What are some of the best practices for internationalizing your website?

As I18N has a lot to do with coding practices, it is a great candidate for a static code analysis tool. Identifying any violation to I18N standards in source code such as Hard Code strings, use of non-i18n ready functions, etc. can be caught and prevented in the code upstream making the entire process shift-left and efficient.

A solid A/B testing framework can be invaluable here. Being able to try out locale-specific changes to content - not only the translation - can help you hit the right notes in your key markets while experimenting with different versions of strings or pages simultaneously. You can then roll out changes to 100% when you know what's working the best.

The translation managing system is a very important part in a long-running project. The cost of manually maintaining translations can increase a lot the more content and languages are added. If the files containing the localizations are distributed into separate folders, the complexity can become huge with every new language added, so this also needs to be automatically handled. At the beginning of my 14 years old project I wrote an application that collects info from all localization files into an Excel file and saves the data back into the file structure. It was a very good decision. I can't even estimate how much time this app has saved the project. It had to be a custom solution, because the project had special needs.

I agree. When it comes to internationalization, choosing the right tools is extremely important. The CMS you use and the quality programs you choose to have in place are absolutely crucial, and I cannot stress that enough. But beyond that, educating leadership and stakeholders are key. In the past, I’ve implemented cross-functional quality programs to help measure ROI. Additionally, I also guided teams in a strategic prioritization. It’s not just about language transformation; it’s about localizing with a strategy that aligns with global challenges and business goals.

Choosing a CMS that supports localization is just the beginning, but it's crucial. I've seen many people stuck with a bad CMS lacking basic functionality. Do yourself a favor and ensure that your CMS can support localization. Also, make sure it can accommodate all the languages you want to target. Consider text expansion, layout, and other factors. Be prepared. If localization is an afterthought, added when the website is already designed and developed, you're usually in for a bad time.

Beware that some libraries might format things like dates and times slightly differently from each another. If you need a consistent structure across your product line, you might consider config-driven formats aligned through a single point of reference, possibly using custom layers at various points in your tech stack. E.g. your Node libraries might differ from your Android libraries in how things are formatted, and those might differ from standard Java libraries.

Compliance with standards is undoubtedly a game-changer in i18n. I remember launching a new global product and noticing that there were surprisingly few users in non-English speaking countries. The story? Lack of standards in grammar and formatting. So, I led a pod to monitor our actions. We changed our encoding to Unicode and aligned all language tags and regional identifiers with ISO standards. The impact was immediate—participation in that community increased by 25% in just one quarter. Standards are not just rules; They are the building blocks of adaptable and effective globalization.

Use UTF-8 and Front End libraries that can support Internationalization. Just google it. It's all there you don't have to do a lot. You can even ask chatGPT it has some good answers too.

Designing for diversity is not just a best practice; it's a necessity in today's global landscape. One of the key lessons I've learned is that cultural context matters. For instance, while overseeing a project, we noticed that a feature wasn't resonating well in certain regions. Upon investigation, we found that the layout and directionality of the content were not culturally appropriate. We quickly engaged native speakers and experts to review and adapt the design. The result? A significant improvement in user engagement and a lesson learned in the importance of cultural nuance. So yes, it's not just about translation; it's about understanding and respecting the diverse tapestry of your user base.

While ensuring diversity, we also need to ensure inclusivity in the way the content is written nowadays. Words such as master-slave, whitelisting/blacklisting, and many more should be avoided as these are considered to be discriminatory.

Diversity means different things across continents. Numbers, colours and layout can mean different things in different countries. Make sure you work with people that do understand local market. Making your website local is the most important part.

Translation is the main item customers use to navigate a product UI. However, it is necessary to spend some time and energy on ensuring the look and feel of the product itself is proper for a given culture. 1.Icons and colors palette It is important to ask ourselves questions like: Is this color offensive? Is the icon widely understood? 2. Text and UI Direction Some languages, such as Arabic or Hebrew, use a different text direction. The UI is expected to flow from Right-to-Left. 3.Inclusive animations and marketing content Having an image of a woman in a bikini to target the Saudi market would be a blocker. 4.Building new features or tweaking existing Building features specifically for a given group of customers would bring more traffic.

Localization is not only about Languages but also about the variations and dialects. English spoken in the US is very different from the English spoken in UK or Australia. Also, the content is not only textual but also a lot of other stuff such as colors, icons/symbols, speech/accent etc.

Before starting the localisation and internationalization project, it is worth investing time in style guides and terminology discussion to align with all stakeholders. Some parts of the content can be translated as such while other parts may need very heavy adaptation. By planning and preparing well, you will save a lot of effort later on.

It really helps to do a quick content audit before you start internationalizing. You can plan if all your content needs to be translated, or if some things need to be localized in a more specific way to the target audience. And you can plan out your keywords in the target languages before you send out for translation, making your content more tailored and optimized from the start.

There are a few ways to adapt your content into another language: translation, localization, and transcreation. Translation sticks closest to your original content - measurements, and idioms will be translated, but examples will not. A mention of the Packers/Bears rivalry will stay, and be unrelatable to readers outside the US. Localization gives your writer the freedom to adapt content to the cultural context of their language. Not only can they convert measurement standards, but they can pick a local rivalry, like Barcelona vs Real Madrid, to illustrate your point instead. Transcreation means you give the writer a term, a brief, and your content. They'll follow the broad strokes of the article but fully adapt to their language.

Creating the right workflows and processes is crucial for your organization. Also, make sure to automate tasks that should be automated.

monitoring and improving performance, requires a systemati approach. I suggest using these steps among others: 1. define key performance indicators (KPIs): know key metrics that are important for your business goals. 2. use web analytics tools: know good analytics tools and measuring platforms like google analytics to identify trends and areas for improvements. 3. cunduct user surveys: gather feedback from users and knwo where to ask and how to ask to pinpoint key customers and probable users. 4. performa A/B testing: create various website layouts, different contents and keep in mind the cultural differenes to create them. 5. localize content: adapt your websites content to resonate better with target international audience.

Quantitative success metrics Translation & Quality KPIs • # of translation bugs by LQA teams • # of translation escalations by customers Growth KPIs • Number of new customers in target locale • Amount of net revenue from target locale • Active monthly customers in target locale • Customer retention rate in target locale (mom or yoy) Business KPIs • ARR: per market • Monthly sales growth • Avg revenue/ new customer • Net New Customers acquired • Customer acq. cost/ market • CLV / target locale • Retention & churn rates/ target locale • Stickiness in target locale Customer Satisfaction KPIs • NPS in target locale • CSat Score in target locale • Sean Ellis score from target locale • # of support tickets per language • Sentiment Analysis

Other things to consider could be: - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) To adapt the business to the European markets, it is critical to be aware of the GDPR regulations and comply with them. - Pricing Strategy Pricing is a core business driver, as it can help customers make a purchase decision. - Consider building your own internal Translation tools, that fit with the eng. pipeline seamlessly - On-premises hosting Some markets (such as Germany) may require all data collected to be hosted on servers located in the country itself, or in allowed countries that aren’t the US. - Marketing events To better prepare for launch in target markets, it could be beneficial to consider doing some targeted marketing in key countries.