Localization is a key part of any business strategy in the international economy. Businesses will serve their customers and drive traffic and profit by catering content and products to various market cultural and linguistic demands. But managing a localization budget (there’s only so much to go around).
Getting the right mix of market needs and savings is a skill. In this article, I will discuss how companies can get the most out of their localization spending in a tight budget.
Understanding Your Markets and Priorities
Proper localization starts with your markets and their requirements. Money is wasted on ‘inefficient’ work when one needs to know which markets and languages to target.
Identifying Key Markets and Languages
So, if you want to get the most out of your localization investment, think first about which markets are important to you:
- Read about the markets already in play and where they could go. Choose high-growth/underserved areas.
- Select the languages according to size and importance. An EU technology company, for example, could initially be bilingual in German, French, and Spanish and then branch out into other minor languages.
Aligning Localization with Business Strategy
Localization is the extension of your business strategy. When you align localization with company goals, allocating resources to the projects with the most significant revenue and interest will be easier.
Content Prioritization
When you have a large budget, the essential content has to be effective. Instead of separating every article, focus on the best ones.
Focus on High-Impact Content
Starting with the most UX/Conversion-focused ones, such as:
- User Interfaces (UI): You should make your product’s UI easy for everyone.
- Campaigns: Localization for localized campaigns.
- Customer Support Resources: Localized FAQ and help files to support the user experience.
Quick Wins in Localization
Check whether your current localized content contains anything that you can tweak to be quickly and cheaply repaired. For instance, if you run local conversion funnels like checkout engines or price pages on your local domain, this instantly returns by driving sales in the local country.
Budgeting Strategies
The way to make the best use of the few things you have is to learn how to budget. Some ways to distribute money:
Population-Based Budgeting
This is a way of investing money based on the size of your market:
- Estimate how much of your total audience each market brings in.
- Invest in equal measures to hit the biggest, most lucrative markets first.
Accounting for Regional Differences
Markets are different in shopping patterns, needs, and economic conditions. Use these local variations for your budgeting:
- Reverse allocations based on performance and regions.
- Update your budget often depending on the fluctuation in demand.
Aligning with Brand Strategy
Budgets for localization should be aligned with your brand:
- Get corporate and team members to come on board.
- Determine where you can charge more based on geographic data, like revenue per market.
Optimizing Localization Processes
When you have little, you work efficiently. Automating your localization processes makes more with less.
Four-Step Approach to Localization Optimization
Develop a procedure to finish your localization:
1. Discover buyer journeys and buyer preferences for every segment.
2. Identify how much you are now localizing across touchpoints.
3. Outline the scope of new and regular localization requests.
4. Have the right technology and people in place to compete in the future.
Hybrid Localization Models
Centralization is compensated for by local market participation in hybrid localization schemes. These models:
- Get more done by doing manual work like translation memory management in the center.
- Improve cultural alignment by getting local teams involved.
Managing Limited Resources
Only so much can be done, and localization based on selection and technology adoption are the routes to the moon.
Selective Localization
It’s only sometimes content that must be regional. Focus on:
- Relevant content with a real effect on users or sales.
- Translations 0 for low-priority pages that do little to enhance customer experience.
Leveraging Technology and Partnerships
Technological localization costs less:
- Translation Management Systems (TMS): Automation and assets like glossaries and translation memory.
- Machine Translation (MT): Make suboptimal text rough in MT and then have it checked by a human.
Working with localization agencies can also handle this. Look for agencies that offer scale and reuse.
Case Studies and Examples
These are some businesses that got by on a shoestring budget for localization:
1. Canva: World Scale Localization with Expansion All Over the Globe.
A website called Canva had to be in 100+ languages. Canva automated most of the localization and reduced cost and TTM by integrating a TMS into its development pipeline. It had high—impact content—templates and UI—and scaled across the globe without blowing a budget.
2. AirBnB: Prioritizing Key Markets
AirBnB decided to focus on the largest markets (Europe and Asia), where the users were. By translating only high-impact information, such as property listings and reviews, AirBnB enhanced the experience and didn’t drive up the bill.
3. Slack: Hybrid Localization Model
The translation was centralized, but local teams for regional adaptations were Slack’s mixed localization system. This solution balanced effectiveness and cultural relevancy, allowing Slack to be scalable without compromising quality.
Challenges and Considerations
A small localization budget is challenging to come by. You have to:
- Cultural and Linguistic Unklarity: Be culturally compatible with translations for each market.
- Centralization or Decentralization: Come up with an efficient and authentic compromise in the locality.
- Data Security: Retain confidential information, especially when working with third-party localization companies.
- Fees for Maintenance: Budget for maintenance so your content is always fresh and accurate.
Conclusion
Localization budgeting needs to be done in small steps to maximize limited resources. With the right combination of content impact, tech, and business-first localization, companies can go global without breaking the bank.
With population-based budgeting, hybrid localization models, and process optimization, the localization cost will be a good return on your investment. With some planning and efficiency, even the smallest of businesses can benefit from a local experience that can be shared with audiences worldwide.
Mehar Mozan 
Backlinks Hub 
Prime Star