Take Your App Worldwide with Localization
Why should I modify my app’s design for specific markets?
How can I find the right audience for my app internationally?
How can I localize my app for my target market?
Imagine you’ve created a mobile app that matches people with a dessert they’ll love. You also provide tongue-in-cheek recipes for making these treats.
Your app has been live for a little while now and people in your country are going crazy for it. In fact, business is so good that you think it’s time to bring your app to a few more markets, so you can taste some sweet, worldwide success.
Since your app has done so well, you wonder if you need to make any adjustments before releasing it internationally.
After all, how different could other markets really be?
Just like different people have their own taste in desserts, different markets have their own taste for the apps and advertising they consume.
In addition, most people value experiences that feel personal. Think of all the generic-sounding letters people receive and immediately throw out everyday.
That’s why localizing your app – including translating text and adjusting graphics for different regions – is important. It can increase the amount of people who see the value of your app and choose to install, use, and recommend it.
There are a lot of different markets out there, though. So research is key to ensuring you bring your app to the right consumers.
Many businesses use Google Market Finder to help them start to see the best possible audiences for their apps. It analyzes data such as how many mobile devices are used in a given area, as well as the Android and iOS usage there.
Market Finder can even create a shortlist of the places that might be best for you to launch in. Just enter your website (if you have one) and your business’ category – clothing, dining, etc. – into its dashboard to see the list.
TOOLS
You can further refine your shortlist by seeing if people in a given area are already installing your app, using it, leaving feedback, and talking about it on social media. The Google Play Console’s Optimization Tips can also help you see countries where your app is becoming popular.
Knowing where to launch your app is great. But you also need to learn how to appeal to the people living there. Think of them as your “target market.”
Again, research is key. Study how people in your target market use their devices – it might impact how they use your app. Some markets, for example, use mobile apps to have food delivered. Others might not have that option.
Cultural differences can impact almost every way people use their devices, whether it’s for social media, shopping, banking, gaming, or really anything else. So consider adjusting your app based on how your target market acts.
You can also make adjustments based on insights you get from Market Finder. They provide details on things like online purchase behavior and a region’s mobile sales figures.
You’ve chosen where to launch your app and studied how people there use their devices. Now you can refine your design to reach these consumers.
Take an inventory of your app’s graphics, colors, style, tone of voice, functionality, and payment methods. Make sure they’re all appropriate for your target market based on the cultural insights found in your research.
It’s also important to optimize your app design to meet a market’s challenges. Your target might use older hardware than your current customers. Or they might have connectivity issues or fewer chances to charge their device’s battery.
You’ll want to make sure your app’s priced correctly, too. The Google Play Console can automatically convert the price of your app, in-app purchases (IAPs), or subscription fees into the local currency.
The Play Store can also add tax for select countries and apply local pricing patterns. All this data can help you see if your prices are right based on local living costs, competition, consumer purchasing power, and likely demand for your app.
Design and pricing aren’t the only things to localize. Translating how the app is listed and the copy within your app can help engage your target market, too.
Before translating, figure out your target market’s language preferences. Countries like Canada or India, for example, use more than 1 official language. And languages like Arabic, Chinese, or Spanish have distinct regional dialects.
You can use the Google Play Console’s translation service or a local translator. The former offers human translation into the Android Studio and Developer Console. You pay per word but can reuse translations from previous orders.
This method translates app strings, Play Store text, and IAPs, as well as other text. To begin using it, select “Translation service” from the menu on the Google Play Developer Console.
If you choose to use a different professional translation service, give your translator context on your target audience. Knowing who you want to reach can help the translator choose the right words for that market.
Translators also benefit from having guidelines on the personality and tone of voice you’d like to bring to the project. Screenshots of any text examples as well as brand-specific style guides and glossaries can help, too.
TIP
However you choose to translate, don’t rely solely on a machine translation, including Google Translate. There’s a good chance that relying on robots for translation could lead to usability problems in your app.
If you’ve translated the text related to your app’s content, there’s still more to do to engage people. Be sure to account for other copy related to your app.
This includes translating the app’s name and description in the Google Play Store and the text for IAPs. Pop-ups for IAPs use the info in the Google Play Developer Console, so put translations where you put the original product info.
Image, video, and audio files also need to be translated so they appeal to the culture you’re trying to reach. Localize embedded text, too, as well as the explanatory text for the screenshot you’re using in the Google Play Store.
TIP
Many Android apps store their text in a strings.xml file. You can translate this using the Console or a translation service and then enter the resulting file into the project. You’ll then need to rebuild the Android Package Kit (APK) – the file format used to install software on the Android operating system.
When you think you’ve localized your app well, it’s time to make sure your target market can actually use it. That means you’ll have to do user testing.
Have members of your target market sit down and test your app on some commonly used devices. Pay attention to any errors in formatting, presentation, and text that you can correct for a better user experience.
After addressing notes from the initial test, release a version of your localized app to a small section of the public (AKA beta testing). This can help you get feedback from people who are using your app in the real world.
When you’ve incorporated their feedback, it’s time to launch. After launching, watch your ratings and download stats to spot issues affecting users. Pay particular attention to reviews and immediately address issues that arise.
Once you’ve launched, you can also experiment with how your app is listed in the Google Play Store. As visits to your listing in the new market grow, look at which text and graphics work best together and pair them to try to drive more downloads.
DO THIS NOW
Research is key to bringing your app to new markets. So let’s take a look at what you know about your target market and make a list of the things you need to learn about them to make localization smooth.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
When localizing your app researching your target market is the most important step for success.
Translating your app is an important way to connect with a local market.
Test your app before launching it widely in your new market to uncover issues you might have missed on your own.