Balance and Compromise: Weaving localization issues into a content strategy

Weaving localization issues into a content strategyContent Strategy Forum 2011London, UK, September 6#csforum11

Localization is the process of adaptinginternationalized software for a specificregion or language by adding locale-specific components and translating text. Term comes from software world. Definition from Wikipedia

INDUSTRY FUNDAMENTALS: GILTIn fact, several (long and abbreviated) termsGlobalization (G11N) Internationalization Localization (L10N) Translation (T9N) (I18N)•  Going into other markets •  Adapting content to •  Taking content in one •  Ensuring platforms and another context language and making it tools can handle understandable in technical requirements of another globalization: fonts, date formats, time formats, error pages, etc.

BEST PRACTICES ARE EMERGINGRanks 200 companies in 20 industries•  Some companies doing it really well•  Ranked on •  Reach (number of languages) •  Global Navigation •  Global Consistency •  Localization •  Community localization John Yunker, Byte Level Research, 2011

NEED STRONG PROCESSES TO SUPPORT BEST PRACTICESCompanies doing it well likely on higher ends of CSA’s localization maturity scale* But many companies – particularly in B2B – still at lower ends of scale WHY SO?From “Accelerating Localization Maturity”, Localization Maturity Model Revision 2.0, By Donald A.DePalma and Robert G. Stewart, Copyright Common Sense Advisory January 2011

ENGLISH DOMINATES…IN TERMS OF CONTENT •  In 2006, 80% of the world’s home pages were in English •  In 2008, Google estimated English at 50% •  English-language internet users still largest language group on the web Robert McCrum, Globish: How English became the world’s language, Anchor Canada 2011 Twelve years of studying linguistic diversity on the web, Daniel Pimienta, Daniel Prado and Álvaro Blanco, UNESCO, 2009

….AND IN TERMS OF INFLUENCE Many, many people DO speak some EnglishGeorges Weber, The World’s 10 Most Influential Languages, http://www.andaman.org/BOOK/reprints/weber/rep-weber.htm

….AND YETStill a lot of people out there who DON’T want English contentEuroBarometer 2011: User Language Preferences Online, Gallup study on 14,000 Europeans forEuropean Council, May 2011

…WHAT’S MORE Ability is NOT preference •  9 of 10 Internet users would access web in THEIR language – if given the choice* •  44% on European internet users believe they’re missing information when accessing in non-native language* •  42% of Europeans will never search or buy products in another language**EuroBarometer 2011: User Language Preferences Online

So why are companies notdoing more?

LOCALIZATION ON THE WEB:•  Costly•  Time-consuming•  Quality an ongoing issue•  Budgets are fragmented•  Requires supporting tools and processes•  Creates complexity

COMPLEXITY 1: MANY WAYS TO ACCESS LANGUAGE/MARKETModel 1: Country/locale sites key focus, force me to select

MODEL 2: LOCALE SITES ONLY.com = default = US

MODEL 3: CORPORATE DEFAULT, THEN LOCALESCorporate site is in two languages: English and language of Headquarters

MODEL 4: A SINGLE SITE, SEVERAL LANGUAGES

MODEL 5: LOCALIZED RESOURCES WITHIN ENGLISH SITEInternational English default, with limited localized resources

MORE COMPLEXITY….in fact, lots more•  Information architecture and meta- navigation•  SEO•  Site search•  Look and feel•  CMS•  Online marketing•  Infrastructure

AND…OF COURSE, CONTENTHow to ensure content is effective in all markets?PRINCIPLES OFEFFECTIVE CONTENT*…. ….APPLIED TO LOCALIZATION APPROPRIATE Applies to the local context USEFUL Respects different purposes in different markets USER-CENTERED Users can understand and absorb CLEAR Content is localized, translation quality high CONSISTENT Reinforces brand while keeping costs down CONCISE Less is more – and less costs less SUPPORTED Processes, tools, people, and budgets in place*From Elements of Content Strategy, Erin Kissane, A Book Apart, 2011

WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN?

We need to better integratelocalization into the contentstrategy process to reducecosts, speed up processes,and improve quality.

SETTING THE TARGETAsking right questions upfront, creating baselines • Market size and • Ability to speak potential English • Legal & contractual • Language preference obligations • Audience A, B, C, D • Brand recognition • Device and web • Competition usage • Formal/informal Market Cultural • Other (Look and feel) forces forces • Market presence • Strategic Internal Site • Inform considerations Forces objectives • Educate • #of people • Interact • Consistency of • Convert offering • Transact • Culture and heritage

BASELINE TARGETSDefining what you SHOULD have•  Number of languages•  IA Model•  Critical mass of localized content for each tier of site •  Expectations will differ if company has large subsidiary or 2-person presence

EXAMINING WHAT YOU HAVELooking at your SOURCE content•  Volume of web pages•  Volume of associated content assets•  How often content changes•  Relevance to local audiences•  Potential for localization•  Budget and ownership

EXAMINING WHAT YOU HAVEGovernance model•  Centralized or decentralized language management?•  In-house or outsourced?•  If outsourced, single frame agreement or several?•  Centralized or decentralized web management? Responsibilities for language management?•  Who owns the budget for what? Is there one?

EXAMINING WHAT YOU HAVETools, time, and metrics•  What toolset is available for support? •  Translation memories/management tools? Terminology managers? Authoring tools? Integrated into CMS?•  Latency •  Time from source to published, translated version•  Metrics •  If there are sites, are they being visited?•  Costs •  What’s it costing you today?

WHAT DO TO WITH YOUR CONTENT?Doesn’t have to be all or nothing•  Keep •  Translate as is•  Chunk •  Add, subtract•  Change •  Shorten, Replace, Select, Rethink•  Leave it •  Link to English •  Provide no links

BASELINE PLAN FOR LOCALIZATIONHow deep depends on your modelSection Metad Navig Home About Produ Suppo Servic Resear Traini Events Add?/ ata ation cts rt es ch ngMarketTier 1 Keep Keep Change Change Chunk Keep Keep Change Replace Replace YesTier 2 Keep Keep Change Change Chunk Change Leave Change Chunk Leave YesTier 3 Keep Keep Keep Change Chunk Change Leave Change Chunk Leave YesTier 4 Keep Keep Leave Change Leave Change Leave Change Leave Leave Yes Type of Action X volume X cost per language = Budgetary scope Also: Changes to CMS? Images? Investments in tools? Supplier relationships?

THE INVENTORY IN LOCALIf you’re not starting from scratch•  What’s on the website in local languages, •  What’s been translated •  What’s been localized •  How it’s maintained •  Owner•  But also what’s out there •  Enlist local help to locate •  Mini-sites, YouTube, SlideShare, Twitter, Facebook

GETTING TO SPECIFICSWeave localization into editorial specifications•  Do you translate? Yes/No•  Do you chunk, change or leave?•  What’s global, what’s local•  What’s distinct about the local •  By tier or by locale?•  What changes and how?

SPECIFICS BY LOCALE•  Keywords•  Terminology requirements•  Voice and tone•  Source content for local differences•  Who validates local content?•  Who pays?

GETTING IT DONE – ANDKEEPING IT IN SYNCH•  Don’t do it all at once! •  It’s ongoing, not a project•  Use tools to speed up cycles and lower costs•  Establish close relation with your LSP•  Find alternatives to latency issues•  Track metrics•  Keep tabs on costs•  Get a traffic manager!Photo: Fotolia

SOME RESOURCESNo doubt more, but my favorites •  Common Sense Advisory •  Byte Level Research •  Content Rules Inc. •  Lionbridge •  SDL/Tridion •  Threads on Lou Rosenfeld’s blog (http://bit.ly/ ray1HZ)

•  Lise Janody •  www.dot-connection.comPhoto: Fotolia •  @lisejanody

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Balance and Compromise: Weaving localization issues into a content strategy

by Lise Bissonnette Janody on Sep 15, 2011

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