Localization for Greek and German users

Localization (L10n) goes beyond translation. The end user of the localized software or website should not feel that it was originally designed and created in another language; it should integrate seamlessly and provide a natural and intuitive user experience (UX). Some software and website elements must be adapted to the target user’s language to achieve this result. Some of these elements are:

• Abbreviations;
• Currency, measurement units, date and time, and number format;
• Spelling and terminology;
• Symbols, icons, hand gestures, signage, and fonts;
• User interface (UI), including menus, buttons, labels, error messages, system prompts, and layout.

Furthermore, for software localization, the following will also require adaptation to the target language:

• Help files and documentation;
• Legal and regulatory information;
• Keyboard shortcuts.

For website localization, the following requires adaptation to the target language as well:

• Legal information (terms and conditions, privacy policy, etc.);
• Pictures (alternative text, description, caption, etc.);
• SEO (keywords, meta title, meta descriptions, etc.);
• Shipping information, shipping cost, prices, and taxes (for e-commerce);
• Transactional and marketing emails.

Of course, the above lists are not exhaustive, and additional steps may be necessary. One inevitable step is to assess everything before launching.

Software localization example

Below, you may see a localization example from Microsoft that will help you understand localization. The screenshot is the same in US English, German, French, and Greek. As you can see, text, buttons, and links are localized into the respective language.

Website localization example

Website localization is similar to software localization, since it also involves code. The example below shows the same homepage in English, French, Italian, and Greek (although Haribo is a German company).

You will notice that the English and Greek screenshots are similar but have different slogans (transcreation). In contrast, the French and Italian screenshots feature entirely different products than the other two screenshots. In addition, the menus are not the same in all languages.