Technologically speaking, we’ve come a long way in the last 25 years. It may be hard to believe, but the Internet has only been widely used since 1995. Yet in that length of time between then and now, not only have we fully embraced the World Wide Web, we’ve also adapted the tools used to access it so that we now take the Internet with us wherever we go. In fact, while desktop Internet usage has fallen in the past couple of years, mobile use has skyrocketed. And the popularity of mobile apps provides an indication of just how true that is. Recent statistics show that the number of mobile apps downloaded in 2017 were approximately 178 billion, but that number is projected to increase to 258 billion by 2022. That reflects an astonishing increase of 45 percent in just five years!
Some of the most popular mobile apps are accessed each and every day by countless users throughout the world: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, YouTube, and many, many more. It’s obvious that mobile usage and the apps that go along with it are a global phenomenon. So, if you are preparing to enter into the mobile app marketplace, it only makes sense to expand your target market to include users all around the world. That may sound like an impossible goal, but it’s actually far from it. In fact, app developers from countries around the world are marketing their apps to a global audience right now. And they’re accomplishing that by implementing one essential strategy in their marketing plans: localization.
Put very simply, localization involves fine tuning your app so that it is easily used by people who speak different languages and come from different cultures. One of the “hottest” current marketplaces for mobile apps, for example, is the Asia Pacific region of the world. Many mobile users in this part of the world don’t speak English, and they have cultural backgrounds quite different from people in the U.S. Yet they enjoy many of the same mobile apps as we do here in this country. That’s because marketers of those apps have made their products available in different languages, and have modified the apps to be more appropriate for people from different cultures.
Expanding your potential marketplace is one obvious benefit to localizing your mobile app, but there are other advantages as well. Some of those include:
Reducing the time involved in entering into new markets
Once your app is translated and localized, it’s relatively quick and easy to create a localized product page in app stores and make the app available to users in multiple countries.
Increased engagement levels
Your current and future customers will embrace an app that is available in their own language and fine-tuned to appeal to their needs and preferences. That will add up to better user experience and higher engagement levels. And that will encourage those users to look for other apps from your company in the future.
Engaged users market your product for you
Once users download and use your fully translated and localized app, they’ll be more likely to spread the word to other users in their countries. In effect, your users will market your app for you!
While it may be easy to see the advantages of localization, the path to achieving it may not be as clear. The first step is to contact a reputable translation company – one that has experience in translating and localizing mobile apps. They can connect you with a professional translator/localization expert; one that understands the mobile app target market and can recommend the best way to appeal to users from that part of the globe. High quality translation and localization services are essential to entering the global mobile app market. With the help of a qualified translation company, you can prepare your app for worldwide distribution and enjoy success that you might have never dreamed possible!