Adapt your design to craft a universal user experience

The impact of translation on design and layout is often underestimated. Consider the following areas where user experience (UX) intersects with design and translation:

• Different languages have different lengths. Developers should allow for text expansion when designing the user interface (UI)—allowing up to 60% more space to accommodate translations and not see key functionality affected or CTAs break.
• Not all languages read from left to right. Some scripts—such as Arabic or Hebrew—are written from right to left (right-to-left or RTL languages). Other languages, such as Chinese or Japanese, have been traditionally written top to bottom. It has implications for how the UI is set up—it needs to be mirrored.
• Consider more than just language. When designing for a global audience, prioritize usability and inclusivity. Ask yourself: Is my product accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities or impairments? Your answer will likely influence how you approach UI design.

These are all areas of UX localization you will want to consider, ideally during the early stages of product development. If you’re feeling stuck, reach out to your partner LSP or work with in-market specialists who can help guide you on the local usage or what is acceptable (and what isn’t). Even better—onboard them into the design process.

In essence, you should create your product with localization in mind. It will allow you to develop products that transcend language and culture boundaries, ensuring your application looks as good—and offers the same memorable experience—in Tokyo, Kathmandu, or New York.

Devise a testing and quality assurance process for excellence—and for returning customers

Before hitting the global launch button, plan for a meticulous localization quality review pass. Spending time testing the product ensures it is error-free from a technical and linguistic perspective and delivers an outstanding experience to end users. 

Responsibilities of engineering and linguistic teams encompass the 4 following areas of testing:

• Functional testing: Evaluating software performance, code compatibility, and layout functions.
• Compliance testing: Navigating regional regulations to steer clear of legal complexities.
• Linguistic testing: Validating translation accuracy, grammar, and cultural compatibility.
• Visual testing: Ensuring a seamless user experience through thoroughly reviewing visual elements.

In an ideal scenario, you will have sufficient time before the product launch to devise a testing plan that addresses the above areas. The reality may be more complex, with time and cost being frequent hurdles that force teams to pick where they can move the needle the most. That’s why one of the best—and most cost-effective—QA strategies is to get your product global-ready from the start via internationalization (i18n).

Think of the QA phase as the final dress rehearsal before the grand global premiere—a guarantee that your product will shine on any stage it graces.

Leverage cloud localization technology

Localization technology will be your neural hub for devising efficient localization and translation processes. At the same time, humans concentrate on where they add the most value—their subject matter expertise, ability to validate content, and intimate knowledge of what works and what doesn’t in any given market. 

Here’s why localization technology is indispensable for any tech company with global ambitions:

1. Centralizing resources via a TMS streamlines workflows, automating tedious tasks associated with traditional translation processes such as sending files for translation, manually assigning jobs to linguists, or checking strings with Collins dictionary open in another tab.
2. Localization technology frees people to concentrate on projects requiring a human touch and showcasing their creativity, such as transcreating marketing collateral.
3. A TMS is a central repository for all your company’s terminology, ensuring consistency across translations. In addition, it offers automated quality assurance check functionality. You will want a single source of truth for content-related queries where you can perform your QA—a TMS can serve in a pinch.
4. Using a central hub for everything localization-related works wonders for collaboration. A TMS integrates with all the components of a company’s tech stack, allowing developers, marketers, and linguists to collaborate in real-time, enabling access to much-valuable context and strengthening ties.

Unlock global growth with the Phrase Localization Platform

It’s possible to get all of the above—and more—from the Phrase Localization Platform. An integrated suite of translation automation technology, Phrase is the complete localization solution for streamlining and optimizing the entire translation process in one place.

Phrase seamlessly connects with your digital ecosystem, catering to your current needs while scaling effortlessly as your requirements evolve. Add fully flexible pricing, and it’s easy to see why Phrase is the preferred choice for tech firms looking to expand the global footprint of their business more quickly:

• Streamline manual or repetitive translation tasks through smart automation.
• Centralize files and orchestrate entire translation workflows in a unified, cloud-based localization suite designed for the unique needs of marketing teams.
• Facilitate seamless collaboration among team members spanning different time zones.
• Unlock the combined potential of established translation technology, incorporating CAT tools, along with the advanced capabilities of AI-powered machine translation.
• Send your content for translation and import it back into your product using familiar file formats.
• Offer valuable context for linguists by adding screenshots or comments to translation strings.
• Allow linguists to review their work in its native format with real-time changes through an in-context preview.
• Leverage out-of-the-box integrations with your preferred software platforms.
• Rely on a holistic approach to data security and encryption through a robust information security management system.

Market saturation and competition

Many tech companies are surfing the wave of innovation. They have a never-before-seen, cutting-edge product and want to be the first to create—and conquer—their market segment. However, when expanding globally, they find the market is already saturated with half a dozen similar solutions and the competition from both global and local players is fierce. It’s a reality check that hits hard where it hurts. 

Ideally, companies will have unique selling propositions (USPs) before going to market. In a crowded landscape of companies vying for the consumer’s attention, a clear market positioning is essential to stand out. An in-depth analysis of the competitive landscape is essential—first, you must know what your competitors are doing and then you can craft a unique approach. 

Look at the global smartphone market for a telling example:

• Apple emphasizes its devices’ design and user experience (UX).
• Samsung’s focus is offering a diverse product range.
• Xiaomi’s strategy is delivering high value at affordable prices.

All of these companies have distinct approaches to capturing market share—their products are carefully tailored to their diverse audiences.

To mitigate the market saturation challenge, companies can work on 2 parallel tracks: Follow market trends to adapt their offerings and anticipate future demand for surprising, innovative products. The old tech cliche is true—being a leader and not a follower is all about staying ahead of the curve.

Varying consumer behavior and preferences

No 2 users are the same. So many variables influence user engagement with products and user preferences—the user interface (UI) design, the language a brand uses to convey its message, the payment options it offers on checkout, and more. If market expansion is on your strategic roadmap, be prepared to encounter rich cultural diversity in your audiences and reflect diversity in your product design. 

For example, consider the differences in communication preferences between Western and Asian markets. While Western users prefer straightforward and clean interfaces, Asian users typically appreciate more information-dense designs.

Understanding these nuances is crucial for adapting products and tailoring marketing strategies to resonate with local audiences. Understand customer needs and wants, research user expectations and preferences, and incorporate them into your product development and marketing efforts. By doing so, you can increase the likelihood of creating a remarkable UX that encourages customers to return for more.

Shifts in global dynamics

In the ever-changing global economy, tech companies navigate countless challenges, from supply chain disruptions to changing legislation to fluctuations in consumer spending. Addressing these challenges requires a proactive approach to mitigate risks and safeguard the bottom line.

Consider, for example, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global supply chains. Companies relying on a single-source supply chain faced significant disruptions, leading to delays, increased costs, and potentially dissatisfied customers. In response, successful companies diversified their supply chains and adopted technologies like blockchain for enhanced transparency and resilience.

Additionally, rising operating costs and volatility in the stock market are motivating companies to optimize their cost structures continuously. Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) have proven instrumental in streamlining operations and reducing costs. Companies like Amazon and Alibaba leverage AI for logistics optimization, enhancing efficiency and mitigating the impact of rising operational expenses.

5 key strategies for successful global expansion

The major tech players didn’t just skyrocket to success in a day. They started with something innovative, kept adjusting, and took it market by market—finding that perfect balance between user experience and meeting market needs. 

Here are 5 strategies to help you unlock your company’s full potential on the global stage.

Understand local markets

Start from the beginning: do your research and develop a nuanced understanding of local markets. This will typically involve more than just exploring consumer preferences via A/B testing or other similar market research methods—it requires delving into regulatory landscapes and socio-economic factors specific to each market (e.g., spending power, access to digital infrastructure, literacy levels, etc.) as well as the competitive environment.

For example, when Uber expanded into India, it not only had to adapt its app to local languages and payment methods but also navigated complex regulatory challenges. Uber’s success in India was not solely based on its global model but on its ability to tailor its services to meet local needs, such as introducing cash payments and focusing on the auto-rickshaw segment.

Additionally, be aware that tailoring your product to match local preferences isn’t the only adaptation you’ll need. You will also adjust marketing strategies and the communication tools you use to reach your varied audiences.

Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, for example, had to customize their advertising tools to align with cultural sensitivities in different regions.In different countries, people may use various channels to search for information (e.g., in China, the main search engine is Baidu, while in Korea, it’s Naver). Understanding these nuances is essential for crafting marketing campaigns that resonate with local audiences.

Build an adaptable, compliant global infrastructure

Building a resilient and scalable technological infrastructure is paramount for successful global expansion. This involves more than just creating software that functions seamlessly for users—it requires knowing local regulations and compliance standards as well as having the ability to adapt to constant technology change.

Compliance with local regulations is especially critical for any operation. For example, any software company that collects and manages user data must navigate data protection laws and privacy regulations specific to each region (e.g., GDPR in Europe). Building an adaptable infrastructure involves technological considerations and legal and regulatory compliance.

Consider the case of German ERP software giant SAP. SAP operates in a closely regulated environment and understands that to be successful, products must be locally compliant—at a global scale. Their tagline “Confidently Global” shows commitment to ensuring global product coverage and local compliance.

Invest in global, diverse talent

A diverse and skilled workforce is invaluable—it adds much-needed perspective and knowledge of how the different markets work—yet you shouldn’t just go on a hiring spree and hope for innovation to spark.

Companies should foster a safe, inclusive environment that doesn’t just forgo the human for the sake of innovation. Think of it as a virtuous circle—these things have a habit of getting out there into the open, and by creating an attractive work environment, you will continue attracting even more future talent. Creating a multicultural workforce brings in varied insights. The diversity you’re onboarding is not limited to nationality but extends to different educational backgrounds, experiences, and skill sets.

Once onboarded, investing in continuous learning and development programs ensures that employees remain at the top of their games. Companies can facilitate cross-cultural training programs to enhance employees’ cultural intelligence, enabling them to navigate diverse markets effectively.

Forge local partnerships

Collaboration is at the core of successful global expansion. Establishing strategic partnerships with local businesses, whether within marketing agencies or tech firms, is pivotal. These can become your closest allies in the intricate process of planning market entry, offering invaluable insights into the nuances of the local market.

By engaging with local experts, you gain a profound understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities inherent in those markets. These individuals, deeply rooted in the local context, know how to discern what strategies work effectively and what pitfalls to avoid, serving as indispensable guides throughout your expansion journey. Moreover, strategic partnerships extend beyond mere insights—they grant access to well-established networks, augmenting your competitiveness on a global scale.

These partnerships can potentially unlock doors to previously untapped sales opportunities, providing your company with a broader and more resilient foothold in new markets. In essence, collaboration becomes a multifaceted asset, offering strategic advantages and fostering a more substantial and sustainable global presence for your business.

Adapt software to local preferences

Going the customization route is crucial to making waves in each target market. Adapting the product design and feature set to align with the local cultural, linguistic, and usability preferences creates a wholesome UX. It’s your best bet to guarantee customer satisfaction and ensure the product has a long shelf life. 

The task of adapting products to a target market’s specificities and maximizing the chances of success is the domain of localization. In the tech industry, localization plays a crucial role in getting a product into the hands of users across the globe.

Consider established companies such as Microsoft or Google, or companies that appeared in the last 15 years, such as Facebook or Canva. They’re offering their products in more than 100 languages because they understand that to broaden the appeal of their products, they need to provide a seamless, naturally sounding, and culturally relevant UX.

You may not need your product to support so many languages out of the box—a measured, makes-sense approach towards language expansion is recommendable—but offering multilingual support requires a well-thought-out strategy that combines human expertise and leverages the best of what localization technology has to offer. This combination will enable you to reach a broader audience and enhance user engagement on a global scale more quickly and with confidence.

Setting out on the path of global success

Broadening your company’s global reach might seem challenging, but success stories from companies like Apple or Sony show that strategic planning, cultural sensitivity, and technological prowess can make it achievable.

• Understand your target market by researching local needs and preferences.
• Seek inspiration from your competition—there’s no harm in seeing what other successful global companies are doing.
• Bring on board the right people or collaborate with experts who have a deep understanding of the market and the technical know-how to smooth your entry into the market.
• Leverage localization to adapt your product and messaging, making sure it’s able to connect with your potential customers.
• Take advantage of cloud-based localization technology to orchestrate fully automated and seamlessly integrated workflows, supporting your global goals.

Incorporating these strategies into your global expansion roadmap will not only position your company for success from day one but also empower it to thrive in the long run.

SaaS localization done right in 10 key steps

Successful SaaS localization initiatives follow established best practices. Here’s a concise 10-step process to guide tech companies in launching their own localization initiative:

Step 1: Research the target market

Before jumping into the localization process, it’s important to conduct market research to gain insights into your new business geography. Understanding the cultural, economic, and legal differences between your domestic market and the new one can mean the difference between success and failure.

For example, a software tool designed for the US market may need some adjustments to comply with GDPR regulations when expanding into the European Union (EU).

Step 2: Identify your target customer

Knowing who you’re targeting is key to successful SaaS localization. Understanding customer needs should inform every decision you make when localizing your product. Ask yourself how your SaaS product can solve their problem, and what features or design changes would be most beneficial.

For example, Xero—accounting software—necessarily provides different features for UK customers than it does for Australian ones because of the different regulations in each country. The regional editions of Xero differ in payroll functionality, particularly, to comply with their relative region requirements.

Step 3: Establish a local presence

Whether a physical office or a virtual presence in the target market, companies need to be able to connect with local customers. This isn’t just a show of good faith—it’s an essential way to collect feedback, gain a competitive edge over local businesses, and build trust with potential customers.

For example, you might want to invest in local SEO efforts to make sure your website is visible in local search engines.

Step 4: Adapt your software product

This is where actual software localization work begins. In this phase, you translate your product’s user interface (UI) into the local language and adapt your features, pricing, and support options to meet local needs, preferences, and regulations.

Step 5: Test the market

It’s always a good idea to run a pilot project or soft launch in order to test the market and collect feedback from local customers before fully committing to international expansion.

For example, you might want to use a landing page to gauge local interest in your product before proceeding with the localization of the rest of the website.

Step 6: Build a local team

Having a local team on the ground is another important consideration. Not only will it help you understand the target market and optimize your product localization, but it will also be able to spearhead marketing efforts, recruitment drives, customer support, and more.

For example, if your users in Germany experience any issues with your product, having a German-speaking customer service team available in the same time zone can make all the difference.

Step 7: Develop a local marketing strategy

Utilizing local marketing channels to reach your target customers is key for successful SaaS marketing localization. Depending on the target market, these can include local content marketing, influencer outreach, paid advertising, print media, and more.

Netflix is a brand that nails this. A major part of Netflix’s publicity strategy in local markets has been to collaborate with top influencers or celebrities from each country in order.

To promote the release of the third season of Cobra Kai, for example, Netflix partnered with TikTok influencers across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and France.

Step 8: Work with local partners

Distribution, marketing, customer support, and even payment processing are essential elements to pay attention to as part of your SaaS localization program because preferences vary from country to country. 

Failing to develop relationships with local partners and service providers can lead to lost business and wasted time.

For example, open banking in the UK has become extremely popular, and a lot of companies are switching to this type of payment solution in order to provide the best experience for their customers.

Step 9: Monitor, test, and never stop adapting

SaaS localization work doesn’t end once you’ve localized your product. Keeping a close eye on customer feedback and market trends is essential in order to continue optimizing your product and fine-tuning your marketing efforts.

For example, if you see that churn rates in a specific market are higher than usual, you might investigate further and discover that localizing your product’s documentation could help reduce customer frustration.

Step 10: Optimize your processes for easy scaling

Finally, once you have your SaaS localization process up and running, it’s important to look for ways to optimize it and make it easier to scale up in the future. Automating certain parts of the process, such as translation workflows, or investing in localization tools can save you time and money in the long run.

For example, if you’re using spreadsheets to manage your translations, you might want to look into ways of increasing productivity and consistency, such as letting translators, editors, managers, developers, and designers collaborate in real time.

The benefits of localization technology for SaaS localization

To make the most of the investment typically required for SaaS localization and secure a positive localization ROI (return on investment), streamlining the process by automating as much as possible can be a great way to go.

The use of localization technology offers various advantages. With a dedicated software localization platform, for example, you can reduce the time it takes to complete product localization, increase accuracy, ensure brand consistency across markets, eliminate internal bottlenecks, and more.

Maximize your international reach with SaaS localization

SaaS localization is essential to help you reach and engage international customers. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can make sure that you aren’t leaving anything to chance as you enter global markets.

Having a clear plan for how to localize your product before launching in any market and leveraging the right tools can help you achieve quick wins while supporting long-term success.

Navigating the global software market: Major hurdles to overcome

Marketing software to other businesses is already an intricate challenge. Add the complexity of several languages, cultures, economies, and business systems into the mix, and you have a veritable labyrinth of variables to consider.

To succeed in the ever-growing global software market, B2B marketers must:

• Speak the customer’s language: Gartner’s Digital Markets 2022 Global Software Buyer Trends survey revealed strong buyer preferences for localized marketing assets, with percentages ranging from 68% to 82% across various categories—from support services and user interfaces to training materials and more.
• Understand the target market and audience: Marketers must be able to speak their audience’s language both literally and figuratively. That means understanding cultural decision-making processes, purchasing trends, value systems, pain points, etc.
• Localize whole strategies: Some countries might respond better to user-review-based campaigns, others find flexible pricing models most appealing, and yet others might prefer a more aggressive “free-trial” approach.
• Use relevant channels: Marketing through WhatsApp in the US might be a flop, but it could be the only way to reach users in certain parts of Latin America.
• Nurture customer relationships: Even before customers have converted—and whether they are using a competitor’s solution or none at all—marketers should be engaging them in meaningful conversations and providing helpful content that goes beyond pushy sales propositions.
• Rely on data: Marketers must be able to continually analyze performance to drive data-based decisions.
• Stay agile: The continuous delivery of multilingual content can often challenging, especially when quality and brand consistency can so easily be compromised.

Building a localization-friendly SaaS marketing strategy

The key to a localization-friendly marketing strategy in the software industry is to consider localization from the outset—instead of relegating it to an afterthought.

By swapping half-translated copy, generic images that don’t jive with the culture, and out-of-context approaches for custom-built localized campaigns, software marketers can ensure that the customer journey is as smooth and glitch-free as possible from the first contact to post-purchase interactions.

This requires making localization an integral part of the entire marketing cycle—from analysis, design, and content creation to execution and performance tracking.

Here are 5 crucial steps to creating a successful SaaS marketing strategy that’s both localization-friendly and highly effective across markets:

Research each target market and create local customer profiles

What markets show a rising GDP and disposable income? What local activation methods can you use to capitalize on untapped potential growth areas? What businesses are you targeting? Which of your existing content resonates with them? How do competitor sites address the same target group? What problems can your product solve for those businesses in each target market?

The answers to these questions should come from researching each market and crafting local customer profiles that consider the market’s unique characteristics—demographics, behaviors, business models, etc. All of this will help you get a better understanding of the cultural nuances of different markets and what pain points drive companies to purchase software in those regions. 

Gather all the information you can about your current and potential customers and use it to inform your localization strategy. Often, there’s more low-hanging fruit than you think. For example, if you see a significant number of visitors from France, but your site isn’t available in French, that’s an obvious localization opportunity.

Set up a cross-functional team with localization capabilities in key markets

To ensure the localization efforts are as seamless and efficient as possible, marketers should set up a well-oiled machine with contributors from different departments: marketing strategists, localization experts, content creators, developers, designers, project managers, etc.

A clear process for moving content through the team should be in place. Additionally, appointing a localization manager who reports directly to the VP of marketing or CMO while working closely with on-the-ground marketing teams in each region helps ensure that localization integrates seamlessly into the company’s global marketing strategy.

Local-market quality leads—whether in-house or outsourced linguists, or in-country marketing teams—are crucial to flag any issues or inconsistencies in the localized content before it goes live. These teams can also champion local activation efforts, liaise with local press and influencers, and act as the bridge between global marketing strategies and local market needs.

Finally, a cross-functional marketing localization team requires shared goals and data. By having a joint understanding of key marketing and localization-specific metrics, the team can make informed decisions to optimize localized content. For example, if marketers want to improve click-through rates (CTRs), translators can focus on adapting CTAs in a way that will resonate with users in different markets.

Create audience-specific content

If you have a lot of existing content in English, it might be tempting to just send it off for translation and call it a day. However, text that doesn’t consider cultural nuances, local preferences, and target audience habits won’t be immersive or effective. Audience-specific might mean rewriting some of the copy, creating video content, adapting email templates, etc.

Some assets, like SEO content, might need to be completely remade from scratch or highly localized to account for the absence of equivalent keywords, different search intents, varying format and content expectations even when the keyword does translate, unequal levels of buyer education across regions, local link-building requirements, and more.

Some other assets lend themselves better to regular translation—like product descriptions, to machine translation—like product reviews, or to an optimized combination of both—like whitepapers.

Prioritize assets for localization based on their return on investment

You don’t always have to go all-in with localization right from the start. Take the time to analyze every asset and investigate how much return on investment (ROI) each one can bring.

In many cases, it makes sense to begin by localizing your most successful and prominent content pieces and then expand gradually. If you want to localize in full, it can be useful to identify the type of content that won’t harm user experience if run through machine translation (MT).

For content that doesn’t get much traffic or isn’t as crucial, for example, you can use MT, at least initially. You can also decide if you’ll have a linguist edit the output. Since users typically scan through website or app content, looking for specific keywords and important information, MT can deliver a satisfactory result in many cases.

For example, users don’t normally expect product reviews on the app store—highly dynamic and quickly perishable content—to have the same level of linguistic quality as a testimonial that you’re featuring front and center on your homepage. Similarly, a CTA below your homepage fold should always be manually translated for maximum impact, while the footer of your product page can be harmlessly machine translated with minor touch-ups.

Let localization technology do the heavy lifting

Regardless of the exact localization setup you go for, automation should be part of any localization workflow, and you need the right platform and tools to support it. However, the company size, the type of content involved, and the required languages will all affect the degree of automation needed and the features you can’t do without.

In general, any marketing localization process should include the following as a minimum:

• A single point of truth for all your multilingual content: This is crucial to store all your localization assets, manage the content in multiple languages, reuse previously translated content, monitor progress and performance, share terminology and contextual data with translators, and generate reports for data-driven decisions.
• A centralized wiki: Documentation is key to ensure your team is on the same page regarding processes, procedures, brand and style guidelines, how to write localization-friendly content, etc.
• Integrations with third-party marketing software: Your chosen localization platform should offer native integrations—i.e., without any middleware—with the rest of your marketing tech stack. From your CRM and CMS to your ecommerce platform and marketing automation tools, system integration is what facilitates scalable marketing localization.
• Open communication channels: When members of different teams with a stake in the localization process can communicate effectively and quickly, bottlenecks are cleared instantly, and issues can be addressed faster. For example, marketers can provide feedback or clarification directly to translators, translators can ask designers to add space for UI elements with longer translations, etc.

Make the most of SaaS marketing localization with Phrase

Adopting localization technology is key to maximizing the impact of your global marketing campaigns. Growing SaaS businesses worldwide with groundbreaking software products trust Phrase—a fully integrated suite of translation automation technology—to reach more people, make deeper connections, and drive global growth.

The Phrase Localization Platform seamlessly connects with your digital ecosystem, catering to your current needs while scaling effortlessly as your requirements evolve. Add fully flexible pricing, and it’s easy to see why marketing teams around the world choose Phrase to launch multilingual B2B campaigns with the best possible quality and consistency:

• Eliminate repetitive, manual work with smart automation.
• Keep all team members across time zones on the same page and all files in one place through a single, cloud-based localization platform.
• Combine traditional translation technology like CAT tools, translation memories, and term bases with AI-powered machine translation capabilities.
• Submit content for translation in familiar file formats: DOCX, PSD, SVG, HTML, etc.
• Attach screenshots to segments for translation and enable comments to provide context for linguists.
• Let linguists check their work in its native format with real-time changes in an in-context preview.
• Leverage out-of-the-box integrations with your preferred marketing automation platform, CMS, or CRM—HubSpot, Adobe Experience Manager, WordPress, Drupal, Contentful, Contentstack, Sitecore, Kontent, etc.
• Rely on a holistic approach to data security and encryption through an information security management system.