Introduction
ローカリゼーションテストは、ソフトウェアと ウェブサイトのローカリゼーションプロセスの重要な部分です. このプロセスは、ソフトウェアとウェブサイトが別の言語と地域にローカライズされている場合に発生します. ローカリゼーションテスターは、製品のテストを実行して、新しいユーザーが利用できるようにします。
Oh, we were talking about localization testing, of course! Not sure if you understood what we were saying so far.
What is Localization Testing?
Localization testing is an important part of the software and website localization process. The process occurs when software and websites are localized in another language or region. A localization tester performs tests on the product to make it available for new users.
Performing localization testing requires breaking the process into several steps. UI & UX aspects cover the visuals, offering a first impression of the product. Other essential aspects for the product launch are translating and adapting the product to a foreign language and complying with the new market’s local laws and regulations.
Additionally, ensuring that foreign users become immersed in your product, thus adapting it to the local culture, is a must. In this article, we will address all of these topics related to localization testing.
UX and UI Aspects
The appearance of a website or an app is the first aspect users interact with. Therefore it is challenging to ensure the targeted audience of non-English speaking countries has an easy time performing tasks. As such, terms like “login,” “account,” or “click” require the appropriate equivalent in the foreign language adaptation. You may also want to avoid certain puns and wordplays, as they can prove difficult or even impossible to translate accordingly for your new audience.
As we move onto the user experience, we have to keep in mind small details that help your site or product comply with a local market. Common examples of these required changes are currency, units of measure, phone numbers, data format, etc. An unfamiliar user with the 24-hour clock system would find it confusing when you tell them it’s 13:00, right? Or a different currency than their local one. The user would have to take extra steps to find out this information. Since the purpose of localization testing is to make a user’s life easier, these small details need to be verified for your customers’ local market.
BEYOND TRANSLATION: LANGUAGE IN LOCALIZATION TESTING
Language is an essential step in localizing a site or a piece of software for a different market. The way to do it is to offer the audience a translation in their native language. But translation alone is not enough – adaptation is also required in localization. It is a process that tackles cultural, non-textual components and linguistics problems.
For example, the Spanish language differs depending on the country where it’s used. Whether it’s Spain, Mexico, or other Latin American countries, changes in pronunciation or word usage can be found. British English and American English may not require translation, but localization is still needed. Do you use color or colour, localization or localisation, flat or apartment? Your choice depends on the targeted audience, even if it’s the same language.
Local Laws and Regulations
Making a product available in another region or country is no easy feat, especially regarding local regulations. Depending on the region and the scope of your website or software, implementations such as data privacy, cookie policy, and so on differ depending on the legal requirements of a particular region.
While you might be familiar with major privacy regulations such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in the European Union and the European Economic Area and the CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act), there are lesser-known local regulations specific to one country. Here we can mention: Japan’s APPI (Act on the Protection of Personal Information) and New Zealand’s Privacy Act 2020 compiled to represent the privacy needs of the users from these countries. In your quest for localization testing, you may encounter other local privacy acts. Each will come with its own regulations that must be researched before launching your product.
Culture & Imagery
Approaching a market from another country that comes with its own unique cultural background is a challenge in itself. Once the technical and legal factors are taken into account, the cultural factor needs to be addressed for a software or website to become available for new users.
This step requires taking into consideration slogans, text, images—anything that may sound or look harmless to you but prove to be offensive towards other cultures. Topics such as religion and politics should also be avoided.
Make use of visuals!
Visuals are the first thing a user pays attention to when they engage with a website or another piece of software. As mentioned above, images are essential in localization testing for a product to show respect and appreciation for the targeted audience. With this in mind, your cultural research needs to identify which visuals could be considered offensive to your targeted audience.
Is the color scheme inviting to the user, do the chosen images represent the product, etc.? You need to answer these questions to ensure that your product ends up looking appropriately in the marketed area.
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