Food delivery has an app, Online banking has an app, entertainment has an app. From education to healthcare to businesses, wherever there is a task to be done, it can now be completed on a smartphone through an app.

In India, there were 28 Billion App downloads & 0.74 Trillion hours of App usage in 2022. 

It can safely be assumed that the whole nation contributed in the above stats, which brings us to the question – Are the mobile apps ready to cater to such a vast variety of language diversity?

Our answer – NO. But we have a solution to resolve this issue – Mobile App Localization.

Mobile App Localization is the process of adapting every element of an app (Text, Images, Audio & Video, Currency, Date & Number Formats etc.) in order to appeal to the cultural, linguistic, and technical requirements of each of the target markets.

Why you should localise your Mobile App – 

• Increases App downloads.
• Gives the App users a personalized user experience.
• Increases revenue.

All in all, a win-win situation for all the parties involved.

Also Read: How to automate dynamic website localisation cost-effectively in any language

So, here we propose a 4 Points Checklist to be considered when planning for Mobile App Localization.

1. Technical Considerations

The first step to prepare for technical difficulties is to expect there will be technical issues. This may sound obvious, but its not the case for many who are trying it for first time. You can expect issues such as:

• Text growth/shrinkage
• API integration
• Mobile SDK
• Manual errors
• Image localisation
• File formats
• Hard coding currency, date & time format
• Design integration
• Automation capabilities

These may seem to be very difficult to handle, but by choosing a right localisation partner who are expert in it & have experience, they can be taken care of.

2. Cultural Considerations 

This pertains to the user experience, specially the colors of the images & background of the videos. Now, almost all organizations have a pre-defined brand guidelines, with specific color usage. But its worth considering colors that appeal to the target market audience. You can retain your logo colors, try contrasting colors for images & localisation can still be implemented. Wherever possible, use backgrounds from target regions in your videos, giving it a local touch. 

For example, if your target market is Kerala, try using backgrounds of Sea or Coconut Grove. This will improve user experience & the stickiness of your app will shoot right up.

3. Linguistic Considerations 

After the text is translated, it has to pass a quality check, which should be done by someone who has his/her mother tongue as the targeted language. Why? The translation can be checked for linguistical correctness only by someone who is raised speaking that language. Always choose a localisation partner who has experience in your target languages.

4. Continuous Localisation Considerations 

No app can grow without continuous updates. With continuous updates, comes the challenge of automated localisation. If your localisation partner can not provide automated localisation of updated or new content, then your app is loosing a part of localisation benefit. 

Bonus: Add Mobile App Localization to the App Store as well

When app localization is considered, immediately translation of content within the app comes in to the mind. But App Store localisation is an equally important step in this process. If your app can’t be found, it won’t get downloaded. So remember to localise the Metadata & Keywords in all the targeted languages.

We can help with your Mobile App Localization

At Reverie, we have over 12 years of experience with localisation. We have helped more than 140 organizations with their localisation requirements & in doing so, we stand firm with our mission of Language Equality on Internet for Indian internet users.

Conclusion

If you are ready to expand your Mobile App to the regional markets with a local touch, localization is the way to go.

Want to connect with our expert: Request a Demo