involves converting the textual and audiovisual content of a software application from one language to another. This involves translating the following:

• All text-based elements 
• Instructional text
• Audio or video content 

Effective software content translation requires not only linguistic proficiency but also a deep understanding of the intended audience to fit their cultural norms and expectations.

This includes taking into account factors like differences in time and date formats, currency, units of measurement, and other cultural factors that impact how software is used and understood.

Translating your software content boils down to creating a fully localized experience – a fully personalized experience.

If the content of your app or website sounds like a mere translation of your original content, the whole experience would be strange and alien to them. And when that happens, you won’t be able to elicit an emotional response from your users enough to convince them of what you are offering them as well as your brand.

The aim of your app or website content translation is that it shouldn’t sound like a translation at all.

2. UI/UX Localization

This practice involves adapting the user interface and user experience of a software application including elements like the layout, color scheme, and other design elements.

Although it sounds like a simple task, it actually requires a deep understanding of the target market’s cultural and linguistic preferences to be able to design an intuitive and user-friendly experience. Here are 3 major aspects that UI/UX localization considers.

• The design, layout, and visual elements of the software to reflect the cultural norms, values, and preferences of the target audience
• The functionality and user experience of the software to reflect the local user behavior, including device usage, browsing habits, and payment preferences
• Software usability to work on different devices, platforms, and networks, ensuring that it complies with local regulations and standards

3. Localization QA & Testing

Localization testing in software is a key process carried out to verify that the software that has been localized for a specific region or culture meets the quality standards and requirements of that region or culture.

Localization QA and Testing (LQA) involves checking that the localized content, design, and functionality of the software application are accurate, appropriate, and user-friendly for users in the target market.

Here are some key aspects of software localization QA and testing:

• Linguistic Testing: Checking the text content of the software to make sure it is free of any linguistic inaccuracies. This includes verifying spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Cultural Sensitivity Verification: Verifying that both content and design, including visual elements such as colors, symbols, and photos, are culturally appropriate and do not have negative connotations that imply cultural insensitivity and offense to the target audience.
• Functionality Testing: Ensuring that the localized software application works as intended and is compatible with the target platform, device, and network.
• User Experience Testing: Making sure the localized software provides a seamless and intuitive user experience for users in a specific target market by testing aspects such as readability, usability, and accessibility.
• Compliance Testing: Confirming that the software meets requirements related to privacy, security, and accessibility to ensure that it complies with local laws, regulations, and industry standards
• Regression Testing: Verifying that localization changes have not impacted the functionality of the software that was working correctly in the source language version.

Localization vs. Internationalization vs. Globalization in a Nutshell