Mirela
Maybe you’re a small company, a startup, or simply a business that looks to keep localization expenses at a minimum. We’re not judging you; we know how expensive it can be to localize all your content for multiple markets while on a budget. Here’s the good news—we know a few tips and tricks to reduce localization costs. It all boils down to some strategic approaches and leveraging the right tools.
Incorporate i18n in the development phase
Internationalization (i18n) is what comes before localization. It involves designing and coding your product in a way that makes it adaptable to multiple languages and regions so that it doesn’t require extensive modifications later. This is why, by planning for internationalization upfront, you can avoid costly rework when it’s time to localize.
You could, for example, incorporate Unicode to ensure your product can handle different character sets, including those for non-Latin scripts. In the same way, creating user interfaces with flexible layouts accommodates languages with varying text lengths. Plus, i18n not only reduces costs but also speeds up the localization process when your product is ready to enter new markets.
Prioritize key markets and content
To avoid spreading your localization budget, it may be best to be present where it matters most. Start with the most important markets; data analytics can help refine your prioritization strategy. Use tools like website traffic analysis, user feedback, and sales data to identify the regions with untapped potential. You can address markets with lower ROI potential later, if and when your business scales.
Use a TMS like POEditor
You can’t do localization without a translation management system (TMS). As one of the must-have tools in the industry, it streamlines the localization process by centralizing translation, improving collaboration, and reducing redundancies.
Not to brag or anything, but POEditor, in particular, stands out as one of the most cost-effective and user-friendly options available. It offers a range of features to manage translations efficiently, such as real-time updates, translation memory, history module, and integration with many developer tools.
POEditor allows teams to maintain consistency across translations while avoiding repetitive work. It has an intuitive interface where both technical and non-technical team members can contribute, thus minimizing delays and errors. Furthermore, POEditor’s affordability makes it an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes.
Reuse and repurpose existing content
Of course it would be great if you could create fresh content for each market, giving your audience exactly what resonates with them. However, creating new content can get expensive. Instead, you could reuse and adapt existing material.
Translation memory tools, which store previously translated phrases and sentences, are invaluable in this regard. They keep the terminology consistent across projects and reduce the need for re-translating similar content. Yet another example of how you can lowers costs and speed up localization too.
Leverage machine translation with human oversight
Back in the day, you couldn’t trust machine translation to help you with more than translating some random words while on holiday in a foreign country. Today, you have plenty of professional MT tools (DeepL would be a good example) to choose from—some cheaper, some pricier.
Many businesses are now using MT for initial drafts and for repetitive or straightforward content. You could use it for less important content, leaving human translators to focus on nuanced or culturally sensitive material. Pairing MT with human editing for quality assurance can dramatically reduce your localization costs.
Summing up
These are some of the easiest to adopt strategies for reducing localization costs. By planning for localization early in the development phase, leveraging tools like POEditor, prioritizing key markets and content, and employing efficient translation methods—you can achieve cost-effective localization without sacrificing quality. It is also worth looking into the factors that influence localization cost; these might help you find additional ways to cut your expenses.