Website translation, web page localization, software internationalization and localization

When embarking on web page translation projects, there are many issues to consider. Some of the issues deal with the actual translation of the web pages, while others deal with some of the organizational business issues surrounding websites which are available in different languages.

A list of steps to consider when planning a website translation project would be:

  1. Complete a target market analysis to determine into what languages you should translate your website.
  2. Draft a business case for translating your site including projected ROI.
  3. Design and develop an effective multilingual architecture and navigational scheme for your site taking steps tp ensure any internationalization issues are addressed.
  4. Review existing English site content for legal and cultural correctness issues.
  5. Develop a comprehensive glossary for any new languages.
  6. Prepare a "Localization Kit" which is all the source files required for translation.
  7. Determine what other content requires translation beside web pages (i.e., documentation which might be posted to the website such as brochures)
  8. Select a translation agency or team to complete the translation.
  9. Determine a site update and maintenance plan.
  10. Hire multilingual staff anticipating communications (emails, phone calls, and requests for information) will now be received in other languages.
  11. Plan and execute a promotional campaign for your new multilingual website including:
    • Announcing that your new site is available in several languages is a great opportunity to get some press!
    • Make sure your new site gets submitted to all the search engines including international ones.
  12. Plan on-going multilingual support options for users of the site.

You can see there is more than just translating the actual web pages to make a website really fluent in another language.