Simple Guide to Localization Testing + 5 Factors to Consider

What is Localization Testing?

Products are made with people in mind, however, the product needs to be understood by the intended users, and this is where localization testing comes in. Phrase.com defines localization testing as

“a quality verification process aiming to ensure that a specific product build, such as a web or mobile app, is adapted well enough to be used in a certain region.”

Simply put, it is the customization of a product or software for a particular locale, region, or even country. It is also known as L10n, the 10 representing the number of letters between the first and the last word. The user interface and the content are the two major parts of a product that go through localization testing.

Why Is Localization Testing Important?

Localization testing is extremely important when a company wants to make its website or software available in another country. It is important that the product works well and looks good enough for people to choose yours above other similar products. Ensuring your product caters to the particular region using language, relatable content and much more will increase usage or revenue for your business.

This testing verifies a variety of things like typographical errors, cultural appropriateness of the user interface, linguistic errors, and sometimes, the laws of the country or region, etc.

🎓 Learn how to perform content QA

Factors to Consider in a Localization Test

The test will review some of the most important parts of the software. A successful test shows that the intended users of the software or product will enjoy using it. Sometimes, during the test, bugs will be found and eventually fixed before the finalization of the software. It is crucial to note that before the software can be localized or go through localization testing, they first have to be internationalized- a process that involves designing and creating a product, or application to enable localization for any region or language.

Here are some of the key factors that must be considered in a localization test:

1. Imagery: Pictures and icons used on the app or website must be made to fit the expectations of the target audience. They must be able to relate to whatever images are used. From colors to the style of the images used, these must all be considered during localization testing.

2. User Experience: The experience a user has with an app is what will determine whether or not they use it again. Key areas that should be focused on are things like: currency, time formats, measurements, degrees (Fahrenheit vs Celsius), and other special characters. As expected, these all depend on what is being built.

3. User Interface: How a website or an app looks can be off-putting or endearing. Localization testing ensures that whatever is being built will be appealing to the target audience. Notifications should appear correctly, texts should not overflow from the borders, and the layout must be visually appealing.

4. Language: It is important to ensure:

• There are no grammatical errors
• The style of language runs through every page
• There are no spelling errors
• Proper use of punctuation (some countries use a lot of punctuation marks to indicate excitement, in other countries it may come across as being unnecessarily loud).
• Names of places and titles are used appropriately
• Text direction is appropriate – a common example of this is when you have Arabs as a target audience, inscriptions should be written from right to left, as opposed to the usual left to right format. An Arab will prefer the app that takes into consideration this important detail over another that doesn’t.

In addition, it is important to know that several languages have many variations. For instance, there are different varieties of the Spanish language. A Colombian Spanish speaker will most likely not enjoy reading anything that’s directed toward Mexican Spanish speakers. Language must be tailored specifically for the target audience.

5. Local Regulations: While there may be basic laws that countries have in common, there are so many laws that are specific to each country, these laws must be followed. Privacy laws and cookies usage must be strictly adhered to among many other laws.

Advantages of Localization Testing:

These are some of the reasons why companies will benefit from Localization testing:

• Reduces the Overall cost of testing and support
• Provides room for flexibility and scalability
• Helps to understand the target audience.

Disadvantages of Localization Testing:

• It requires the services of a domain expert
• Hiring a local translator may make the testing process more expensive
• The tester may not be able to deliver on time due to bugs or problems that may be found during testing
• The whole process may be very expensive, but it is worth it.

Localization Testing Tips

These tips will make the process of Localization testing a lot easier:

1.  Factor in the right amount of time. Too little time can cause errors to be overlooked
2. Do not procrastinate. Test as early as possible, not when the product is almost fully developed
3. Test frequently. Test in the early stage, before launch, and after the launch of the product
4. Ask for feedback to gauge how well your product is doing, using feedback received can be a great way to work on overlooked errors.

Conclusion

In terms of how smoothly your localization testing goes and how effectively it detects defects and bugs, the quality of the agency that you use makes a huge difference. It is therefore imperative that you select a localization agency with a proven track record of positive outcomes.

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