Understanding Your Target Audience: The First Step in Localization

There is an ever-increasing number of online platforms that allow individuals and businesses to publish and sell online courses. Publishing a course on one of these platforms doesn’t necessarily guarantee a class full of students, because users are able to select the topics that most interest them.

That’s why it’s important to take additional steps to ensure your course stands out. One way to do this is by making it accessible to people all over the world. But users from different countries need localization to receive the best learning experience. While the world of online courses is very competitive, you’ll stand out if you have a strong translation.

Not only will a strong translation help with sales of your current course, it will also allow you to carve a niche in different parts of the world as the go-to source for this type of information. Let’s take a look at some things to consider when it comes to localization.

Avoid complex or lengthy text

Depending on the subject, you may not always be able to limit the complexity of text in your course – but you should whenever it’s possible. Translating shorter and more straightforward text is a much less painstaking process and will ultimately save you time and money. That being said, don’t compromise the quality of your content just to simplify it.

Avoid idioms

Many of us grow up using idioms without thinking about them too much. While most of our peers fully understand the point we are trying to get across, these sayings make no sense in different cultures. Translating idioms is difficult because they’re culturally unique. It’s much easier to translate when you utilize literal words and phrases.

Consider different cultures

Your online course might include things such as story problems or real-world examples. Keep in mind that something that seems innocuous to your culture may be insulting to another. If you do accidentally include something in your course that’s offensive to another culture an adept localization service should be able to catch it.

If you need help localizing or translating your online course, our team of friendly, professional experts can help. Visit our website today or call 1 (888) 376-1824 to learn more.