Some of the topics covered at the 2013 Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition will be:

• Harnessing the social marketing revolution for your e-commerce business
• Preparing for the massive shift to mobile devices
• Selling around the world to take advantage of the web's global reach
• E-marketing with the latest techniques and strategies
• Implementing the best e-commerce technologies for your web store
• Competing effectively against the giants with more resources
• Moving retail chains into the digital age
• Creating web designs and merchandising strategies that convert shoppers to buyers
• Perfecting order management and fulfillment practices that keep online customers coming back
• Using the web to sell to b2b customers
• Managing the enterprise to ensure strong connections among departments and with customers

For more information about the conference, please check IRCE Agenda.

GPI will be exhibiting at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition

Please stop by GPI's booth #667 to learn more about our eCommerce Localization Services!

Connect with us on twitter at @GPITranslates . We will be tweeting live from the #IRCE event.

According to a recent report from eMarketer, the global e-commerce industry exceeded $1 trillion in 2012 and forecasts indicate that in 2013, total e-commerce sales worldwide will grow 19% year over year. To take full advantage of this trend, internet retailers that are looking to grow their businesses globally should ensure that they have a very strong multilingual content strategy.

What does a strong multilingual content strategy look like for e-retailers?

1. Fully localize website content and the shopping cart platform to ensure the shopping experience is customized for global target markets (local currencies, date/time formats, formatting of numbers, general cultural appropriateness, etc.).

2. Exercise good multilingual SEO practices for global target markets to ensure local buyers are able to find your websites.

3. Integrate localization into the Content Management System to simplify the translation process and ensure multilingual content is kept up-to-date along with English content.

4. Ensure there is a customer service system in place to support global customers in their native languages, whether it is via telephone, e-mail or web chat.

5. Engage with foreign customers through social media, keeping in mind that social media networks and trends may vary from country to country.

GPI's eCommerce website translation services include:

• Country specific research and reports on market selection and entry
• Website cultural correctness and customizations review and reports
• Translation Services Connectors for CMS and eCommerce platforms
• Translation & localization services for online/offline content
• Global Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Global Search Engine Advertising (SEA)
• Country specific Social Media Localization

Further GPI Resources on Website Translation, Global SEO and eCommerce Translation Services

You may also find some of the following articles and links useful:

• Localization Strategy for Global E-Retailers
• Branding Usability and Localization
• Website Translation: 14 Steps to an effective worldwide website!
• What Should You Expect From Your Localization Partner?
• How to Integrate International SEO into The Translation Process

Further Information on Localization Resources

Globalization Partners International (GPI) frequently assists customers with multilingual website design, development and deployment, and has developed a suite of globalization tools to help you achieve your multilingual website localization project goals. Please see the Translation tools and Portals section of our website.

For more information or help with you next website translation project, please do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail at info@globalizationpartners.com, or by phone at (866) 272-5874, or by requesting a free web translation quote on your next website translation project.

This blog is a continuation of our series on the process of translating a website. To read the other blogs in the series, please see:

• Website Translation: 14 Steps to an effective worldwide website! (Intro)
• Website Translation Quality Assurance and Client Review Process (Two Fundamentals)
• Website Translation: Reviewing Source Files and CMS Workflows (Steps 1-2)

Step 3: Project Kick-Off

Of course a translation project needs to be kicked-off. During a kickoff call or meeting, usually conducted by your assigned Project Manager, your translation services account team should cover a few items including:

• Who is on your translation project team?
• What is the final agreed upon schedule for deliveries?
• What are the final project specifications including source files, costs, deliverable formats?
• What are the workflow requirements?
• How will you communicate (emails, translation portal, etc…)?
• Who will review and approve the translations and at what steps in the process?
• What web content management system is being used and how?

Step 4: Subject Matter Training and Research

Even though translators specialize in specific subject matters, most specialize in several and cannot be experts in all fields. A well thought out and resourced translation team will have professional translators that do specialize in the subject matter and do their homework before starting projects. It is critical, especially for technical translations, that a detailed review, if not study, of any reference materials is conducted to ensure the team understands the subject matter. This actually occurs to a degree as the team is being assembled AND after all final source has been sent to the translation house.

In addition, client-specific training for translation teams related to subject matter is recommended. Product demos, collateral review, and basic training are helpful for the translation teams to understand the terminology, subject matter and intent of the content.

Step 5: Content Cultural Correctness Assessment

Research studies indicate that "attitude towards websites, interactivity and usability of websites, as well as purchase intentions at web sites are enhanced when sites are congruent with the target customers' cultural predispositions". (See "The Culturally Customized Web Site", Elsevier, 2005). When taking your website global, there can be an array of issues that should be reviewed based on locale-specific cultural values. These website attributes range from the need to culturally customize photos and adding local phone numbers to adapting icons, colors and even navigation.

For an excellent book on cultural customization, see "The Culturally Customized Web Site: Customizing Websites for the Global Marketplace" by Nitish Singh, PhD.

Step 6: Glossary and Style Guide Development

Glossary development is a critical step in ensuring client terminology and industry-specific terminology are collected, researched, and consistently translated throughout the translation process. An ongoing effort of terminology management from website launch to content updates and maintenance is key. Glossary development is a collaborative service and is best completed with client review and approval.

A Style Guide is a reference manual that records how certain terms should be translated or how company specific names or products should be presented. The Style Guide also provides language specific grammatical rules and advice, mainly focused on stylistic and correctness issues (i.e. use infinitive for application buttons, do not use gerund for title chapters, etc.).

Adherence to the Style Guide is of the utmost importance in order to maintain stylistic quality and linguistic consistency across a team of localizers and reviewers working on the same project. Style guides will also dictate how certain documents, such as annual reports or labels for packaging, should be presented so that those specs are clear and understandable to all parties involved in their production.

Further information on website translation resources

Globalization Partners International (GPI) offers comprehensive website translation services with services ranging from initial translation glossary development and copy writing to global SEO and online testing.

For more information about our globalization and localization processes, please feel free to download our Language Globalization Guides. You may also benefit from our resources and blogs:

• How to Create a Quote for Website Translation Services
• 10 Tips for Website Localization
• Global SEO: 4 Top Factors
• Selecting the Right CMS to Manage International Websites
• Creating culturally customized content for website translation
• Responsive Web Design for the Global Market

To discuss your next website translation project, please do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail at info@globalizationpartners.com, or by phone at (866) 272-5874, or by requesting a free translation quote for your next website translation project.

comScore Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world has stated, "123.3 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones (53% mobile market penetration) during the three months ending in November, up 6% since August. Google Android ranked as the top smartphone platform with 53.7% market share (up 1.1% points)."

Source: comScore Reports November 2012 U.S. Mobile Subscriber Market Share

Android powers hundreds of millions of mobile devices in more than 190 countries around the world. Every day new users power up their Android devices for the first time and start looking for apps, games, and other digital content.

With the largest installed base of any mobile platform, marketers must ensure they are leveraging this channel or they might miss out on opportunities.

This blog highlights the support available for different languages/locales over the lifetime of the Android platform. It shows that Android remains committed to its user base to ensure digital content can be targeted in multiple languages to better engage with your target audience.

Best Practices for Android Localization

In the previous blog Localization Services for Android Mobile Applications, we discussed setting up an Android application for localization and using resources files (strings, images, etc.). Now we shall continue the localization process by discussing some best practices which should be included in the development cycle for multi-language applications.

Support for switching languages

Users can change the phone's current language setting at any time. In some cases, your Android multi-language application may be running when this takes place. The Android platform invokes the methods for your application:

• onSaveInstanceState(…) - This method is called before an activity may be killed so that when it comes back some time in the future it can restore its state.
• onDestroy(…) - Perform any final clean-up before an activity is destroyed.
• onCreate(…) - Called when the activity is starting. This method takes a single parameter, which is non-null if the activity is being re-initialized after previously being shut down.

After re-loading the UI within the onCreate() method, developers should also call the onRestoreInstanceState() to restore the app state using the parameter from the onCreate method when the bundle parameter is non-null. This provides the user with a seamless restart experience.

Data Persistence Strategies

Depending on the type of mobile application, it may communicate with a back-end server application which in turns saves data (user-details, calculations, etc.) to an external repository. Your mobile application communicates with the back-end server to share data required.

Multi-language applications must ensure special consideration is taken when choosing a data persistence strategy. The following lists two (2) common approaches:

• File-based approach: Unicode can be implemented by different character encodings. It is important to note when reading files the proper encoding should always be specified. This ensures that developers are aware of the intent when reading/writing to files. In cases when an encoding scheme is not specified a system-provide default is used. When there is a mismatch with encodings non-meaningful data is read / written.

Using the Microsoft .NET Framework as an example, if a text file stored using the UTF-16 encoding scheme is read without specifying the encoding, .NET framework will interpret the UTF-16 characters as UTF-8 (default) resulting in 'garage results' being produced.

• Database-based approach: The data-type of your columns, character-sets within the database should support the storage of Unicode characters.

For example, SQL Server provides nchar, nvarchar and ntext data types which are the Unicode equivalents to chat, varchar, text respectively. While in MySql the UTF-8 character-set should be chosen to support as there are no Unicode column data-types.

Versions of the Android Platform

Language / Locale Support by Android Platform

Developing Multilingual Applications

Whether you are trying to release a multilingual application in order to increase your digital media presence in global markets and achieve an acceptable ROI by acquiring new customers, or you are trying to improve your internal efficiencies by providing your global employees tools to work more efficiently, developing multilingual applications is a fundamental aspect of accomplishing either.

Further GPI Resources on Localization and Internationalization

Globalization Partners International (GPI) has developed a suite of globalization tools to help clients effectively internationalization and localize their mobile applications. You can explore them under the Tools sections of our Translation Services. GPI offers internationalization and globalization consulting services and can evaluate your application. By partnering with GPI before you localize or translate your application you may avoid many mistakes and save considerable time and money on your next localization projects.

For more information about mobile application translation and localization please check our services and blogs:

• What to consider for mobile application localization
• Translation Services for Windows Mobile Localization
• Mobile Application Translation Services
• Online and mobile shopping in UAE and MENA region
• How to Create a Quote for Software Translation Services

For more information or help with you next mobile localization or website translation project, please do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail at info@globalizationpartners.com, or by phone at (866) 272-5874, or by requesting a free translation quote on your next website translation project.

At the time of localization, even though any Spanish-speaking person in Mexico will clearly understand a written text from someone in Argentina, it is very important that the subtle differences among the Spanish variations are taken into account so the target audience has the feeling of reading a text truly addressed to them.

In other words, to effectively attract Spanish-speaking customers and clients, you must adapt not only the language and appearance of a product, but also the functionality of a product or website for Spanish-speaking markets.

The Spanish in Latin America varies from country to country and even within the countries themselves. These are some of the major characteristics of Latin American Spanish:

Voseo vs tuteo:

"Voseo" is the use of the pronoun "vos" and " tuteo" is the use of the pronoun "tú". Both pronouns mean "you". The pronoun "vos" is used instead of "tú" in at least some part of every Latin American country, with the exceptions of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Examples:

Use of "ustedes":

In Spain, both forms of the plural pronoun "you", "vosotros" (you all, informal) and "ustedes" (you all, formal) are used, while in Latin America "ustedes" is always used and with all the corresponding verb conjugations.

Examples:

Weakened or lost consonants:

In the Caribbean, much of Central America, the entire Pacific coast of South America, the Rio de la Plata nations and some areas of Mexico, many consonants at the end of a syllable or word are either weakened or lost altogether. This is especially the case with the final "s" sound. For example: "los niños" (the children) ends up sounding more like "loh niñoh", "adios" (goodbye) sounds like "adioh" and the clause "esto es lo mismo" (this is the same) sounds more like "ehto eh lo mihmo".

In words with a "d" between two vowels, the "d" is often dropped so that "cansado" (tired) sounds like "cansao" and "pecado" (sin) sounds like "pecao".

The "r" is also commonly dropped from the end of verb infinitives, so that "comer" (to eat) sounds like "comé".

Seseo:

In Latin American Spanish, the "s", "c" and "z" are all pronounced with an "s" sound.

Examples:

Yeísmo:

The double "L" ("ll") is pronounced like a "y" in the Latin American speaking countries:

Examples:

Confusion between "L" sound and "R" sound:

In the Caribbean region and in parts of Chile, there is certain confusion between the "l" and "r" sounds. The "l", when placed before a consonant in a word, is often pronounced as an "r". For example, the word "alma" (soul) will often be pronounced "arma".

Influences - indigenous languages, Europe, etc:

Latin America is certainly a melting pot of influences from indigenous languages like Nahuatl, Mapudungun, Guarani and Quechua to European languages like Galician Spanish, Italian and French. For this reason, while the base language is Castillian Spanish, there are traces of indigenous, European and even African languages in regional Latin American dialects.

A perfect example is Argentina, which has a great number of words that are spoken nowhere else, known as "lunfardo". These can include sometimes untranslatable words such as "vivo" - a word that is used to denote a person who can get away with things; a hustler. A related term is "avivarse": to get wise to things; gain experience; learn not to get taken advantage of. Another popular expression, with origins in lunfardo, is "che" which is roughly equivalent to the English "hey." Certain Argentines use the word "che" all the time, especially when they're angry. As in "Che, what are you doing? Che, where are you going? Che, get back here!"

There are significant differences in vocabulary among regional varieties of Spanish, particularly in the domains of food products, everyday objects, and clothes.

Examples:

Further resources on Spanish translation and localization

You may gain further insights into Spanish translation and related topics by reviewing previous blogs and resources written by GPI:

• Spanish Variations: Spain vs. Latin America
• What is neutral Spanish?
• Spanish Translation Services
• Hispanics become second largest USA consumer market
• Why You Need a Localized Website for the U.S. Hispanic Market
• Spanish Website Translation

Globalization Partners International has created a more extensive overview of website globalization for U.S. Hispanic consumers in two white papers: Website Globalization and E-Business U.S. Hispanic Market and  Website Globalization and E-Business U.S. Hispanic Market - In Depth are available in PDF format via a free download.

You may contact GPI at info@globalizationpartners.com or at (US toll-fee) 866-272-5874 with your specific questions about Spanish translation and your project goals. You may also request a complimentary Spanish translation quote for your project as well.

The global business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce market topped $1 Trillion USD in 2012 (eMarketer, " Ecommerce Sales Topped $1 Trillion for First Time in 2012") and is expected to exceed $1.25 trillion in 2013. The industry's growth is ignited by emerging markets with the majority of ecommerce growth expected to come from emerging markets by 2015. This is especially true of Asia Pacific countries, with China driving most of the region's e-commerce growth. Retailers such as Costco and Macy's are flocking to China to take advantage of its huge market - nearly 220 million people in China purchased products online in 2012.

Let's take a look at the key translation and localization components of a truly global content strategy for E-Retailers.

Website Localization

A great website is the single most important asset an E-Retailer can have to help develop a global brand that will attract customers all over the world. Website localization is more than just translating the customer-facing webpage text. Some key components of website localization for an E-Retailer include:

• Translation of user interface
• Localization of graphics
• Currency conversion
• Product database/catalog translation
• Localization of online ordering platform (shopping carts)
• Online QA and Web testing
• Adaptation of site and catalog/product database search function to accommodate the way users in foreign markets search

Addressing these before trying to sell into new markets is the only way to ensure success. Going into a market before providing culturally appropriate and compelling content and ecommerce website features that work for a user's locale, is sure to lead to lost potential customers, not acquiring new ones.

Another key aspect for global E-Retailers in regards to website localization is responsive web design for the global market. As mobile devices become more main stream and shoppers increasingly access e-retail websites from their smartphones and tablets, it is essential that global E-Retailers ensure their websites are optimized for viewing on multiple screen types. For example, is your e-commerce website targeting China? Text tends to take up less space when translated into Chinese, so you want to make sure your localized Chinese website doesn't have too much unattractive white space, whether it is viewed from a PC, tablet or smartphone.

Multilingual Search Engine Marketing

Launching a multilingual website is one step for an E-Retailer to establish a strong presence in their global and local markets, but how do they drive traffic to the new language versions of their website in their target markets? By conducting some form of Global Search Engine Marketing, which includes these Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Advertising (SEA) components:

• Multilingual keyword research and keyword localization
• On-page and on-site optimization, including optimization of meta tags and keyword rich headings
• International search engine and directories submissions
• Website analytics and traffic reports
• Multilingual Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign content copywriting localization and campaign management

Localization Integration

When you walk the floors of the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition, it is mind boggling to see how many add-on capabilities there are today for internet retailers to integrate into their ecommerce websites: ERP systems, CRM systems, Content Management Systems, Data Warehousing to name a few.

In a few years, the add-on solutions for ecommerce systems will double. Given the proliferation of emerging and international markets in the internet retail industry, it is a sure bet that many of these ecommerce integrations will have something to do with multilanguage capabilities and localization. Tools already exist to perform currency conversions, help prevent international credit card fraud, manage currency fluctuations, comply with import & export regulations, and other key aspects of doing business internationally.

Some translation services providers also offer capabilities for integrating translation and localization management tools into an ecommerce platform. Such integrations can help internet retailers reduce time-to-market for their products in foreign markets, release multiple language versions simultaneously, reduce translation costs and increase consistency of translated terminology across different sites or the enterprise as a whole.

Customer Service

You wouldn't think about leaving your English-speaking customers without customer service support, would you? When you localize your internet retail website into another language to support a foreign market, you are inviting those customers to reach out to you in their native language. So, you had better be prepared to offer support in that language as well.

Foreign language customer service can take the form of in-country or virtual call centers, online chat environments, or email. In any case, there are a variety of services and tools that internet retailers can utilize to support foreign language speaking customers, such as telephone interpreting services, multilingual real-time chat applications (which may use machine translation technology) and other tools to easily and rapidly translate customer service related content.

Social Media Localization Consulting

Consumers these days are always connected via mobile devices and their purchasing decisions are often highly influenced by their social networks. The Google Retail Advertising Blog states that, "brands that can [create experiences for consumers instead of just transactions] will thrive in the future" and many retailers are emphasizing "the use of video and social media platforms in doing so." (Google Retail Advertising Blog, " The Top 5 Retail Trends for 2013: Insight from NRF's Retail's Big Show Conference"). In order to engage with consumers and create awareness of your brand in your target markets overseas, you are going to need a multilingual social media strategy, which should include components such as:

• Selecting the proper Social Media channels for your target markets
• Modifying Social Media content to be culturally and regionally appropriate
• Translating Social Media content into your target languages
• Publishing Social Media content to relevant in-country channels
• Enabling sharing tools (Social Media Optimization)
• Creating and sharing compelling audio/video content in multiple languages

Conclusion

International internet retailing presents tremendous opportunity and reward for those willing to take the risk and dive into another country and culture. Language and technology services can help you get there!

Further Resources on Translation for E-Retailers

GPI will be exhibiting at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition (#IRCE2013) in Chicago, IL on June 5th and 6th. Please stop by to visit us at Booth #667 or contact Lauren Nemec at 847-586-3910 or info@globalizationpartners.com to set up an appointment.

GPI has provided extensive language translation services to e-commerce and e-retailer clients worldwide. In addition, GPI has developed a user-friendly Translation Services Portal that makes it extremely easy for non-technical users in these industries to submit projects for translation.

You will find the links below to some of our blogs highly useful:

• Branding Usability and Localization
• Choosing a Translation Partner Instead of a Vendor
• Translation Requirements of International Franchises
• What Should You Expect From Your Localization Partner?
• How to Integrate International SEO into The Translation Process

You may contact GPI at info@globalizationpartners.com or at 866-272-5874 with your specific questions about this market and your project goals. You may also request a complimentary Translation Services Quote for your project as well.

"Gates, 57, might have not realized it Monday, but a one-hand shake in Korean culture - and also in Asia - is notably casual, done only when the other party is a good friend, of the same or younger age. Using one hand with the other tucked in the pants pocket is considered rude here, done when one is expressing superiority to the other."

You can read the full article here: Koreans Slap Bill Gates for 'Rude' Handshake

(Photo: ABC News)

Being part of a profession that works every day in a multicultural environment with people from almost every country around the globe, we understand that certain protocol is appropriate based on your locale and audience. But we also know it is even more important who a person is and what their intentions are in any gesture. When you consider to whom this hand belongs and the fact that Bill Gates is known to be a very nice guy, respectful of others and with thousands of hours and billions of dollars of his hard work provided to various charities spanning a wide range of global health issues such as HIV/AIDs, malaria, tuberculosis and child health care, we think he can get a pass on this handshake.

We covered a similar meeting between cultures in our 2012 blog entitled "President Obama in Myanmar - A kiss is just a kiss…" reprinted below with some good resources on culturally appropriate communication practices around the world.

Whether you are a business leader or president or a tourist or traveler you should find these resources useful.

The International Business Times featured an article today on President Obama's greeting kiss with Myanmar pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon. You can read the full article here: http://www.ibtimes.com/obama-suu-kyi-forbidden-kiss-889606

The article stated that "Obama likely did not mean to offend his Burmese hosts, however, as a well-travelled man of the world, he must have known that a kiss - especially one between a man and a woman who are not married; and one delivered to the most famous woman in Southeast Asia - violates local etiquette."

As professionals in the translation services (localization services) field, cultural correctness is really at the heart of what we do. In order to appropriately communicate with global clients you must greet them in a culturally correct manner and in their language of preference. This is true if you are meeting a person face-to-face or via your website.

(Photo: Reuters)

We really can't blame the US President, can we, or other Heads of State when they miss these opportunities to make a good first impression as a guest in another country. How many people from how many countries do they meet each and every day at events and meetings? Certainly Presidents, Prime Ministers, Kings and Queens must have a country team that preps them on the nuances of greeting Heads of State, notaries and VIPs across cultures and from all parts of the world. How does presidential staff miss these simple yet important nuances of culturally appropriate etiquette? In this case, from our perspective the gesture came from the right place, and was out of respect and appreciation. In fact, we think the world could use more kisses :)

For instance, we are from Argentina and Taiwan. In Argentina it is quite common to kiss a person when greeting them and even meeting them for the first time. In Taiwan, it is not practiced at all to kiss a person when greeting or meeting them, except for the younger generations now in some cases.

Here is some recommended reading to help the world's leaders (and their staff) and all of us appropriately engage with all the wonderful people we meet from various cultures:

1. Doing Business Internationally, Second Edition: The Guide To Cross-Cultural Success by Danielle Walker, Thomas Walker and Danielle Medina Walker (Aug 23, 2002)
2. Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands (The Bestselling Guide to Doing Business in More than 60 Countries) by Terri Morrison and Wayne A. Conaway (Jul 24, 2006)
3. Doing Business Anywhere: The Essential Guide to Going Global by Thomas G. Travis (Apr 20, 2007)
4. The World's Business Cultures: And How to Unlock Them by Barry Tomalin and Mike Nicks (Jul 2010)
5. Doing Business Internationally: The Cross-Cultural Challenges: Resource Book by Training Management Corporation (Aug 1995)

Taking the lessons learned from this story one step further, as it is now possible to greet people around the world and in real time via the web, here is some good information to help you interact with people from all cultures via your websites.

Professor Singh, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of International Business at Boeing Institute of International Business at Saint Louis University, stated in his book The Culturally Customized Web Site: Customizing Websites for the Global Marketplace:

"The basis for cultural customization of web sites is a theoretically-sound, empirically-validated framework built on five unique cultural values that account for similarities and differences across global cultures. Our research studies indicate that attitude towards web sites, interactivity and usability of web sites, as well as purchase intentions at web sites are enhanced when sites are congruent with the target customers' cultural predispositions."

GPI has coauthored with Professor Singh a series of reports on website globalization and e-Business that address some of the challenges with cultural customizations as far as communicating via the web are concerned. They are available for free download on GPI's website at Website Globalization and E-Business Series.

Further cultural correctness and website localization resources

You may also find some of the following articles and links useful:

• Creating Culturally Customized Content for Website Translation
• Food & Beverage and Hospitality Translation Tips
• Doing Business via the WWW in China
• Arabic Website Localization for the UAE
• eLearning Localization: Multicultural or Multiple Cultures?

Further Information on Localization Resources

For more information or help with your next website translation project, please do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail at info@globalizationpartners.com, or by phone at (866) 272-5874, or by requesting a free web translation quote on your next website translation project.

Despite the negative trends for some MENA countries (Egypt -32%, Tunisia -31%, Lebanon -24%) some other countries in the region release positive indications such as Saudi Arabia +61% and UAE +9%. Furthermore, over US$6 billion has been dedicated for hotel development projects during 2013 in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.  A broader view of current tourism trends in the MENA area shows a growth of 5% during 2012 and expects more positive progress subject to political and economic stability. (source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO))

Arabic Translation and Tourism: Translating booking engines

Based on Arabian Travel Market (ATM) seminars, a regional authority on Arab travel, there is a dramatic shift towards online booking against traditional methods and this is expected to grow by US$5.4 million for 22% of total travel bookings within two years. The growth in the online booking trend for international travelers to the Middle East totals US$10 billion with an increase of 31% in 2012 in comparison with 2011.

Online booking is booming for the MENA region fueling a growing need for translations to meet the demands of travelers from different areas of the world. A booking engine fully localized into local languages can attract higher traffic of website visitors looking for localized content and tourism information in the MENA region including information on hotels, flights, offers and deals.

Thus the influence of the internet and e-business is currently playing a crucial role in tourism worldwide and especially in the MENA region. As the main objective is to encourage people from everywhere to visit the region, a good website well localized and user friendly can achieve this goal. Based on tourism studies, the linguistic quality of a tourism website and the degree the website content has been localized reflect upon the quality of the business or services offered.

Localizing Booking Engines Challenges

Booking engines are always built using different content management systems (CMS) because a CMS facilitates the process of storing, authoring and publishing content. In order to localize a booking engine into Arabic the Internationalization (I18n) process is a critical step before localization (L10n). Internationalization must be completed in order to avoid many localization issues and provide a professional and user friendly localized version of the application without limitations or restrictions to a specific type or number of languages.

Internationalization process may include:

• Enable multilingual features in the CMS or applying globalization structure if it's a custom application.
• Make sure that input fields are unique per language to reflect the correct language.
• Enable target languages in the CMS.
• Extract all static content from web pages into resource files.
• Handling dates and currencies' formats which are critical for a booking engine.
• Develop accurate CMS templates to handle Arabic content correctly such as reading from right to left, accept Arabic characters inputs in standard text fields.
• Conducting a Pseudo translation process which is very important step before starting localization in order to fix as early as possible any issues before translation begins.

Once the internationalization process is done, the booking engine should be ready for localization which is the process of exporting the content for translation and re-importing the language versions back. Based on the CMS features, content may be exported manually, using a CMS's built-in tool or using a custom Connector. GPI owns a robust but simple Translation Services Connector to export and import the content from different content management systems such as EPiServer, Sitecore, CQ5 and others. GPI's Translation Connector facilitates the localization process, reduces the effort, time and cost and helps track the localization process during the translation phase.

After exporting the content for translation, the steps in the content localization process are:

1. glossary development
2. glossary is reviewed and approved
3. translation, editing and proofreading of the content
4. translations are reviewed and approved
5. importing the translated content back into the CMS
6. QA process to ensure the localized content displays correctly

Without doubt, a localized Booking Engine which adheres to best practice in localizing content will help a hotel achieve greater bookings and more guests to visit their properties.

Explore some of the top booking engines for hotels and online reservation:

• SynXis CRS
• BookitWith
• eZee Reservation
• e-GDS
• MICROS
• upbooking
• Bookassist
• OpenHotel

Arabic Translation Services

GPI provides Arabic translation and localization services by native Arabic translators who reside in country as well as experienced proofreaders and copywriters who have solid experience with the Middle East market requirements and cultures.

Explore our Arabic translation quick facts and resources for more information:

• Arabic Document Translation
• Arabic Software Translation
• Arabic Translation Services
• Arabic Website Translation

Further resources on Arabic and website translation

You may gain further insights into multilingual websites considerations, content strategy and global SEO and related topics by reviewing previous blogs written by GPI:

• Optimizing your Hotel's Digital Marketing Efforts for Global Guests
• How to Create a Content Strategy for Multilingual Content
• Website Globalization and E-Business - United Arab Emirates
• Speaking the Languages of Online Marketing in UAE
• Arabic Translation and Localization Challenges
• Arabic Website Translation for the UAE

GPI also offers globalization consulting, document translation, global SEO and many other Translation Services. Contact GPI for more information via e-mail at info@globalizationpartners.com, by phone at (866) 272-5874, or by requesting a free translation quote on your project.

Choosing the right CMS is instrumental in launching and managing a successful multilingual website.

This blog will highlight some of the key features you should look for when selecting a CMS for the Global Market place.

A. Centralized Control and Management of your Website

The Web Content Management Solution (WCMS) you choose should allow you the capability to support and manage your international website, country specific websites or microsites, multiple languages and brands using a single platform while at the same time giving you the ability to customize and adapt your content and sites for local markets. There are many benefits to using a single platform to manage your international website such as maintaining control of your overall site design, branding, navigation structure as well as the ability to share and reuse content in various sections or pages across the site.

The WCMS you choose should be equipped with the following administration, development and content features:

1. Architecture, Configuration, Administration

The WCMS you choose should be equipped with built-in tools to allow you the capability to:

1. Manage any number of sites and micro-sites for local markets, promotions or online marketing campaigns
2. Manage Security and Permissions for users based on language, individual business units or locale
3. Support an Internationalized User Interface - The CMS user interface should be available in multiple languages
4. The ability to enable and disable as many languages as you require
5. The ability to set up the required approval chains and workflows for each language
6. Monitor and test the performance of content and pages across all languages and websites
7. Template functionality that lets fields be marked as unique to a specific language or shared across all languages
8. Support for Right-to-left Languages such as Arabic
9. Support for Unicode and Eastern Languages
10. Manage translation workflows for each language
11. Versioning
12. Content Properties - the ability to set the status of content as "ready for translation"
13. Security and Permissions
14. Provide languages packs for static content
15. Has an easy way to Export / Import content
16. Maintain content integrity between languages (trace / compare features to review difference between different languages)

2.     Content Authoring Features

1. Manage translation workflows for each language
2. Versioning
3. Content Properties - the ability to set the status of content as "ready for translation"
4. Security and Permissions
5. Provide languages packs for static content
6. Has an easy way to Export / Import content
7. Maintain content integrity between languages( trace / compare features to review difference between different languages)

3.     Development Features

In order to centralize design while allowing local teams the capability to manage some elements of layout and functionality, the CMS you select should be equipped with the following development tools:

1. The ability to create new pages from within the CMS by selecting from any number of standardized templates created by your development team.
2. These templates should be developed with sections that are non-editable for local teams such as the headers, footers, and navigation structure but created with dynamic areas within the templates where local teams have the flexibility to add sections to the page such as promotions, special offers, latest news, photo gallery, top stories, blog feeds, etc.
3. This gives you the ability to easily launch new pages while controlling the design and allowing local changes with no additional development.
4. Automatic Language Selection- Your multilingual website should have the ability to automatically display the appropriate content based on the domain name and browser language settings for the visitor to your site.
5. Robust API (Application Programming Interface) in order to easily develop custom modules.

B. Automated Translation Workflow

The task of managing a multilingual website and translation workflows can be a very time-consuming process. The CMS you select is critical to the success of launching and maintaining a multilingual website. Many CMS solutions are equipped with automated workflows that allow CMS users and admins to package together content to be sent for localization into multiple languages.

My translation company GPI can help you streamline this process by developing connectors to your CMS which allow content authors to:

• Select the desired pieces of content to be exported for translation
• Select the target languages
• Manage translation packages and quotes request from your CMS interface
• Send files for translation
• Import localized content into the CMS

Automating your translation workflow will help you save significant time when launching new sections of your site as well as managing updates or doing a complete content refresh.

C. Pseudo-Localization for Testing

A Pseudo-Localization feature is useful especially during the testing stages to validate what your content would look like in a particular language. You can test page(s) for localization issues such as:

• Text expansion for European languages such as German, Russian or Spanish
• The rendering of Right to Left (RTL) or Bi-directional languages such as Arabic or Hebrew
• Text shrinking and lack of spaces for Eastern-Asian Character Sets

D. Setting Fallback Locales

A fallback locale is the language in which content is displayed if it is not available in the language selected by the user. CMS administrators should have the ability to:

• Define which fallback language is displayed if the language selected by the user is not available.
• Default to the source language if the language selected by the user is not available.
• Or set the fallback locale to none in which case, nothing is rendered to the user.

E. CMS Licenses

Each CMS has a license type (free, trial, paid). Also, a CMS could have different versions such as personal, professional, enterprise, etc... Clients should decide carefully what are the best CMS / licenses for their businesses. The below link provides a table for the common CMS used in market along with related details:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_content_management_systems

Further GPI Resources on Connectors and Website Development

GPI offers custom  CMS Translation Connectors to a variety of web content management systems and client relationship management systems in order to streamline localization workflows and access to translation project information across your enterprise. Connectors and Plug-In's include:

• Ektron Translation Connector
• EPiServer Translation Connector
• WordPress Translation Plugin
• Adobe Experience Manager Connector
• Sitecore Translation Connector

You may also find some of the following articles and links useful:

• 14 Steps to an effective worldwide website
• Website Localization and CMS
• 10 Tips for Website Localization

Further Information on Localization Resources

Globalization Partners International (GPI) helps customers with a range of multilingual website design, development and deployment work. In addition GPI has developed a suite of globalization tools to help companies work with language and technology to succeed in global markets. You can explore these translation and localization tools under the  Translation tools and Portals section of our website. Consider partnering with GPI on your next web localization project.

Contact GPI for more information via e-mail at info@globalizationpartners.com, by phone at (866) 272-5874, or by requesting a free website translation quote for your project.

In Part 1 of the Multi-Language websites in Umbraco CMS series, we discussed "Setting up Umbraco for Multi-Language Websites". In this part 2 (of 2) I will discuss how you can export content from your Umbraco website to be sent for translation and import the translated content back into the system.

Localization of Umbraco Content

After setting up Umbraco for multi-language, the second step is to localize the content. In fact, Umbraco provides a unique approach for translation by adding to the CMS a special account for translation that facilitates the localization process between CMS admins/writers and translators.

Translation account is built in Umbraco by default and allows translators to deal with the content without having full access to it or publishing rights. Also, Umbraco generates the content in XML format. Using translation account, translators can login and download it. Once translation is done, they can login again and upload the translated file.

Umbraco Translation Workflow

First step: Setup translation account

The following steps describe how to setup Umbraco Translation account:

Umbraco is shipped with 3 users' types by default: Writer, editor and translator.

To add a new user under Translator group, select Users folder, then right click and select Create

Add user name and click Create

Assign the user to the Translation group and add related information such as user credentials. The email field here is used to send notification to the translator once a new translation request is created. By clicking save the new translator account is ready.

Second step: Author sends translation request:

Select Settings to display the websites tree:

Select the page(s) or the parent website node that need to be localized, right click, and select "Send to translation"

Assign translator name, translation language and check "Include subpages" to include subpages. You can also add any additional information to be sent to the assigned translator along with the translation package.

Note: the available target languages here are the ones enabled by the administrator.

Click OK. Translation request is submitted to the translator and an email notification is sent also to his email.

Third step: Translator receives translation request

After login, translator will see the translation requests

Translator download file for translation

The downloaded file for translation is in XML format and ready for translation using many translation tools such as TagEditor.

After translation, translator upload the translated xml file, close the task and the request sender is notified about the final status:

Translator select Upload:

Browse to the translated file and upload it and once uploaded the task will be closed.

Once done the author is notified, but to make the notification option available the following steps are needed:

Select the website to receive notifications about it and right click. Select Notifications

Check "Send to Publish" and click update.

Revision and QA:

- Author review translated pages after receiving the notification.

- For Editing or updating translation, reviewer can re-send a page or group of pages back to the translator following the same steps above with a note about the changes needed.

- Translator will receive another notification by email and will download the pages again from translation account to update the translation.

- Translator upload back the updated translations.

Localization of static strings

Static content is the texts or strings that the writer cannot edit using the CMS editor. These strings are often saved in CMS templates and scripts. These texts should be externalized and replaced by Umbraco built-in function GetDictionaryItem.

To localize the static strings, all of them need to be added to what Umbraco calls Dictionary from where they will be called using the above method.

First step is to create new Dictionary:

Click Settings, select Dictionary folder, right click and select create

Add Dictionary name and click create.

The created dictionary will contain an entry input per language already enabled on the CMS. Enter the English string(s) in each of the language entries (later we will export the dictionary for translation) and press the save icon. Repeat the same steps to create any number of dictionaries as needed based on your templates structure.

As our dictionaries are ready, now we need to export them for translation and import them back.

Export / Import Dictionaries:

Umbraco does not provide any built-in tool that can automate this process. For sure such a feature can be developed or even these strings can be exported / imported using T-SQL scripts but these choices need programming knowledge and involve some risks if not developed accurately.

Fortunately, there is a good and free third-party package that provides the export / import feature needed (Dictionary Dashboard) that can be downloaded from the following link:

http://our.umbraco.org/projects/backoffice-extensions/dictionary-dashboard

Installation:

- Select Developers icon in sections panel

- Select Packages > Install local package

- Browse to the package and click load package.

- After installation a tab will be added in the content section "Dictionary"

- By selecting the Dictionary tab the main screen of the package appears with 3 functions: Edit dictionary, Export dictionary in xml format and import Dictionary.

- User can then export the dictionary for translation and import it back in very easy steps.

Publishing Content:

Once the content (Dynamic and static) is localized, the web site is ready to publish.

To publish the website, right click the translated website parent node and select Publish

You can check "Publish <Website> and all its subpages" and "Include unpublished child pages" to publish all the pages and press Publish.

Further GPI Resources on CMS Translation Connectors

GPI offers custom CMS Translation Connectors to a variety of web content management systems in order to streamline localization workflows and access to translation project information across your enterprise. Translation Connectors and Plug-In's include:

• Sitecore Translation Connector
• Ektron Translation Connector
• EPiServer Translation Connector
• WordPress Translation Plug-in
• RightNow Translation Add-In Connector
• Adobe Experience Manager Connector

You may also find some of the following articles and links useful:

• Website Translation: 14 Steps to an effective worldwide website
• Website Translation for Microsoft SharePoint
• Website Localization and CMS
• 10 Tips for Website Localization

Further Information on Localization Resources

Globalization Partners International (GPI) frequently assists customers with multilingual website design, development and deployment. A suite of globalization tools developed by GPI can empower you to achieve your multilingual project goals: you can explore them under the Translation Tools. GPI also offers localization services and internationalization, and can evaluate your application. Consider partnering with GPI prior to localizing or translating your application: this will help you avoid many mistakes and save considerable time and money on your localization projects.

For more information or help with you next website translation project, please do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail at info@globalizationpartners.com, or by phone at (866) 272-5874, or by requesting a free website translation quote on your next website translation project.

Each step in the process involves several key professionals with specific domain expertise and skills. The team members that may be involved throughout a website translation project include:

• Account Manager
• Project Manager
• Localization Engineers
• Web CMS Specialists
• Web Designers
• Web Developers
• Language Lead Translators
• Editors & Copywriters
• Global SEM Specialists
• Desktop Publishers
• Multimedia Specialists

Of course the most important team member is the CLIENT, whose collaboration and communication are critical throughout the project from project planning to client review and approval along the way.

The first steps in the actual website translation process should include:

Step 1: A review & analysis of source website assets

Step 2: A discussion on best practices for multilingual workflows based on your web content management system (WCMS)

Step 1: Review & analysis of source website assets

The review and analysis of your content and assets is the first step. We will assume you already applied best practices in the creation and implementation of a web content strategy to your English content/site (look for future GPI blogs on web content strategy).

Your translation agency partner should collect all source files (what we call a "localization kit") from your website including all digital assets. This can be done manually or through the functionality of a web content management system if you are using one and your site is already populated with your final source language content.

These files are prepared in order to get a word count, preserve any mark-up/coding and to utilize a translation memory tool workflow when translating. The project and content are analyzed for:

1. word count
2. localizable graphics and multimedia
3. target languages and subject matter
4. documentation on the website
5. SEO requirements
6. any content management systems and workflows to be used

Step 2: Best practices for multilingual workflows based on CMS (content extract-reimport-site updates)

Most websites today are powered by web content management systems (CMS) and best practices in web content management strategy leverage these platforms to author, store, and publish content from a central CMS. Website translation projects can be completed under a variety of client-driven workflows including:

• Directly inputting translations into a web content management system
• Working with content exported to XML or other formats to localize and reimport
• Using a translation services connector between a CMS and a translation agency

Based on the web content management system (CMS) being used, as well as a company's web resources available (authors, editors, copywriters, translators, etc…), a client and translation partner will determine and test best practice workflows to author, export, translate, import, provide online QA and publish content.

Further information on website translation resources

Globalization Partners International (GPI) frequently assists customers with multilingual website design, development and deployment. A suite of globalization tools developed by GPI can empower you to achieve your multilingual project goals: you can explore them under the Translation Tools section of our website. Consider partnering with GPI prior to localizing or translating your application - this will help you avoid common mistakes and save considerable time and money on your web projects.

For more information about Globalization and Localization processes, please feel free to download our  Language Globalization Guides. You may also benefit from our resources and blogs:

• How to Create a Quote for Website Translation Services
• 14 Steps to an effective worldwide website
• Website Translation Quality Assurance and Client Review Process
• Responsive Web Design for the Global Market

To discuss your next website translation project, please do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail at info@globalizationpartners.com, or by phone at (866) 272-5874, or by requesting a free translation quote for your next website translation project.

1. Preparing the script: When you prepare the content for recording, one of the most important things to do is to make sure the script is internationalized. Sometimes this is referred to as creating an international English version of the script that is more easily translated or localized. So you may decide to re-write the script to make it as generic as possible and eliminate any locale specific concepts, stories, jokes, etc…that are only applicable to the source locale.
2. Selecting appropriate voice(s) for the project: If you already have the audio recorded in your source language, it usually means that you or someone has gone through the process to pick the gender and dynamic of the voice that is suitable for the video and topic. In that case, you can simply send the source audio sample to your localization vendors so that they can send you similar voices in the target languages. If you have internal language resources available, it is strongly suggested to let your native speakers review and approve the voices.  If your budget is limited and the content is e-learning, presentation or training related with rather lengthy scripts, you may consider using "semi-professional" voice talent to save some cost.  Some localization providers based in multi-cultural cities would have access to reach native speakers who have great annunciation and intonation even though they are not professional voice talents.
3. Localizing the scripts: Once the source script is ready for translation, be prepared to answer any questions the linguists may have in order to achieve the best translation quality.  Please note that if you did not edit the script or internationalize as we mentioned in Step 1, your translation agency partner will do so as they provide the localization (transcreation or copywriting) for the script. As previously mentioned, script internationalization is crucial, and copywriting is the other necessary step to ensure the translation is done properly. 
   NOTE: One mechanical aspect or the audio localization process that I should mention here is that it is a common starting point to have your translation agency transcribe your final English audio script in order to get a written script as many times the initial written script does not reflect what was finally recorded.
4. Review and approve the script: Before starting the recording process, please take the time and have your reviewer go through the translated script thoroughly. It will be more expensive and time consuming to go back and re-record because the review was not done carefully.
5. Communicate specs for narration and engineering: Please communicate your expectations for the narration and engineering specifics.  For the narration, let the vendor know the speed, emphasis, and dynamic. If you the text needs to be recorded in certain time frame, please communicate this at the very beginning of the project. Also specify engineering details, such as the wave range, hard limit, normalize, and the file format (.wav or .mp3 for example) for delivery.
6. Audio recording: If the previous steps were well executed, the actual audio recording should go quickly and smoothly. Please note that the voice talents can only talk for so long within a day. If they talk longer than 3 hours, the quality of the voice will suffer. So plan your recording sessions in a way most efficient and comfortable for the voice talent.
7. Quality assurance: This is the final step before the delivery. Once the audio files are edited according to the engineering specs, a native speaker or the voice talent should go through each file to make sure everything is recorded correctly and appropriate pauses are inserted wherever necessary.

There are more challenges in audio localization projects than regular translation projects. Please refer to our other GPI blogs regarding multimedia localization:

• The Localization Challenges of Self-Paced eLearning
• eLearning Localization: Multicultural or Multiple Cultures?

Additional resources on elearning Localization services

GPI, a premiere translation company, provides comprehensive localization and translation services for eLearning and training courses. Our Audio localization team will help you translate your eLearning courses and presentations in all languages.

Our services include:

• Audio/Video Translation
• Software Translation
• Website Translation
• Globalization Consulting Services

You may gain further insights into translation and localization services and related topics by reviewing some previous blogs written by GPI:

• Localization challenges in translating eLearning content
• 10 Tips for Website Localization
• Tools to Reduce Language Translation Services Costs

You may contact GPI for translation services requirements at info@globalizationpartners.com or at 866-272-5874. You may also Request Translation Quote for your project as well.

Technical translation must already follow certain basic principles as it is, and just like several other languages, translating for the German-speaking market brings along a unique set of distinct challenges. However identifying and understanding your target audience along while adhering to localization best practices will go a long way to successful localization.

Some important factors to consider regarding your target audience:

• Target Audience and Locale: German is spoken by over 100 million people worldwide in countries such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Even though the standardization of the German language has produced what's referred to as Hochdeutsch there are still tremendous differences between the German spoken in different countries and regions, and even linguistic nuances that differ from city to city.
• Writing Style: Technical documentation written for English-speaking audiences tends to be written in a somewhat personal style. German technical documentation has a tone that is usually more formal and authoritative as it needs to be perceived as professional and not necessarily colloquial. For instance the distinction between "Sie" and "Du" is something that is quite challenging for English speaker to understand and it's important to identify the target audience preferences before launching your translation project.
• Legal Requirements: A good example can be the Workers' Councils which play a much more prominent role in Germany than in the US for instance. Anything from contract negotiations, to how many hours a person can work overtime or over the weekend, to the type of language and tone used in training manuals, may have to be reviewed and approved by these councils beforehand so it is important to understand those nuances and differences, and plan accordingly.
• Country-Specific Technical Knowledge: German technical translation is not just merely the translation of content from any language into German. To fully localize for your target market you will have to consider specific technical questions such as localizing numbers, currencies, date formats, adapting information for local regulations, and adhering to industry standards in German-speaking countries.

Localization Best Practices that should be considered:

• Identifying the Right GST (Global Services Team): Your team should be comprised of a lead project manager (ideally someone that speaks the language and understands the culture as it is important to have a point of contact that will provide a high comfort level for in-country reviewers as they do prefer to communicate in their native language) and a linguistic team that is comprised of subject matter experts and has an assigned language lead that can address any linguistic queries directly with the end client and/or in-country reviewer(s).
• Glossary Development: The importance of an English-German glossary cannot be overstated. Before launching any translation project it is critical to allow for the identification of key technical terminology, brand names, etc and create a glossary that gets localized first and reviewed and approved by in-country reviewers. Glossary creation is the most effective way to assure that key terminology is adhered to and client preferences are reflected throughout all localization content.
• Translation Memory (TM): Technical translation is very well suited for the utilization of translation memory tools as it contains large amounts of repetitive phrases and concepts. The TM provides the benefit of leveraging previously translated content, increase translation consistency, reduce cost and turnaround times.
• Client Review and Approval: Client review input and feedback are an integral part of the overall localization process. Even though one should expect error-free, grammatically correct translations of high overall quality from their translation service provider, even the best translation does not and cannot replace a solid client review step in the process, as there may be stylistic and preferential nuances that can only be incorporated successfully upon review of the localized content by the end client/end user. Any company that is considering localizing their technical documentation and expects to receive high marks in terms of global customer satisfaction should consider this step in the process as imperative. Without a solid client review and approval process you are missing out on the opportunity to get invaluable feedback from in-country resources that are directly "at the source" so to speak while at the same time assuring that your brand is not misrepresented abroad.

The German-speaking market is very lucrative for many companies that are interested in expanding their business globally; providing high-quality translation of your source language documentation is extremely important if you are trying to reach the German consumer. Understanding your target audience and adapting your content in a compelling and culturally sensitive way along with adhering to industry Best Practices are the best way to assure that your German technical translation projects will be executed effectively and successfully!

Additional Resources on Technical Translation Services

GPI has provided extensive language translation services including document translation, website translation and software translation. GPI has developed a user-friendly translation portal that makes it extremely easy for non-technical users in these industries to submit projects for translation.

You will find the links below to some of our blogs on translation and tools highly useful:

• Technical Translation and Localization of Web Application Case Study
• German Website Translation Basics
• Translation Portal and Localization Tools
• 11 Project Management Challenges for Translation Projects
• 8 Insights into German Website Localization

You may contact GPI for translation services requirement at info@globalizationpartners.com or at 866-272-5874 with your specific questions about this market and your project goals. You may also request a complimentary free translation quote for your project as well.

The old adage tends to ring true with localization services; you certainly get what you are willing to pay for. Because high-quality translation requires that you engage in a full formula of dependent variables. These important functions include a road-tested process, style guide and full glossary development, a detailed quote, and a commitment to high-quality results.

Proven process

I can't overemphasize the importance of having a proven process for creating high-quality localized content. The process must be well-defined, controlled and repeatable. For a website project for example, GPI employs a 14-step process to ensure predictable, high-quality results.

1. Review & Analysis of source website assets
2. Best practice multilingual workflow based on CMS
3. Project Kick-Off
4. Subject Matter Training and Research
5. Content Cultural Correctness Assessment
6. Glossary and Style Guide Development
7. SEO - Keywords Research & Localization
8. Transcreation & Copywriting
9. Localization of any Graphics
10. Localization of any Documents
11. Localization of any Multimedia
12. Basic Online QA & Testing
13. Search Engine Marketing
14. Launch Language Versions

Some steps are performed in parallel and the exact sequence of these steps can be modified to coordinate with your specific project plans and resources. If your translation agency has not defined the process in a well documented manner, or is missing some of these important elements, STOP!

Risking the brand

Undoubtedly, significant investments have been made in cultivating your brand voice, tone, and promise. Beyond simply translating the content from source to target language, extra effort must be made to ensure continuity across the localization process to retain these important brand attributes. Through creation adherence to style guidelines and the development of a comprehensive glossary, important brand consideration will be less likely to be "lost in translation". The cost of getting this wrong is potential damage to the brand on the global market.

Change orders

Nothing can increase frustration faster than learning from your chosen, low-cost translation provider that certain key elements were not included in the initial quote. Shortcuts can be taken by not using qualified linguists, eliminating important proofreading and editing cycles, or poor desktop-publishing. You might find that getting to an acceptable level of service and quality will incur the dreaded change order process. It does not take too many little changes or additional requests to quickly find your original quote to grow very large.

Doing it twice . . . or thrice

So you made the decision to go with the lowest bid. You have spent hours of internal resources managing the project and lining up reviewers. The localized content now sits in your inbox; freshly delivered from your low cost translation vendor. It is ready for final review.

The feedback is saddening, maddening. The original work took so long to get just right and the translated content looks and sounds well . . . completely foreign. Your reviewers refuse to sign off and for good reason. Your only choice is to start the process all over again. Now you're saddled with not only paying for the services again, but also an extended deadline and a reinvestment of everyone's time to get the project done. Wow!

In Summary

You have a fiduciary responsibility to try to get the most for your money. And sometimes this means that the lowest bid will actually suffice. If the lowest bidder has a strong reputation, a solid process and has made an effort to include all of the necessary services to produce a high quality deliverable, you are in good shape. Heed the warnings I detailed above. Ask a lot of questions. Don't be fooled by a vague list of services nicely packaged up into a tidy price. Do a little research about best practices and the best questions to ask. Make the agency explain why the charge for certain services and why they are performed in a particular sequence.

Further Information on Localization Resources

Globalization Partners International (GPI) frequently assists customers with multilingual website, document and software localization projects. A suite of globalization tools developed by GPI can empower you to achieve your multilingual project goals. You can explore them under the translation tools. GPI also offers translation services and internationalization, and can evaluate your application. Consider partnering with GPI prior to localizing or translating your application as this will help you avoid many mistakes and save considerable time and money on your localization projects.

To further understand the entire Globalization and Localization process, you should download our PDFs Language Globalization Guides. You may also benefit from our previous blogs:

• Website Translation: 14 Steps to an effective worldwide website!
• Choosing a Translation Partner Instead of a Vendor
• 5 Tips for Managing Localization in your Organization
• How to Create a Quote for Document Translation Services
• Tools to Reduce Language Translation Services Costs

To discuss your next website translation project, please do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail at info@globalizationpartners.com, or by phone at (866) 272-5874, or by requesting a free translation quote on your next website translation project.

CRX Package Manager is an Adobe Experience Manager tool for creating, editing packages, previewing package content, building, downloading and deleting packages. An Adobe Experience Manager package is a bundle in zip format that includes content along with other related data.

Package Manager can be accessed from Adobe Experience Manager welcome screen or directly using the following path: http://<server name>:<port number>/crx/packmgr/.

Exporting Content

1- After login select Packages

2- Select Create Package

3- Add package name and version and press OK.

4- Select Edit > "Filter" TAB > Add Filter button

5- Add Root Path:

6- Expand the content node and select the website node (this is for the content).

The above package includes the content and a rule to include the path of images. By Default all the website images are under Content\DAM\ {site name}

7- Press Done, then Save

8- Press Build

9- Final step is downloading the compressed zip folder.

Package's folder structure

Translation specification

• Format: XML
• Translation units: jcr:title, name, subtitle  and text

Import back the translation

1- Zip the package in the exact same structure as the source package

2- From CRX Packager select Upload Package

3- Browse to the package and check "Force Upload", then click OK

Once the translation package is imported successfully, a new localized version in the target language will be available with identical structure as the original website.

Please make sure to read the next blog in the Adobe Experience Manager Website Translation series entitled -

Part Three:  Managing Multilanguage Websites and Translation Workflows in Adobe Experience Manager

Further GPI Resources on Connectors and Website Development

GPI offers custom CMS Translation Connectors to a variety of web content management systems and client relationship management systems in order to streamline localization workflows and access to translation project information across your enterprise. Connectors and Plug-In's include:

• Ektron CMS Connector
• EPiServer CMS Connector
• WordPress CMS Connector
• Oracle RightNow Connector
• Adobe Experience Manager Connector

You may also find some of the following articles and links useful:

• Web CMS Localization
• Website Internationalization and Accessibility
• Website Localization Services
• Multilingual Website Design, Development and Deployment

Further Information on Localization Resources

Globalization Partners International (GPI) helps customers with a range of multilingual website design, development and deployment work. In addition GPI has developed a suite of globalization tools to help companies work with language and technology to succeed in global markets. You can explore these translation and localization tools under the Translation tools and Portals section of our website. Consider partnering with GPI on your next localization project.

Contact GPI for more information via e-mail at info@globalizationpartners.com, by phone at (866) 272-5874, or by requesting a free web translation quote for your project.

Quality Assurance (QA) ensures that each step in the website translation process is performed correctly and is verified along the way to ensure the project moves successfully to the next step. Quality assurance can be administered via on and/or offline checklists and include, but are not limited to:

1. File level QA to ensure files (web content) are correctly exported from a web content management system (WCMS) for translation
2. Linguistic QA to ensure glossary terms and brand names are accurate and being consistently used and general web content is correctly translated, consistent and cultural correct

If you or your agency uses checklists to administer QA, it is always a good idea to review your QA checklists. Whether they are yours or are from a translation or interactive agency, review them to ensure that all aspects of a project that merit a detailed review get a checkbox. The project manager is ultimately responsible for driving and enforcing QA and you should be able to customize any QA sheets used in your website translation project to fit you needs and concerns about quality.

Review and approval (R&A) ensures that your stakeholders are happy with your website translation project as you progress through key steps. These R&A opportunities safeguard your project from building on "bad blocks" so to speak. Standard R&A opportunities can occur at:

1. Glossary development
2. SEO Keyword lists
3. First few pages of translated content to confirm style
4. At intervals throughout the content translation/copy writing process
5. After publishing language versions to a staging environment to review online

If you review and approve a language glossary upfront, then key terminology and brand names should be correctly translated whenever they appear in your web content.  If you review the translations at certain intervals, you will ensure your stakeholders are satisfied with the accuracy and style of the translations before you are 250 pages into your site project.

Further Information on Website Translation Resources

Globalization Partners International (GPI) frequently assists customers with multilingual website design, development and deployment. A suite of globalization tools developed by GPI can empower you to achieve your multilingual project goals: you can explore them under the Translation Tools section of our website. Consider partnering with GPI prior to localizing or translating your application: this will help you avoid common mistakes and save considerable time and money on your localization projects.

To further understand the entire Globalization and Localization process, please feel free to download our  Language Globalization Guides. You may also benefit from our resources:

• 5 Tips for Managing Localization in your Organization
• Choosing a Translation Partner Instead of a Vendor
• How to Create a Quote for Website Translation Services
• Website Translation: 14 Steps to an effective worldwide website!
• Website Internationalization and Accessibility
• Website Localization (Quick Facts)

To discuss your next website translation project, please do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail at info@globalizationpartners.com, or by phone at (866) 272-5874, or by requesting a free translation quote on your next website translation project.

Pronunciation

The most noticeable difference between pronunciation in Spain and Latin America involves the letter "z". In Latin America it is pronounced like the letter "s" but in Spain it is pronounced like "th". However, other pronunciation differences are minor and do not affect communication between speakers of these two regions.

Vocabulary - Regional Differences in Meaning

In Spanish there is an ambiguity that makes certain words used in Spain not well understood by someone who speaks LA Spanish.  The issue is that different words can be used for the same thing, or the same word can mean one thing in Spain but something completely different in Latin America. I have listed some common examples below:

In Spain the word "carro" is a cart that you push or pull to transport things, whereas in Latin America it's an actual car that you can drive around in. A car in Spain is a "coche", whereas a "coche" in Latin America is a baby stroller.

The English term "computer" is an "ordenador" in Spain and a "computadora" in LA Spanish speaking countries.

An "avocado", is an "aguacate" in Spain and a "palta" in most LA Spanish speaking countries.

And a "potato" is a "patata" in Spain and a "papa" in some LA Spanish speaking countries, like Argentina.

Other words, like "pen", show differences also within the different countries in Latin America: it's a "bolígrafo" in Spain, a "lápiz pasta" in Chile and a "lapicera" in Argentina.

Grammar: "Voseo" and the use of "ustedes"

In Spanish, there are three ways to say "you": "tú" (informal); "usted" (formal); and "vos".

The use of "vos" and its corresponding verb conjugations is known collectively as "voseo". It's extensively used in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Uruguay and in parts of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Mexico, as well as in many other countries of Latin America. Even though it's widely used, "vos" also carries many differences for social consideration. In some parts of Latin America it is considered street language, appropriate to say but not correct for writing.

In Spain, there are two ways of saying "you" in plural form: "vosotros" (informal) and "ustedes" (formal). In Latin American Spanish there's only one: "ustedes".

I'll conjugate the verb "jugar" (to play) so you see how it changes according to each pronoun:

Example

So, to say "Who are you playing with?"

In Spain: "¿Con quién jugáis?"

In Latin America: "¿Con quién juegan?"

Although I have pointed out several differences, the great thing about Spanish language is that whatever variety of Spanish you speak and whatever speaking country you go, you will be perfectly understood!

If you are interested in reading more about Spanish language, have a look at my blog on what is neutral Spanish?.

Further resources on Spanish translation and localization

You may gain further insights into Spanish translation and related topics by reviewing previous blogs and resources written by GPI:

• Spanish Translation Services
• Translation challenges with phrasal verbs
• Hispanics become second largest USA consumer market
• Why You Need a Localized Website for the U.S. Hispanic Market
• Spanish Website Translation

Globalization Partners International has created a more extensive overview of website globalization for U.S. Hispanic consumers in two white papers:   Website Globalization and E-Business U.S. Hispanic Market and  Website Globalization and E-Business U.S. Hispanic Market - In Depth are available in PDF format via a free download.

You may contact GPI at info@globalizationpartners.com or at (US toll-fee) 866-272-5874 with your specific questions about the Spanish translation and your project goals. You may also request a complimentary Spanish translation quote for your project as well.

Start your process by asking yourself how much time do you have to devote to this project and how much will you relay on the expertise of your translation partner. How much experience do you have in managing localization projects? And, finally, is the content that is to be localized of strategic importance for your business. Below is a list of what you should expect (and demand) of your translation partner.

Expect Discovery. Your localization partner or prospective partner should have a prepared set of questions to help structure the discovery process. This process can clearly define the project and required deliverables.

Expect expertise in localization tools and use of technology. Employing extensive glossary development, translation memory tools, desktop publishing skills, and integration with popular content management systems decreases costs, shortens turnaround times and most importantly, increases quality.

Expect a detailed quote. Don't trust a translation company that can't explain the entire process and detail the costs of each step in a quote.

Expect access to current clients for reference. Nothing ensures success with your project more than confirmation that your translation partner maintains a satisfied list of clients who are willing to brag about it.

Expect relevant case studies and white papers. This is the best source of documented best practices. Most case studies require review by clients and are therefore accurate. White papers represent rigor and best-of-breed processes that are repeatable.

Expect a documented project management process. You want to see every step of the process. Ask for a Gantt chart of the entire process including key milestones and any interdependencies. Understand who owns each step in the process and which require your direct involvement.

Expect a translation portal. A good translation portal allows for full transparency, convenient file management, accurate reporting, and 24-hour access for your entire team.

Expect a proven QA cycle (or several). Each linguist should sign off on a list of requirements followed by a qualified, independent proofreader. Best practices call for another review by the client before a final review by the project manager. If you are engaged in the localization of a website or software application, there are several more steps in the process to ensure quality results.

Expect worldwide presence. A successful translation company will have built a worldwide presence, especially in key markets and regions.

Expect native speaking, in-country linguists. Quality localization includes an intimate understanding of cultural correctness and nuance.

Expect great communication. Information, updates and status reporting should arrive as promised. Any additional inquiries should receive prompt and informative responses.

Expect high quality product. Your brand and messaging is important. Be sure the quality of your localized material is as good as it is in the source language.

Expect delivery on schedule. There should be no surprises with the project schedule. Any changes to the schedule should be agreed upon by both parties and discussed thoroughly.

Expect a post-project evaluation. A sure sign of a disciplined approach is to gain critical insight at the end of every project with a detailed feedback loop.

Expect a long-term relationship. Choosing a translation partner takes time, energy, and cost. Your translation partner should make every effort to build a lasting relationship.

Although this list should not be considered exhaustive, we hope it provides some guidance and sets a high bar for service excellence. If, after reading this list, you have additional ideas and comments, please add them below. Again, the discipline of continuous quality improvement requires us to never stop asking ourselves how we can do it better next time.

Further Information on Localization Resources

Globalization Partners International (GPI) employs every one of the above-mentioned best practices. GPI boasts a large and growing portfolio of clients including several global brands. To further understand the entire Globalization and Localization process, you should download our PDFs Language Globalization Guides. You may also benefit from our previous blogs:

• Choosing a Translation Partner Instead of a Vendor
• 5 Tips for Managing Localization in your Organization
• 11 Project Management Challenges for Translation Projects
• Website Localization and CMS
• Why is Translation Project Management Necessary?
• Localization Company (Quick Facts)

To discuss your next website translation project, please do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail at info@globalizationpartners.com, or by phone at (866) 272-5874, or by requesting a free translation quote on your next website translation project.

Adobe Experience Manager user interface is very user friendly and the extensive use of standards helps. Adobe Experience Manager JCR (Java Content Repository) has many useful features as well, such as search, versioning and access control.

Adobe Experience Manager main platform components:

- Adobe Experience Manager WCM (Web Content Management) allows users to generate and publish pages.

- Adobe Experience Manager Workflow: a process that can be used by all applications running on Adobe Experience Manager but also can be accessed by applications outside Adobe Experience Manager using JAVA API and RESTful HTTP interface. Adobe Experience Manager workflows are used to control the process of generating and publishing content through steps such as approval and sign-off.

- CQ components handle the process of rendering the content. They include templates and specific components such as Text with Image, column and subtitle controls.

- CQ widgets represent the basic elements used to implement a specific user function, mainly editing content. Widgets includes buttons, dialogs etc...

Adobe Experience Manager is based on the following technologies:

- Apache Sling which is a web application framework for content-centric-applications using java Content Repository such as Apache Jackrabbit or CRX, to store and manage content.

- OSGi technology which is a set of specs that defines a dynamic component system for Java. These specifications reduce software complexity by providing a modular architecture for large-scale distributed systems as well as small, embedded applications.

- Java Content Repository that uses JSR API to access the content repository using Java, independent of the physical implementation.

Setting up Adobe Experience Manager for multilingual websites

If you plan on translating your website, or as we call website localization, Adobe Experience Manager Web Content Management System handles multilanguage content in a very professional and organized way. Following simple steps, the source content can be easily localized into an number of target languages.

1- Select the Site with the source language

2- Select New

3- Enter Title and Name.

** Name will be the target language locale and needs to have the following format:

<language-code> or <language-code>_<country-code>
- the supported language code is lower-case, two-letter code as defined by ISO-639-1
- the supported country code is lower-case or upper-case, two-letter code as defined by ISO 3166
Examples: en, en_US, en_us, en_GB, en_gb.

4- Select the template and click create

The main node of the target website will be created

Create a copy of the source pages (English) to the new website in target language:

1- Select the web node from the tree in the left

2- Select Tools >Tools>Language copy

3- Select English+ for each parent node

Note:

No need to select page by page to copy all the website, rather select only the main parent node and select English+ (en+) and then all the subpages will be copied to the target website. In the below example, Selecting "Men" and/or "Seasonal" Parent node with En+ will select the entiresubpages (Men/* | Seasonal/*).

In case that all the website need pages need to be localized, after selecting all the Parent nodes of the website using the English+ (en+) and press OK, all nodes should be selected automatically.

Once the Language copy process is done, the complete new websites with all the pages will be available and with identical same structure as the original source website.

Please make sure to read the next blog in the Adobe Experience Manager series entitled:

Part Two:  Adobe Experience Manager Website Translation and Content Management

Further GPI Resources on Connectors and Website Development

GPI offers custom Multilanguage CMS Translation Connectors to a variety of web content management systems and client relationship management systems in order to streamline localization workflows and access to translation project information across your enterprise. Connectors and Plug-In's include:

• Ektron Translation Connector
• EPiServer Translation Connector
• WordPress Translation Plugin
• Oracle RightNow Translation Add-on
• Adobe Experience Manager Connector

You may also find some of the following articles and links useful:

• Web CMS Translation
• 14 Steps to an effective worldwide website
• Website Internationalization and Accessibility
• Website Translation and Localization Services
• Multilingual Website Design, Development and Deployment

Further Information on Localization Resources

Globalization Partners International (GPI) helps customers with a range of multilingual website design, development and deployment work. In addition GPI has developed a suite of globalization tools to help companies work with language and technology to succeed in global markets. You can explore these translation and localization tools under the  Translation tools and Portals section of our website. Consider partnering with GPI on your next web localization project.

Contact GPI for more information via e-mail at info@globalizationpartners.com, by phone at (866) 272-5874, or by requesting a free web translation quote on your project.

Adobe Captivate is a great tool to enrich your content with interactive media. You can create product demos, application simulations or quizzes. Then you can import that video in an InDesign or FrameMaker file and get a final PDF or EPUB for a high-impact user experience.

Combining the different tools

Adobe Captivate

We highly recommend using the " Automatic recording" feature because it is the most commonly used recording method in Adobe Captivate. When you record using automatic recording, Adobe Captivate captures screenshots automatically and places them on separate slides. Mouse, keyboard, or system events are the usual triggers for capturing screenshots.

In the recording options: File > Record New Software Simulation.

You choose one of the following auto-recording modes:

• Demonstration mode
• Training mode
• Assessment mode

Also you can add Captions and record voice-over narration, which can be localized in other languages.

InDesign and FrameMaker

Since the launch of version CS5.5, you can add media content to InDesign files. This new feature allows you export your files as Interactive PDF or EPUB in just a few steps.

1. Create a graphics frame to hold your video. Keep in mind the proportions of your video
2. Next choose File > Place and locate your video file.
3. The video is now imported and ready to be part of your final document.

Note: With InDesign CS6 you can now choose an EPUB version to export to. The Export to EPUB dialog box has been reorganized and simplified.

Also the last release of FrameMaker (version 11) has the option to add rich-media content to the FM files:

1. Place the insertion point in your document where you want the SWF file to appear.
2. Select File > Import > File.
3. Select, the SWF file you want to insert.
4. In the Graphic Scaling dialog box, select the desired DPI, and then click Set.

Note: When you click Set, the first frame of the SWF file appears in the document. If you copied the SWF file into the document, an image of the first frame is displayed. You can click the frame to activate the SWF file.

Acrobat

Finally, with Acrobat you can share all your ideas and concepts in your Interactive PDF with your clients with an electronic distribution accessible to any device and platform.

Note: Be sure that everyone can view the file. Adobe Reader 9 or later lets virtually everyone view the interactive content in your PDF file.

Conclusion

The new technology is changing the way we communicate. Combining text, audio and video in your demo, presentation or training document and then playing it back inside of the eBook reader or tablet, will maximize the impact on your readers and your business.

[Instructions and lists abstracted from Adobe Application Manuals. Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, Captivate, FrameMaker, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and RoboHelp are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © Adobe Systems Incorporated.]

GPI's Multilingual Desktop Publishing Services

Globalization Partners International, a premiere translation agency, provides many services with document translation and website translation that involve multilingual desktop publishing services. This list below highlights some of the more common products used in such projects:

• FrameMaker Document Translation
• XML/DITA Training, Consulting
• RoboHelp Document Translation
• Captivate Document Translation

You may also find some of our previous blogs on desktop publishing useful:

• GPI's Vision for Technical Communications Future
• Optimizing FrameMaker for Localization of Multilingual Document
• Tools to Reduce Language Translation Services Costs
• Preparing Source Files for Language Translation

Please contact GPI at info@globalizationpartners.com or at 866-272-5874 with your specific questions about desktop publishing and your project goals. A complimentary Translation Quote for your project is also available upon request.

Responsive web design (often abbreviated to RWD) is an approach to web design in which a site is crafted to provide an optimal viewing experience-easy reading and navigation with a minimum of resizing, panning, and scrolling-across a wide range of devices (from desktop computer monitors to mobile phones). source: Wikipedia

Even before Ethan Marcotte was credited for coining the term Responsive Web Design in a May 2010 article, web designers and marketers around the world were already wrestling with the idea of how to create web pages to display content that could be consumed on devices not yet conceived. The challenge has been to create attractive sites that have a flexible architecture while still containing the rich content and easy navigation, regardless of real estate. In basic terms, it is a website design that automatically adjusts the layout based on any screen size.

Why should I care?

2013 has already been predicted as the first year in the post-PC era. It is likely to be the first full year where we will witness a net decline in worldwide sales of PC/laptops. The wide proliferation of mobile device use have webmasters reeling as they are pressed to create best-of-breed visitor experiences across all screen sizes. The following graph illustrates the widespread use of non-PC devices by country.

Given that the US trails all of the countries listed above, companies operating outside the US will benefit even more from adoption of RWD.

How does my site become more 'responsive'?

RWD is an adaptive layout design that uses CSS3 media queries to dynamically adjust content to fit the destination screen size. This is performed by using fluid proportion based grids and flexible images (marcotte).

Kristina Kledzik at Distilled, an interactive agency, describes the process in simple terms in a recent article on SEOmoz. "Let's start with a simple example on a grid, using 9 rectangular elements labeled A-I. On a small screen, like a tablet or an older computer with fewer pixels, the elements would display themselves in a 3 x 3 grid:"

When the screen is wider, those elements can spread out:

When it's narrower, they can stack:

What complexity does a multilingual website add to design considerations?

Added complexity and design implications are introduced to RWD with multilingual content. Depending on the language, different space considerations must be added to any design element that includes text. If the source language is English, but the content is to also be translated to Chinese you will likely see additional white space appear when displaying the content in most form factors. Conversely, if the destination language is Arabic, the designer will need to make allowances for about 20% space consumption for the translated content. Additional consideration must be paid if right-to-left language orientation such as Farsi, Arabic, Hebrew and others might also be displayed.

Does responsive web design help SEO rankings?

Many websites have made an effort to build mobile websites only to find that it hurt their organic rankings. However, Google announced last year that it was now updating its algorithm to favor websites that take advantage of RWD practices. Many advertisers are still waiting for the needed flexibility to be built into Google AdSense, but it is clear from Google announcements that companies can realize some first-mover advantages by adopting RWD.

Alert GoogleBots through prescribed annotations. Google maintains a developer site to answer specific questions on many topics, including mobile-optimized websites. Specifically related to RWD websites, it recommends that if you use the different HTML approach but the same URL, Google wants you to use the HTTP Vary Header as a hint for GoogleBot-Smartphone to crawl the site.

For those marketers who actively participate in linkbuilding to enhance rankings, Google will recognize your various design considerations as a version of your main site. Thus, your rankings will benefit as a result of implementing RWD. Conversely, if sites are built for individual devices, your link paths will be weaker as mobile-dedicated (m-dot) site links will appear unrelated to your main site links to Googlebots. Simply put, Google will combine all of the likes from interactions on various devices to count toward your main site rather than recognize each as independent websites. And most importantly, an adaptive design is more appealing and easier to use on various devices. If visitors 'stick' to your site after clicking through from the search page, Google can assume that they were successful in directing you to the appropriate website.

Further Information on Localization Resources

Globalization Partners International (GPI) frequently assists customers with multilingual website design, development and deployment. A suite of globalization tools developed by GPI can empower you to achieve your multilingual project goals: you can explore them under the Translation Services Tools. GPI also offers translation services and internationalization, and can evaluate your application. Consider partnering with GPI prior to localizing or translating your application: this will help you avoid many mistakes and save considerable time and money on your localization projects.

To further understand the entire Globalization and Localization process, you should download our PDFs Language Globalization Guides. You may also benefit from our previous blogs:

• Creating Culturally Customized Content for Website Translation
• Website Internationalization and Accessibility
• 12 Steps to Website Globalization
• Personalized User Experience for your Target Markets
• How to Create a Content Strategy for Multilingual Content

To discuss your next website translation project, please do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail at info@globalizationpartners.com, or by phone at (866) 272-5874, or by requesting a free translation quote on your next website translation project.