How to Plan for a Localization Project

Localization is the process of adapting a product or service to a specific market or culture. It involves not only translating the text, but also adjusting the design elements to suit the preferences and expectations of the target audience. Localization can increase customer satisfaction, brand loyalty, market share, and revenue for a business that wants to expand globally.

Planning a localization project is a complex and challenging task that requires careful coordination and communication among various stakeholders, such as sales, developers, designers, writers, translators, reviewers, testers, and customers. A good plan can help ensure the quality, consistency, and efficiency of the localization process and avoid potential risks and problems.

This article assumes that the internationalization process has been completed and the localization project manager (LPM) is working with several language service providers (LSPs) to localize the product or service into different languages.

The article will outline the main stages and steps involved in planning a localization project, as well as some best practices and tips for each step.

Stage 1: Initiation

The initiation stage is where the LPM defines the goals and objectives of the localization project and creates a plan based on them.

1.1: Goals and objectives

The first step is to define the project goals by collecting the following information from the client or internal team:

• Content type: What type of content needs to be localized? Is it a website, an app, a document, a video, etc.?

• Scope: How much content needs to be localized? How many words, pages, files, etc.?

• Expectations: What are the quality standards and requirements for the localized content? How will they be measured and evaluated?

• Purpose: What is the business objective or purpose of the localization project? Is it to increase sales, reach new markets, comply with regulations, etc.?

• Target audiences: Who are the intended users or customers of the localized content? What are their demographics, preferences, needs, expectations, etc.?

• Budgets: How much money is available for the localization project? How will it be allocated and managed?

• Deadline: When does the localized content need to be delivered? Are there any milestones or checkpoints along the way?

• Deliverable: What format or medium does the localized content need to be delivered in? Is it online, offline, print, etc.?

The LPM should gather as much information as possible from the client or internal team to understand their needs and expectations and to set realistic and achievable goals for the localization project.

1.2: Plan creation

The second step is to create a plan based on the information gathered in step 1. The plan should include:

• Delivery method and schedule: How will the localized content be delivered to the client or internal team? How often and in what format? What are the deadlines for each deliverable?

• Cost estimation and payment schedule: How much will the localization project cost? How will it be calculated and invoiced? When and how will it be paid?

• Resource dependencies: What resources are needed for the localization project? Who will provide them and when? How will they be accessed and shared?

• Quality definition: How will quality be defined and measured for the localized content? What are the criteria and metrics for quality evaluation? Who will be responsible for quality assurance?

• Risks and contingencies: What are the potential risks or challenges that might affect the localization project? How will they be identified and mitigated? What are the backup plans or alternatives in case of unforeseen circumstances?

• Technologies: What tools or technologies will be used for the localization project? How will they be selected and integrated? How will they be maintained and updated?

• Roles and responsibilities: Who are the key stakeholders involved in the localization project? What are their roles and responsibilities? How will they communicate and collaborate?

The plan should be discussed with both internal team and vendors to make sure everyone is on the same page and agrees on the scope, expectations, deliverables, costs, schedules, quality standards, etc. The plan should also be documented and signed off by all parties involved.

Stage 2: Preparation

The preparation stage is where the LPM prepares the content and linguistic assets for localization.

2.1 Linguistic assets infrastructure

• Linguistic assets are resources that help ensure consistency, accuracy, and efficiency in translation. They include:

• Glossary: A list of terms that are specific to the product or service or industry that need to be translated consistently across languages and contexts. The glossary should include the source term, the target term, the definition, the context, and any notes or comments.

• Translation memory: A database of previously translated segments (sentences or paragraphs) that can be reused or leveraged for new translations. The translation memory should include the source segment, the target segment, the context, and any metadata.

• Do not translate list: A list of terms that should not be translated, such as brand names, product names, acronyms, etc. The do not translate list should include the term and the reason for not translating it.

• Style guide: A document that defines the tone, voice, style, and conventions for the localized content. The style guide should include the target audience, the purpose, the language rules, the formatting rules, the cultural considerations, and any examples or exceptions.

• Reference materials: Any materials that can help the translators understand the product or service or industry better, such as screenshots, videos, manuals, websites, etc. The reference materials should be relevant, updated, and accessible.

• Query sheet: A document that allows the translators to ask questions or raise issues about the content or translation. The query sheet should include the query number, the source text, the target text, the query type, the query description, and the query status.

The LPM should create and maintain these linguistic assets before and during the localization project. The LPM should also share them with the vendors and ensure they follow them.

2.2 Text preparation

Text preparation is the process of making the content ready for translation. It involves:

• Extracting text from code: The vendor or LPM can use tools or scripts to extract text from code, such as HTML, XML, JSON, etc., and save it in a format that can be translated easily, such as XLIFF, PO, etc. Alternatively, the LPM can build an API between the content management system (CMS) and the vendor’s translation management system (TMS) to automate the text extraction and delivery process.

• Extracting text from files: Desktop publishing (DTP) specialists and localization engineers from the vendor can assist the LPM to extract text from different types of files, such as INDD, XML, XLIFF, AI, etc., . These professionals can use specialized tools or software to extract text from various formats and prepare it for translation.

• Cleaning text: The LPM should remove any unnecessary or redundant text from the content, such as comments, tags, placeholders, etc., and fix any errors or typos in the text.

The LPM should perform text preparation to reduce translation costs and time and improve translation quality and consistency. The LPM should also evangelize the best practices to internal teams on file preparation to reduce cost and turnaround time. For example, providing the full IDML package instead of an INDD file, providing the fonts when sending the design files, and providing the original source document instead of a PDF file.

2.3 Pseudo-translation

Pseudo-translation is the process of replacing text with dummy characters or symbols to test the internationalization readiness of the product or service. It can help identify and fix any issues related to:

• Text expansion or contraction: Some languages may require more or less space than others to express the same meaning. Pseudo-translation can help check if the layout or design can accommodate different text lengths without affecting readability or functionality.

• Text direction: Some languages may have different text directions than others, such as right-to-left or vertical. Pseudo-translation can help check if the product or service can support different text directions without affecting readability or functionality.

• Text encoding: Some languages may have different characters or symbols than others that may not be supported by some fonts or systems. Pseudo-translation can help check if the product or service can display different characters or symbols without affecting readability or functionality.

The LPM should perform pseudo-translation before sending the content to translation to ensure the product or service is internationalization-ready. The LPM should also make sure that the developer understands that pseudo translation needs to be deployed on a separate development server and not directly imported to the production server.

Stage 3: Translation

The translation stage is where the LPM sends the content to translation and ensures its quality.

3.1: Translation, Editing and Proofreading

Translation is the process of converting text from one language to another while preserving its meaning and style. Editing is the process of reviewing and revising translated text to ensure its accuracy and consistency with the source text and linguistic assets. Proofreading is the process of checking translated text for any errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, formatting, etc.

Normally a vendor will assign one linguist for translation and another for editing and proofreading. The LPM should make sure that the linguists are qualified and experienced in translating content for the product or service or industry. The LPM can request blind CVs from the vendor or ask them to perform a test translation to evaluate their skills and suitability.

The LPM can also assign different vendors to translate different languages based on their expertise and availability. For example, a vendor that specializes in Asian languages may be more suitable for translating Chinese than a vendor that specializes in European languages.

If the project needs to be completed in a short turnaround time, the LPM can ask the vendor to have multiple linguistic teams work on the project. The team of linguists should be below 5. If over 5, the consistency might be compromised, and the LPM should consider extension. Less team of linguists, more consistency.

3.2: Quality Assurance

Quality assurance is the process of ensuring that the translated content meets the quality standards and requirements defined in the plan. Quality assurance can involve:

• Perform a SME review: A subject matter expert (SME) is someone who has in-depth knowledge and experience in the product or service or industry. The LPM can invite an internal or external SME to review the translated content and provide feedback on its accuracy, completeness, and relevance. One note is that the SME is not a linguistic. The feedback from the SME must be validated by the linguist and may need to be reconciled by the LPM if necessary

• Perform a third-party review: A third-party reviewer is another vendor or linguist who is not involved in the translation process. The LPM can invite a third-party reviewer to review the translated content and provide feedback on its quality, consistency, and compliance with linguistic assets.

• Score the translation: A typology is a framework or model that defines and categorizes different types of errors or issues in translation. The LPM can use a typology, such as DQF (Dynamic Quality Framework) or MQM (Multidimensional Quality Metrics), to measure and evaluate the quality of translation based on various criteria and metrics.

• Back translation: Back translation, also called reverse translation, is the process of re-translating content from the target language back to its source language in literal terms. The LPM can use back translation to check the accuracy and completeness of the translation and to identify any discrepancies or errors by comparing the back translation against the source. Back translation is often used for highly sensitive or creative content, such as medical, legal, technical, or marketing content.

The LPM should use these tools and methods to assure the quality of translation and provide feedback and guidance to the vendors and linguists.

3.3: Market Adaption

Other services are additional tasks or processes that can help the translated content better adapt the local market. They include:

• Adaptive editing: Adaptive editing is the process of adapting or modifying translated content to suit different platforms, devices, channels, or contexts. For example, the LPM can ask the vendor to perform adaptive editing for mobile, web, social media, etc.

• Transcreation: Transcreation is the process of recreating translated content to capture the tone, style, emotion, and message of the original content. It involves using creative writing skills and cultural knowledge to produce content that resonates with the target audience. For example, the LPM can ask the vendor to perform transcreation for slogans, headlines, ads, etc.

The LPM can add these services into the workflow depending on the needs and expectations of the client or internal team.

Stage 4: Post-translation

The post-translation stage is where the vendor integrates the translated content into the product or service and performs final checks and tests. The post-localization services are usually carried out by the LSPs. However, the LPM need to understand these services and ensure these steps are performed.

4.1 Engineering QA

When translating coded files, there are several occasions that some codes (tags) might be compromised; Translators may accidentally shift or remove some tags. When importing or exporting files, some unexpected programming errors may break some codes. If the codes were broken, the final product may not be able to display the texts properly. Sometimes, it may crush the program. The engineers can QA the codes in the file by using their experience and customized tools before they send the localized files back to the client.

4.2 DTP and DTP QA

DTP stands for desktop publishing, which is the process of designing and formatting the translated content to match the original source content. DTP involves adjusting the fonts, colors, images, graphics, tables, charts, and other elements of the translated content to ensure that they are consistent and appropriate for the target language and culture. DTP also involves applying the style guides and standards of the client and the industry to the translated content. DTP helps to enhance the visual appeal and professionalism of the translated content .

Stage 5: Post-localization

5.1 SEO

The LPM need to make sure that the company’s website is optimized for the local search engines and the local audience. Different markets use different search engines, such as Yandex in Russia and Baidu in China. Different markets also have different competition and preferences for certain types of products or services. SEO localization is the process of adapting the website content and structure to the specific needs and expectations of each target market.

SEO localization includes the following aspects:

• Content: The SEO specialist can conduct keyword research and make creative editing on the translation to incorporate the keywords that give you an advantage in increasing your exposure and ranking in the search results. The content should also be relevant, engaging, and culturally appropriate for the local audience.

• Technical: The localization involves customizing URLs, meta data, title tags, image alt tags, and other elements to make the website more search engine friendly.

• Data: Some LSP’s SEO team can help you set up and use analytical tools such as Google Analytics to monitor your website performance in the target markets and provide localization and SEO suggestions based on the data.

5.2 Post-localization testing

Post-localization testing (PLT) is a quality assurance process that involves having a tester use a device or review the screenshot as if an actual user to test the localized website, application, or software according to the testing script. The testers create testing reports or report issues identified through tools such as Jira. Then they send the issues to the translation team or the development team to fix them.

PLT covers three major types of issues:

• Linguistic: Some text may be correct in one context but not appropriate in another context. For example, “OK” can be translated into “Confirm” or “Next”. The translators may not be able to see the UI during translation. The tester can choose the correct translation during PLT.

• Formatting: Some languages have different contraction or expansion ratios than English, which means that the translated text may be shorter or longer than the original text. This can affect the UI layout and design, causing text truncation, overlapping, misalignment, or inconsistency. The tester can check and inform the developer to adjust the formatting or inform the translator to adjust the translation during PLT.

• Functional: During localization, some codes may be broken, causing some functions to not work properly. For example, some links may be dead, some buttons may be unresponsive, some images may not load, or some features may not work as intended. The tester can verify and report the functional issues during PLT.

Stage 6: Continuous Improvement

The continuous improvement stage is where the LPM monitors and evaluates the localization project and implements changes or updates based on feedback and data.

6.1 Language asset maintenance

Language asset maintenance is the process of updating and improving linguistic assets based on feedback and data collected during and after the localization project. It involves:

• Glossary: During the project, the linguists or reviewer may provided some feedback on translation. Some feedback may cause by inappropriate or inconsistent use of terms. The LPM may work with the vendors and internal teams to update the glossary.

• Translation memory: The translations or sources may be updated during or after the localization project. To ensure the accuracy or consistency of the next project, the LPM should initiate TM cleaning project as they see fit.

• Style guide: While implementing the feedbacks, the reviewers may have a different opinion on the translations because they have a different opinion. The LPM should update style guide with new rules or conventions for the tone, voice, style, and format of the localized content. The LPM should also revise or clarify any existing rules or conventions if needed.

• Other reference materials: There are some other materials can help the linguists perform a better translation. The LPM may collect these materials such as global queries, product details, screen shots and put them in reference materials.

Language asset maintenance can help the LPM to ensure the quality and consistency of future localization projects and to reduce translation costs and time.

6.2 Feedback collection

Feedback collection is the process of gathering and analyzing feedback from internal and external sources on the localized product or service. It involves:

• Using score of translation to improve quality: The score of translation is a numerical value that represents the quality of translation based on a typology, such as DQF or MQM. The LPM can use the score of translation to identify and address any errors or issues in translation and to provide feedback and guidance to the vendors and linguists.

• Collecting internal feedback on translation: Internal feedback is feedback from internal stakeholders, such as developers, designers, writers, reviewers, testers, etc. The LPM can collect internal feedback on translation using surveys, interviews, focus groups, etc. The LPM can use internal feedback to evaluate and improve the quality, consistency, and suitability of translation and to align it with the expectations and requirements of the internal team.

• Collecting external feedback on translation: External feedback is feedback from external sources, such as users, customers, partners, etc. The LPM can collect external feedback on translation using surveys, reviews, ratings, comments, social media, etc. The LPM can use external feedback to evaluate and improve the user satisfaction, experience, and performance of the localized product or service and to adapt it to the needs and preferences of the target market or culture.

The LPM should perform feedback collection to measure and enhance the effectiveness and impact of the localization project.

Conclusion

Planning a localization project is a vital and complex task that requires careful consideration and coordination of various factors and stakeholders. A good plan can help ensure a smooth, efficient, and quality localization process that can meet the needs and expectations of both the client or internal team and the target market or culture. A good plan can also help avoid or mitigate any potential risks or problems that might affect the localization project.

This article has provided an overview of the main stages and steps involved in planning a localization project, as well as some best practices and tips for each step. The article is not intended to be exhaustive or definitive, but rather to serve as a general guide and reference for localization project managers and anyone interested in localization. The article hopes to inspire and inform readers about the importance and challenges of planning a localization project and to encourage them to explore and learn more about this fascinating and rewarding field.