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Localization Matters
 
Keywords
localization, translation, return on investment, total cost of ownership, website globalization, ROI, market research, global consumer, language preferences

Abstract
We've long contended that localization and translation matter. Products that haven't been adapted to local linguistic and business conditions have a higher total cost of ownership for their buyers. Unlocalized offerings simply transfer the costs of labor, support, and usability to the companies that buy them.

In this report, we describe the results of a survey that we conducted about buying preferences for localized products. Specifically, we polled 351 businesspeople in eight non-Anglophone countries about the software they buy for their firms. We found a high correlation between purchasing likelihood and localized products.

This report has implications beyond the subject of localized productivity and enterprise applications. Software serves as a proxy for a range of consumer and business products that include a user interface, require detailed documentation, and offer technical support when things don't work. Think medical devices, machine tools, airplanes, and automobiles as similar offerings, especially given the software foundation that underlies many of them.

Benefits
In General:  Until now, evidence for the importance of localization has been anecdotal. This study of the preferences and behaviors of business buyers validates assumptions about visitor preference for mother-tongue content when complex products such as enterprise software. This report provides corporate executives, planners, and other international marketing professionals with the information they need to make strategic decisions about localizing products and websites.
For Buyers:  This report provides critical data that will help you make informed decisions about product localization.
System integrators,  language service providers, and technology suppliers can use the information in this report to better serve the needs of their international clients.

Physical Details
Authors: Donald A. DePalma, Nicole Kustanovitz, Benjamin B. Sargent, and Nataly Kelly
Date: 22 November 2008
ISBN: 978-933555-59-1
Pages: 28

Table of Contents
  • Topic
    • Corporate Buyers Prefer Localized Products
    • Localization Influences Decisions at Every Stage of Purchasing
    • Other Research on the Subject of Buyer Preferences
    • Some Notes on Our Research and Analytical Methodology
  • Vox Populi
    • We Surveyed 351 Enterprise Software Buyers in Eight Countires
      • Our Respondents Exercise Significant Software Purchasing Power
      • The Software Buyers Survey Work for Large Companies
      • Consumers Prefer Buying from Sites in Their Language
    • Self-Assessment Shows that Many Buyers and Employees Read English
    • Where's the Tipping Point for Localized Products?
      • Translating Marketing and Support Materials Drives Sales
      • Localized Technology Enhances Product Desirability
      • Post-Sales Support in the Language Seals the Deal
      • Famous Brands Miss Huge Market Segments by Sidestepping Localization
      • Summary of Purchases Driven by Translation and Localization
        • Unlocalized Software Often Misses the Shortlist
        • Where They Buy Does Make a Difference
        • Some Buyers Don't Have the Option of Choosing Localized Products
        • Conditions Sometimes Favor English-Language Products
        • Overwhelmingly, Buyers Prefer Localized Variants
          • Analysis
            • Localization Matters Everywhere, in Some Regions More than Others
              • Europe Old or New: Most Buyers Require Localized Products
              • The Rest of World Wants Localized Products Even More than Europe
            • If Global Markets Interest You, Localize!
          • Figures
            • Figure 1: Countries Surveyed for this Report and Language Competence
            • Figure 2: Survey Sample Covers a Broad Range of Industries and Company Sizes
            • Figure 3: Range of Software Spending and Type of Purchasing Authority
            • Figure 4: Purchasing Managers Report High Levels of English-Language Confidence
            • Figure 5: Significant Groups of End Users Cannot Use Non-Localized Applications
            • Figure 6: Administrators Can Understand English, But Many Are Left Behind
            • Figure 7: Developers and Engineers Do Not Always Speak English Well
            • Figure 8: Marketing and Collateral: Most Want to See It Translated
            • Figure 9: End-User Documentation: Most Want It Translated
            • Figure 10: Instructions: Most Would Like Translated Administration Guides
            • Figure 11: Troubleshooting: Most Want Translated, Localized Information
            • Figure 12: User Interfaces: Most Companies Prefer Them Localized
            • Figure 13: Client/Server Software: Most Want Entire System Localized
            • Figure 14: Developer Tools: Most Benefit from Localization
            • Figure 15: Post-Sales Support: Most See Value in Local-Language Support
            • Figure 16: Some Buyers Favor Branded Products over Localized Ones
            • Figure 17: Buyers in Some Countries Never Buy Unlocalized Productivity Software
            • Figure 18: Lacking a Choices, Some Buyers Choose Unlocalized Enterprise Products
            • Figure 19: The Most Common Purchasing Methods for Software
            • Figure 20: One-Third of Buyers Uncomfortable Buying Online in English
            • Figure 21: Respondents Report Varying Amount of Control over Purchasing
            • Figure 22
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