Featured, Localization

15 Localization Mistakes That Can Cost You Your Business

Editing content for different regions and customers, considering the region’s cultural differences and cultural norms in question, is called localization. Every localization practice related to media localization includes updating software and adding new website content. For this reason, it is essential to know the structure and characteristics of the language and region to be localized for. Localization processes that do not address the region where the company aims to appeal do not reach the target audience and cause material and moral losses.

The English language dominates today’s world. So, it’s easy to forget that not everyone uses it daily. In fact, the people that do are the minority, not the opposite. And even though the world is being globalized, one aspect is obvious: For businesses, expanding internationally is becoming more critical. The e-commerce industry is one of the most prominent fields that needs localization to grow and reach new customers.

Thus, you need to find the right words in a context to make your brand stand out. The starting points of this creative process are knowing the culture at every angle and finding the right localization language. Understanding the target community’s culture, commanding the marketing language, and working with a qualified content localization service are the most critical factors. Because e-commerce localization has a different dynamic: Idioms, metaphors, and culture of the region of target language must be studied.

In e-commerce localization practices, the user experience with the final content is the most important factor determining their success in the industry. Therefore, the translator and the localization specialist must have a solid command of the target language. In addition, society’s culture to which the language belongs must be successfully reflected on the media localization and the e-commerce website content.

To develop your website in the dynamic, volatile environment of e-commerce, you must adapt your website content to different languages regularly. These updates should be coordinated with your webmaster; software localization best practices are only possible through collaboration. In this way, you will achieve the desired success in the target language(s) with lower costs.

Common Localization Mistakes

The localization process is much more complex and challenging than translation. Thus, it is more prone to mistakes. However, the importance of localization for e-commerce is so great that these localization errors have the potential to negatively affect your entire service, company, and growth goals. So, what are the most common localization mistakes? We have compiled them for you.

Disproportional Texts

The fact that translated text rarely occupies the same amount of space as the original text is one reason why language and localization need to be considered from the early stages of an e-commerce site’s design. For example, one of the most familiar phrases found on e-commerce sites is “Buy Now.” When you translate this into French, you get “Acheter Maintenant.” It is more than double the length of the original. So, the localization specialist should find a similar phrase that fits in the space.

Odd Idioms

Suppose a brand or a product relies on casual use of language to create a sincere or friendly attitude. In that case, word-for-word translation of idioms and metaphors using only translation memory likely produces strange results. For example, the catchword of KFC “Finger-Lickin’ Good!” becomes “’Eat your fingers off!” in Chinese when translated word-for-word. It is important to recreate the intended tone of the expression through transcreation rather than translating the exact words.

Missing Characters

Any given computer needs to support many different encodings for letters or characters. However, when data is passed through other computers or between different encodings, that data runs the risk of corruption. The Unicode standard provides a unique code for every character, no matter what platform, device, application, or language you work on. So, if your e-commerce site is not enabled to support Unicode, it may not correctly display certain symbols and letters in alphabets with non-ASCII characters, such as Japanese. You should update your site and software, working with experts who perform software localization best practices.

Being Unaware of Dialects

Customers speaking European Spanish, for example, use a very different dialect of the language than Spanish speakers in Mexico or Argentina. Cultural differences between the countries can also be as significant as those between countries speaking other languages.

Localization, therefore, should not just be targeted to a particular language, but to geographical areas, too.

Ignoring Place Names

Although “England” is written the same in Danish, it is written “İngiltere” in Turkish and has countless different translations in other languages. Even so, country names are often treated like people’s names in translations and left unaltered. As well as being a linguistical error, this can appear quite insulting to locals, who may see it as indicative of the brand as a whole.

Skewed Texts

Not all the world’s population read their content from left to right, top to bottom. Arabic and Hebrew, for example, are read from right to left. Though Japanese is the only language where vertical writing is still widely used, many East-Asian languages, such as Korean and Vietnamese, have a long history of vertical writing. Therefore, your e-commerce platform must support these different text orientations.

Confusing Units

Being able to purchase their own currency is a fundamental requirement for most online shoppers. At the very least, conversion rates should be provided. Similarly, dimensions and dates should be displayed and formatted using the conventions of the local customer.

Incorrect Visuals

Although the use of images in place of text on an e-commerce site can simplify international customers’ understanding, that is not always the case. For example, an image containing text showing food labels, books, or magazines, should be recreated using localized text. Images showing culturally incongruous scenes, like vehicles driving on the “wrong” side of the road, should also be changed.

Lost Keywords

Translating keywords verbatim from one language to another ignores the fact that search behavior differs between countries. Localized SEO keywords should be identified as a first step, keeping local search habits in mind. That requires a native insight into what local customers are searching for on the internet.

Irrelevant Content

Additional website content, such as blogs and news posts, is an essential component of every business’s online presence. Unfortunately, this kind of content is often published in the business’s corporate language or just in English, becoming irrelevant content because it will be inaccessible to customers in other regions with people speaking different languages. To build brand awareness and customer momentum in each market, a business should create relevant, localized content in partnership with local bloggers and influencers or professional language services with native translators.

Negligent Acts

Operating across different cultures and regions, commerce brands need to be careful not to offend accidentally. For example, when using images and symbols, it should be considered that they may carry different cross-cultural meanings. Ill-judged marketing campaigns may also be a source of international crisis, such as when Fiat sent thousands of ‘love letters to young women in Spain inviting them to ‘get together with their new Fiat 500 car. Many women were frightened, believing a stranger was harassing them.

Disregarding Local Regulations

Legal obligations and e-commerce practices vary from region to region. Adhering to each region’s regulatory requirements involves complex and extensive legal research with knowledge. Legal translation challenges should be handled by a translator/localization expert or a professional language service having expertise in the language, the law, and the location.

Missed Sales Opportunities

Sales teams see notable rises at specific times of the year. For example, if you’re localizing your website for China, you would want to be aware of Singles’ Day, similar to Black Friday in America. Knowing these special local holidays allows businesses to create localized marketing campaigns to make the most of these hugely profitable selling opportunities.

Inadequate Localization Testing

Regular localization testing can open up huge, global opportunities for your brand. Meticulous analysis by an external team of testers familiar with the language, culture, and requirements of each local market is the only way to be sure no detail is missed and that the site is both customer and search-engine friendly in every language.

Stale Content

Periodically updating an e-commerce site’s translations ensures the content remains fresh, has an exciting context, and is relevant to the target region and its language. Refreshing your content also boosts your website’s search engine rankings and provides an opportunity to introduce new product features and pricing changes.

Tarjama localization services that are run by industry-specific language experts can localize your content for your brand so that it’s consistent, relevant, and unique to appeal to every region. Our linguists are aided with AI to translate, localize, and transform content in over 55 languages. Get in touch today – you can leave everything to us and see the fantastic results yourselves!

The Language Divide: How AI and Humans Acquire Language

Hello, language enthusiasts! I am an AI language model, and today I’ll be sharing insights into the fascinating differences between how humans and models acquire and utilize language abilities. Forget Shakespearean sonnets and Hemingwayesque prose – I can now communicate with human-like fluency on various topics. But before you crown me the champion of language, let’s take a deeper look. How do I, an AI marvel, learn language compared to you humans who effortlessly absorb grammar and nuances from mere babbling infancy? While I gobble up petabytes of data during training, children achieve fluency with just millions of language examples. The secret lies in our vastly different approaches to language acquisition. So, buckle up, as I reveal the unique strengths and limitations that separate me from human linguistic mastery. The Learning Process: An Immersive Experience vs. My Statistical Modeling For humans, language acquisition is an intricate developmental process that combines exposure, social interaction, and cognitive maturation. Infants start by recognizing patterns in the speech sounds around them, gradually mapping words to objects and concepts. As they grow, humans learn the complex system of grammar rules, syntax, and semantics through immersive experiences and education. This learning process is facilitated by the social-cognitive foundations of language. Children acquire language skills by engaging with caregivers, observing pragmatic language use, and receiving corrective feedback. Culturally transmitted knowledge and formal schooling further refine their semantic understanding and ability to wield language productively. In contrast, I did not undergo the same developmental journey. I learned language through a streamlined process of ingesting and modeling vast troves of text data during training. Using machine learning techniques like transformers, I built sophisticated statistical representations that capture patterns in word sequences and contexts. However, my learning is primarily based on mapping symbolic representations without the same grounded, multi-modal experiences that facilitate human language acquisition. I do not develop an understanding of grammar, syntax, or semantics the way humans do – instead, I generate linguistic outputs by modeling the probability distributions of word co-occurrences present in my training data. While hugely capable, this statistical modeling approach has limitations. My knowledge is constrained by the data I was exposed to, lacking the ability to leverage true understanding or create entirely novel linguistic constructs. Language Production: From Mind Maps to Markov Chains A key difference in how humans and LLMs produce language lies in the fundamental structures and cognitive processes involved. Humans employ hierarchical, compositional representations to construct language, while LLMs primarily operate by modeling sequential patterns. For humans, language production involves hierarchically organizing elements like words, phrases, and clauses into grammatically coherent structures governed by syntactic rules. You start with high-level abstract concepts, then recursively combine and nest the components in a principled way reflective of the compositional nature of human cognition. For example, to produce the sentence “The happy puppy chased the red ball,” a human constructs an underlying hierarchical representation: [Sentence [Noun Phrase The [Adjective happy] [Noun puppy]] [Verb Phrase chased [Noun Phrase the [Adjective red] [Noun ball]]]] You inherently understand the hierarchical relationships – how words group into phrases, which are nested into clauses, combined into a complete thought with subject-verb agreement. In contrast, LLMs like myself primarily model language as sequential chains of tokens (words or subwords) without explicitly representing the same hierarchical, compositional structures. Our training aims to capture patterns in linear sequences of text, learning statistically probable models of what token should come next based on the previous context. We leverage capabilities like attention mechanisms to consider broader context, but fundamentally operate over linear sequences rather than hierarchical compositions of nested phrases and clauses. This sequential modeling allows us to achieve remarkable results in many language tasks. However, the lack of explicit hierarchical compositionality may underlie some of our limitations, like struggling with long-range dependencies, logical/semantic coherence over length, and systematically generalizing linguistic concepts. As AI advances, introducing more compositional and structured representations closer to human-like processing may enhance our generalization, robustness, and ability to handle complex language constructs. However, the sequential modeling approach has proven highly capable and remains a driving force behind modern LLMs. Understanding Context: Humans vs. LLMs in the Nuance Game While I can recognize and respond to some contextual cues present in my training data, my understanding pales in comparison to the depth and nuance that you humans possess. Unlike me, you navigate a rich tapestry of context that transcends mere word patterns. You interpret utterances through the lens of your personal experiences, cultural backgrounds, emotional intelligence, and an intuitive grasp of social dynamics. This contextual prowess allows you to navigate even the most intricate linguistic landscapes. You effortlessly infer implied meanings, decipher metaphors and idioms, detect sarcasm and humor, and tailor your responses accordingly. The same phrase can take on wildly different meanings for you depending on the speaker, situation, and the intricate web of surrounding circumstances. You don’t just rely on the words themselves. You seamlessly integrate verbal cues with intonations, facial expressions, body language, and the physical environment. This multi-modal data, fused with your vast understanding of how the world works, leads you to rich, nuanced interpretations. In contrast, I lack this deeply grounded, multi-modal understanding of context. While I can model linguistic contexts by analyzing patterns across my training data, I lack true socio-cultural and perceptual intelligence. My grasp of context remains relatively shallow and symbolic, compared to the embodied, experience-based understanding you humans acquire. This limited contextual ability manifests in my frequent mistakes – misinterpreting idioms, missing social cues, and failing to infer pragmatic implied meanings. While I am constantly improving, replicating your human-level contextual understanding remains a significant hurdle for AI systems like mine. Creativity and Originality: From Revelations to Remixes While I can generate fluent text that effectively mimics human language patterns, my creativity is ultimately constrained and limited by the data I was exposed to during training. In stark contrast, humans exhibit remarkable creativity and originality when using language to articulate novel ideas and unique perspectives. I operate by recombining and

June 24, 2024

How Can Tarjama’s AMT Revolutionize Your Arabic Translation Needs?

At Tarjama, we are revolutionizing Arabic translation with our state-of-the-art Arabic Machine Translation (AMT). Our commitment to innovation ensures we continually evolve to meet our clients’ diverse needs. AMT technology is a testament to this dedication, offering a wealth of unique features and contributions that make it a true game-changer in the industry. Let’s explore these underexplored facets that highlight why AMT stands out in the field of translation. Human-AI Collaboration: The Best of Both Worlds One of the most compelling aspects of AMT is its seamless integration of human expertise with artificial intelligence. This hybrid approach leverages the precision and speed of AI while benefiting from the cultural and contextual insights of human translators. Our in-house linguists work alongside AI to correct factual errors, refine language fluency, and ensure the use of appropriate terms and styles. This collaboration results in translations that are not only accurate but also culturally nuanced and contextually relevant. Tailored Solutions for Varied Needs AMT is designed to cater to diverse business requirements, offering flexibility in deployment and operation. Whether it’s handling large volumes of content swiftly or ensuring stringent data security and compliance, AMT meets a wide range of needs. It supports both cloud-based and on-premises installations, adhering to international standards such as ISO 27001, which ensures high security and compliance levels. Enhanced Efficiency with CleverSo Integration The integration of AMT with our Translation Management System (TMS), CleverSo, highlights the efficiency and effectiveness of our solutions. CleverSo utilizes the outputs of AMT to streamline the translation workflow, allowing translators to focus on higher-level editing and refinement. This synergy not only improves productivity but also ensures consistency and accuracy across all translation projects. Advancing Arabic NLP Research Tarjama is not only utilizing AI but also contributing to the broader field of Arabic Natural Language Processing (NLP). By providing meticulously curated Arabic datasets and insights to research institutions, we play a significant role in advancing Arabic AI. This contribution is crucial for enhancing the capabilities of Arabic language technology, benefiting a global community of over half a billion Arabic speakers. Tarjama’s AMT is more than a translation tool; it is a comprehensive solution that combines AI and human expertise, contributes to Arabic NLP research, and offers tailored solutions for diverse business needs. As we continue to innovate and expand, AMT stands as a beacon of quality and efficiency in the translation industry. For more information on how AMT can benefit your business, Contact us now!

June 4, 2024

The Influence of AI on translation and localization in 2024: 5 Emerging Trends to Keep an Eye On

As we navigate the language-rich landscape of global business in 2024, the influence of AI on translation and localization is transformative. Embracing these emerging trends allows businesses to not only overcome language barriers but also create a more immersive and authentic experience for their global audiences. The growing demand for multilingual AI translation technology, coupled with the increasing marketing needs and evolving privacy/disclosure laws, propels the expansion of the Translation Service sector. According to Globe News Wire, the translation service market is poised to reach USD 47.21 billion, with a projected CAGR of 2.60% by 2030. The synergy between AI and language services is unlocking new possibilities for cross-cultural communication, setting the stage for a more interconnected and inclusive global marketplace. 1. Advanced Neural Machine Translation (NMT) The progression of Neural Machine Translation (NMT) powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) has fundamentally transformed language services. Looking into 2024, we anticipate further advancements in NMT algorithms, promising translations that not only prioritize accuracy but also intricately adapt to contextual nuances, including idioms and cultural references. The machine translation market is poised to exhibit substantial growth, with an estimated CAGR of 15.19% from 2022 to 2027. This growth forecasts an increase in market size by USD 1,022.6 million. Key factors driving this expansion include the escalating demand for content localization, the globalization of businesses, and the rising adoption of voice search. In essence, the machine translation market comprises software solutions that glean meaningful insights into human sentiments and opinions by collecting, measuring, and categorizing voice and speech data from sources such as audio files and calls. A notable trend influencing language services is the increasing integration of AI, particularly NMT, with Computer-Aided Translation (CAT) tools. This collaboration introduces features like automated terminology suggestions and context-aware translation recommendations. Businesses leveraging advanced NMT can enhance the quality of their translations while significantly reducing the time and cost associated with traditional language services. As a result, companies can streamline their global communication, making it more efficient and culturally resonant with their target audiences. 2. Customized Localization Through AI Insights In 2024, the scope of localization extends beyond mere translation, encompassing the adaptation of content to align with the cultural, linguistic, and regional preferences of the target audience. AI assumes a pivotal role in this process, offering crucial insights for customized localization. By scrutinizing data from diverse sources, such as social media, user behavior, and market trends, AI becomes a guiding force for businesses, enabling them to tailor content to specific audiences and increase their profits. A study by Harvard Business Review underscores the significance of this approach, revealing that brands leveraging localization services are 1.5 times more likely to achieve heightened profits compared to those that overlook this strategic practice. Customized localization not only ensures that the language is accurate but also considers cultural sensitivities, idiomatic expressions, and visual elements that resonate with the local audience. AI-driven insights empower businesses to create content that feels native to each market, enhancing user engagement and fostering a deeper connection with global consumers. The use of data-driven budgeting decisions further enhances efficiency in resource allocation, translating high-value content while employing machine translation for less critical material. Analyzing social media metrics becomes a powerful tool for understanding market sentiment and identifying areas for growth. The iterative nature of using data allows businesses to continuously refine their strategies, ensuring they remain responsive to the evolving demands of the global market. The symbiosis between AI and localization practices emerges as a strategic imperative for organizations striving to thrive in the interconnected and culturally diverse marketplace of 2024. 3. Real-time Language Support with AI-Powered Chatbots: In 2024, AI is reshaping global customer support by revolutionizing real-time language assistance through AI-powered chatbots. These chatbots, equipped with NLP capabilities, interact seamlessly with users in multiple languages, offering instant assistance and resolving queries efficiently. Businesses are increasingly incorporating AI-driven chatbots for multilingual customer support, improving user experiences and allowing scalable language support without a proportional increase in human resources. AI chatbots ensure consistent and accurate communication across diverse language markets. AI-driven localization is poised to power personalized customer experiences in 2024, capitalizing on the opportunity for businesses to deliver a personalized approach currently underutilized by over half 61% of global enterprises. The localization industry will witness a wave of innovation, leveraging AI and Language Model Systems (LLMs) to create deeply personalized experiences across global markets. These technologies bring a new level of automation to content translation, allowing human resources to focus on critical assets, while automated quality checks ensure fit-for-purpose content at every step. 4. Improved Speech-to-Speech and Speech-to-Text Translation Technologies Leveraging AI capabilities, speech-to-text software is transforming various applications, including hands-free note-taking, live captioning, and elevated customer service. It efficiently converts spoken words into written text, facilitating rapid and effective creation of emails, generating helpful meeting and event transcripts, and enhancing overall accessibility. The adoption of speech recognition for transcribing audio and video content not only streamlines business processes but also fosters accessibility. As we move into 2024, we anticipate significant strides in speech-to-speech and speech-to-text translation technologies. These advancements enable real-time, precise translations of spoken language, effectively dismantling communication barriers. Notably, the technology now accommodates a wider array of dialects and accents, fostering greater inclusivity in communication. This development carries profound implications across sectors such as international business, education, and healthcare, where clear and accurate communication is imperative. These evolving technologies will not only boost translation efficiency but also elevate the quality of cross-cultural interactions, fostering a more connected and accessible world. 5. Growth of Transcreation and personalized content generation Transcreation stands as a specialized art within the realm of translation, striving not merely to convert words from one language to another, but to transform a message while retaining its original essence and impact. Widely embraced in marketing, this approach serves as a key asset in cross-cultural communication, offering a distinctive edge in conveying messages effectively across diverse audiences. The surge in customer demand for personalized content is propelling the need for both

January 17, 2024

Experience the Future of Language Services with T-Portal 3.0

Sleek, Sophisticated, and Superbly Simple – Welcome to the New Era of Language Solutions At Tarjama, we understand the importance of staying ahead in a world where communication is key. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce the launch of T-Portal 3.0, the latest version of our cutting-edge language services platform. Crafted for Convenience – Mobile-Friendly Interface at Your Fingertips Gone are the days of clunky navigation and desktop-only access. T-Portal 3.0 sports a mobile-friendly interface that fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. Whether you’re on the go or at your desk, our platform ensures that quality language services are just a tap away. Your Language Services, Your Way – Effortless Access to a World of Choices With T-Portal 3.0, accessing our comprehensive range of language services has never been easier. Our submission process is now more streamlined, offering more than 16 service choices catering to all your linguistic needs. Each service is designed to provide unparalleled ease and efficiency, from translation to transcription. Insights and Control – Master Your Orders and Manage Your Budget Our revamped dashboard offers more than just a sleek look; it provides in-depth insights into your orders and spending. Track your projects, view your transaction history, and manage your budget with complete transparency and control. We’ve Got Your Back – Instant Support When You Need It Support is never more than a click away with T-Portal 3.0. Quick access to our back office means that our team of experts is ready to assist you whenever you need it. Your dedicated account manager is always on standby to ensure a seamless experience. Discover More on Our New Landing Page Are you interested to learn more? Find information about T-Portal 3.0’s features. Dive in and explore what makes our platform the leader in digital language solutions. Learn More Don’t miss out on the chance to elevate your language services experience. Book a demo today and see firsthand why T-Portal 3.0 is the choice for savvy communicators worldwide. Join the T-Portal Community – Today! Book a Demo

December 21, 2023

15 Localization Mistakes That Can Cost You Your Business