As mobile apps dominate most people’s daily lives, reaching a global audience is becoming increasingly important for app developers. If you’ve developed an iOS app and want to take it global, think about localization. Localization involves adapting your app to meet different local markets’ cultural, linguistic, and functional requirements. It’s a key factor in making your app successful in global markets.
With the rise of app stores and the growing demand for localized apps, it is essential to localize your iOS app to stand out in local markets. Statista said the global app revenue surpassed $318 billion in 2020. It highlights the significant revenue potential of the app market.
This article will discuss six key strategies for localizing your iOS app to make it stand out in local markets. These strategies will help you create a user experience tailored to your target audience and improve your chances of success.
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1. Conducting Market Research
Before you begin localizing your iOS app, conducting thorough market research is essential. This step will help you understand your target audience’s cultural, linguistic, and functional requirements in different local markets.
One way to conduct market research is to use survey tools to gather feedback from your target audience. This feedback can help you understand your users’ preferences, needs, and expectations in different markets. You can also use analytics tools to gather data on user behavior and engagement in different regions.
According to OneSky, the localization of your app is not confined to one factor. Instead, you must consider an array of features while localizing iOS apps. The list includes:
- The addition of local app store keywords.
- Creating new app store screenshots.
- Optimizing and translating app store descriptions.
It also includes translating content and optimizing the user interface for a different language or script.
Additionally, it’s necessary to consider the competition in each local market. Researching the local market can help you understand what your competitors are offering and identify gaps in the market that your app can fill. Understanding the competition can also help you to differentiate your app and create a unique selling proposition for each local market.
2. Adapting App Design and User Interface
In this step, you need to consider each local market’s cultural and linguistic differences and modify your app’s visual and interactive elements accordingly.
According to Business Wire, 64% indicated they would be willing to pay more for a product or service if it came with a customer experience available in their native language. This data underscores the importance of adapting your app’s language and visual elements to meet your target audience’s needs. Therefore, app designers must adapt to factors like languages considering locals in mind.
Consider various factors such as color, images, symbols, and fonts to adapt your app’s design and user interface. For example, different cultures have different color associations, and using the wrong colors in your app could negatively impact user engagement. For instance, while white is associated with purity and innocence in Western cultures, it is associated with death in some Asian cultures.
3. Translating and Localizing Content
This step involves translating your app’s content into the local language and adapting it to suit the local market’s linguistic and cultural preferences.
You can use machine translation or human translation services to translate and localize your app’s content. Machine translation tools like Google Translate can provide quick and cost-effective translations, but they may not always be accurate or culturally appropriate.
In addition to translation, you must also consider adapting the content to suit the local market’s preferences. For instance, some phrases or terminologies may be acceptable or preferred in one culture but not in others.
It’s also important to note that localizing content is not limited to text. You should also consider localizing multimedia elements such as images, videos, and audio to ensure they are culturally appropriate and effective in each local market.
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4. Addressing Technical Considerations
This step involves ensuring that your app is functional and meets the technical requirements of each local market. It includes localizing date formats, currency symbols, and measurement units.
It was found that localized apps have higher download and revenue rates compared to non-localized apps. It also showed that users spend more time on localized apps and have a higher retention rate.
In addition to localizing content and adapting the design, you should consider technical considerations such as app size, network connectivity, and device compatibility.
5. Leveraging Localization Tools and Resources
There are various tools and resources available that can streamline the localization process and improve the quality of translations.
One useful resource is localization kits, which contain all the necessary files and instructions for translating and localizing your app’s content. Localization kits can simplify the localization process and ensure accurate and consistent translations.
Leveraging these tools and resources can save time while improving the quality of translations and the overall localization process. In addition, using localization tools and resources, you can streamline the localization process and ensure that your app is tailored to each local market, leading to increased user engagement and revenue.
6. Testing And Iterating
Testing involves checking the localized app’s functionality, usability, and compatibility in each local market. Finally, iterating involves making necessary changes and improvements based on user feedback and data.
It was found that businesses that test and iterate their localized content have higher customer satisfaction rates and a greater return on investment. The study by TechJury showed that companies that invest in ongoing testing and iterating saw a 52% increase in website conversion rates. It highlights the continuous importance of testing the iOS app.
To effectively test and iterate your localized iOS app, you should conduct user testing and gather feedback from local users. User testing can help identify usability issues, linguistic errors, and cultural inconsistencies, which can be addressed to improve the user experience.
Your App Can Stand Out in Local Markets by Localizing It
Localizing your iOS app can help you stand out in local markets and reach a wider audience. By following the six key strategies outlined above, you can create a localized app that meets the needs and preferences of your target audience.
The importance of localization is evident in recent data that shows that localized apps have higher download and revenue rates, user engagement and retention rates, and customer satisfaction rates. In addition, by localizing your iOS app, you can tap into new markets and create a more personalized and tailored experience for each local market.
