In the first quarter of 2024, the Google Play Store saw 25.6 billion app downloads, while the Apple App Store recorded 8.4 billion. This number highlights the vast potential of global app markets, and localization is one of the effective ways to tap into this opportunity.
Localization is more than just translating text; it’s about crafting an experience that feels native to users in different regions. Users are more likely to engage, trust, and invest in apps that align with their language and culture.
If you’re planning to take your app global, you may be concerned about the cost, resources, the process of localization and more—especially if it’s your first time.
In this blog, we’ll guide you through the basics of app localization. We’ll explore what it is, why it matters, and how to get started. To make it actionable, we’ve also included a step-by-step process and a detailed checklist to help you along the way.
What is App Localization?
App localization is about modifying your app’s key interactive elements, functions, and features to resonate and cater to target audiences in different locations. Besides text and content translation, this process entails customizing user-facing elements of your app to attract, engage and retain local users.
What are the Different Types of App Localization?
There are two main types of app localization:
- Minimum Viable Localization (MVL)
This focuses on customizing key user-facing elements, such as app store metadata and in-app content. It’s ideal for app publishers testing a new market, helping them assess visibility and growth before committing to full localization. - Full Localization
This involves adapting every aspect of the app, including UX, UI, design, and in-app purchases, to suit local preferences. Internationalization is essential for full localization, as it ensures the app is built to support multiple languages and cultural nuances.
Localization vs Internationalization? What’s the Difference
Localization and internationalization are often confused, but both help an app reach new markets and users. The critical difference is that internationalization prepares an app for localization, while localization adapts the app for specific regions and languages. Here are a few distinctions between localization and internationalization:
|
Localization |
Internationalization |
| Involves customizing user-facing content and the app’s interactive elements for different regions. | Process of engineering the app’s backend to support multiple languages and region-specific elements |
| Localization is supported by internationalization | Internationalization lays the groundwork for localization |
| Adapts the app for specific target locations and languages | Allows customization of app structure, design, layout, workflow, and content |
| Occurs after development | Part of the development process |
| Full localization is dependent on Internationalization | Ensures the app can be easily localized in the future |
What are the Benefits of Localization?
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Tap into a new market and users
Localization comes with a cost, but it significantly influences your KPIs, such as app downloads, engagements, in-app purchases, reviews, ratings, etc., by expanding your reach to active users in new markets.
You gain a competitive edge in your niche with personalized store listing, interface, and user experience. In fact, 43% of users in India prefer using the internet in English, while the rest, 57%, use native languages such as Hindi. Localization precisely allows you to leverage this broader user base and tap into previously underserved markets.
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Scale Revenue
In Q1 of 2024, the US saw $15 billion in in-app revenue, followed by China at $8.4 billion, which indicates the revenue potential in key markets. As your app exposure grows, so does your user base and revenue. Beyond translating content, adapting in-app features to local preferences increases engagement and yield.
For instance, Spotify introduced location-specific features like listening parties in the US, CA, ID, and MX, and audiobook plans only in the US. These personalized offerings encourage users to upgrade to premium plans or purchase in-app items, as personalization plays a critical role in monetary decisions.
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More App Downloads
Lack of localization could be the major reason behind low app downloads despite running targeted ads to attract foreign users. If your app listing, user interface, branding, and in-app features don’t align with the users’ preferences and cultural contexts, it will affect the overall conversion rate.
Popular apps, such as Airbnb, Evernote, Clash of Clans, etc., have revised their names, key features and UX to resonate with local markets, such as China, and better fit the users’ cultural nuances.
Localization becomes necessary when you’re targeting foreign markets where competition is fierce, as users prefer apps in their native language since they are relatable to their lifestyle and provide a simpler, more intuitive experience.
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Increased User Engagement
While translating your app store listing and in-app content can attract some users, retaining or engaging them long-term without full localization is challenging.
Layout, format, UX, and design issues that arise when adapting to different languages can harm user experience, leading to churn, uninstalls, or negative reviews. For instance, German words are often longer than English ones (e.g., “Settings” becomes “Einstellungen”). If the app’s UI isn’t designed to accomodate this text expansion, buttons can overlap, or text can get cut off.
If core functionality becomes inaccessible or unclear due to these issues, users will likely become frustrated and uninstall the app. End-to-end localization addresses these problems, allowing you to optimize your app’s design and functionality to ultimately enhance user retention.
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Competitive Advantage
Localization allows you to enter foreign markets your competitors haven’t tapped into yet. Competitors that skip localization miss the opportunity to capture regional market share, giving localized apps an edge.
Localized apps can also compete with dominant native apps. For instance, Airbnb successfully entered the Chinese market while competing with major local platforms like Tujia and Xiaozhu. To better serve local users and expand its user base in China, Airbnb integrated WeChat for sign-ups and Alipay for seamless transactions, making their app feel native to Chinese users and thereby gaining a competitive edge in a non-native market.
How to Build Your App Localization Strategy?
If you’re planning to localize your app, here are 5 steps that you can follow to initiate the process.
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Find Your Target Market
The first step in localization is identifying a market with active users and revenue potential. A common concern for app publishers is investing resources in a market that may not deliver a strong return on investment (ROI).
App developers often target the wrong market by basing their decisions on competitors’ success or KPIs like downloads, engagement, and purchases from other regions. While these metrics can provide some insight, they don’t reflect the accurate picture.
For example, although Airbnb initially succeeded in China, local competition and cultural differences proved challenging. Unable to break through these barriers, Airbnb exited the Chinese market in 2022. Hence, to avoid similar pitfalls, it is necessary to conduct independent market research to understand who dominates the local market, cultural differences, user behaviors, revenue potential, market size, niche popularity, etc., before finalizing your target market.
Your research should also help you identify gaps your app can fill. Assess whether your app can compete with local players as is or if additional development is needed. To reduce localization complexity, consider starting with markets that share language and cultural similarities with your native market.
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Understand your locale and target audience
Start optimizing your app for your target market based on key user insights such as demographics, language preferences, and cultural differences. This will guide your content, UX, and design customization.
To personalize your app further and boost user engagement, analyze in-app data like session duration, churn rate, purchase behavior, and customer feedback. This allows you to improve your app workflow and overall potential to retain users.
As you build your beta user base, analyze the data collected to identify features or elements impacting app performance and contributing to churn. Continuously improve your app based on this feedback to enhance the experience in each locale.
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Personalize user facing text and content
Translation is a key component of localization, but it’s not the only task. As you develop your app for a new market, translation should run parallel to other processes to ensure a smooth launch.
The localization process starts with translating in-app text into different languages. This includes adjusting text strings, building resource files, modifying designs, etc., to adapt local preferences.
While translation tools can help, working with a professional translator is crucial to ensure accuracy. A professional can adapt the language to reflect cultural nuances, local customs, and users’ dialects. Inaccurate translations can damage your brand reputation and lead to negative reviews, hindering your growth in a new market.
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Find non-text elements for localization
Besides content, consider modifying the design, layout, format, and UX to fit the preferences of different users and regions. For example, apps such as Facetune and Bumble customized their brand colors and navigation to better resonate with local users of France, Germany, and Japan.
You may also need to add new features or modify existing flows to gain a competitive advantage and attract users. For instance, Clash of Clans introduced significant changes for the Chinese market, with features that differ from the versions in the US or Turkey. You can scale your localization efforts depending on your app, niche, and local competition. However, these developments can significantly impact your app’s success in a new market.
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Test and Beta Runs
After the initial localization, onboard beta users to test your app in real-world conditions. This provides valuable data to refine your app’s performance in the target market. Further, establish a process to continuously track user engagement and run A/B tests to make data-driven improvements. Regularly implement changes based on performance insights to strategically grow your user base in the new market.
As you launch the app, monitor your app for any errors or bugs and implement fallback options to cater to users from different regions. Localization is an ongoing process, not a one-time task; hence it requires continuous effort to build a solid app that can capture market share in a new locale.
Next Steps
Market trends shift, new regions open up opportunities, and even your existing content might need updates to stay relevant. That’s why it’s crucial to approach localization as a dynamic part of your app’s lifecycle rather than a one-time effort.
Testing different translations, formats, and localized features helps you understand what resonates best with your audience. Sometimes, small adjustments—like refining keywords in app store descriptions or tweaking culturally specific graphics—can make a significant impact. Consider these experiments as part of your strategy to continuously improve your app’s performance in different markets.
