Everything you need to know about content localization

Content localization adapts your brand’s content for specific regions. This includes language nuances, cultural references, and visuals.

Where translation is literal (‘hello’ becomes ‘hola’), localization is contextual.

From the correct date formats to tone of voice, your content feels more natural and relevant to every potential customer.

These small details help international markets understand your product and trust it enough to buy.

For example, HubSpot localizes its entire customer platform in French:

Because this target audience can read everything in their language, they’re more likely to understand the benefits and sign up.

You can also tailor content types to match regional buyer behavior. Gartner research shows preferences vary:

• French buyers prefer market leaders, so you might position your product as the top-rated choice
• German buyers value familiarity, so local testimonials and case studies could work better than bold claims

And it’s not just about localized content marketing. This process spans everything from product onboarding to customer support.

Say you’re an accounting platform with users in the US, Brazil, and Germany. If welcome emails and in-app messages are only in English, that’s a fast track to churn.

But localize the experience with subtitles, local currencies, and native instructions?

Now, multilingual users get value faster because your product feels built for them.

Whether you’re a software company targeting Japanese users or a manufacturer shipping to 40+ countries, localization helps ensure your content works where it lands.

Because when wording sounds off or like you ran it through a free translator, potential customers don’t engage. They lose trust and head off to find a competitor. 

Here are three crucial reasons why localizing content is worth the investment.

When people read content phrased the way they speak, they feel like your brand gets them.

And that builds trust. Fast.

In fact, companies that localize the entire customer experience (websites, onboarding flows, support docs, and more) can see a 100% to 400% increase in sales.

It’s even more crucial for global brands in technical or regulated industries (e.g., manufacturing or life sciences).

These audiences rely on clear, trustworthy content to use products safely. So it becomes a legal issue, too.

One mistranslated instruction, and your ‘gentle cleanser’ sounds like a corrosive compound.

For example, product manuals must be available in the official language(s) of European Union member states. Otherwise, suppliers face bans and fines.

A patient support app rolling out in France would need to localize dosage visuals to chatbot prompts to avoid some very expensive consequences.

Localization is also a conversion tactic. Local users are far more likely to stick around and take action when they land on a relevant and clear page.

Let’s say a German-speaking buyer visits an English software product page full of idioms and tech slang.

Unless they moonlight as a Silicon Valley translator, you’ve probably lost them.

But serve up a localized version with a German knowledge base and relevant case studies? That demo button starts to look a lot more inviting.

It’s no wonder 27% of tech CEOs wish they’d built a dedicated resource to develop regionalized marketing strategies earlier.

The teams that invest stop leaving conversions on the table.

Localization can accelerate your pipeline in new markets. Especially when you include sales enablement content like product sheets, demos, case studies, and contracts.

Buyers want to feel confident when making decisions, and language plays a huge role. 

According to Forrester, 75% of B2B buyers say it’s important to have sales materials in their native language. And 67% say the same about your website.

Because let’s face it. No one feels confident signing a six-figure contract they’ve had to Google Translate line by line.

Let’s say a manufacturing company expanding into Mexico localizes technical spec sheets, distributor training manuals, and lead-gen landing pages.

Sales reps can close deals with new customers faster, with smoother onboarding across the board.

When localizing, the content you should focus on first depends on your industry and product.

In other words, what customers need to understand before they can trust you enough to buy from you and safely use what you sell.

Here are four industries and a few examples of content each should prioritize for localization:

User experience (UX) is everything for global customers when your product is digital.

App and web content localization help users troubleshoot issues and understand key updates without flipping between browser tabs and translations.

Take G2 as an example. The software review platform now offers its full site in Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese:

Why the change? 

Internal data pointed the way. A G2 poll showed that 7% of users cited unlocalized content as their biggest barrier to purchasing. Up from just 2% the year before.

But don’t stop at the user interface. Some of the most important content lives behind the scenes.

Here are three content types software companies should localize first:

1. Help documentation, so customers can solve problems without switching languages
2. Product release notes that keep global users informed and confident about updates
3. Developer docs, which are vital for adoption in API-first or integration-heavy products

Clarity is mission-critical when people’s health and safety are on the line.

Life sciences localization ensures accessible, accurate medical content to protect patient well-being and meet legal standards.

Because you don’t want anyone misreading a dosage and growing an extra toe.

Take Pfizer, for example. The pharmaceutical industry giant localizes all content for over 400 million Arabic speakers across 22 countries:

From labels and regulatory documents, all materials must fit the unique needs of each foreign market.

For instance, topics like mental or reproductive health can be taboo in many parts of the Middle East. By working with local experts, Pfizer’s materials respect cultural sensitivities while staying medically accurate.

Here are three content types that life sciences companies should prioritize:

1. Patient information leaflets (PILs). Instructions must be easy to understand, especially for non-technical readers in diverse regions.
2. Product labeling. Precision matters here. Not just for clarity, but also for legal compliance and patient safety.
3. Regulatory submissions. Accuracy here means faster approvals and time to market.

With e-commerce, every word and image can influence a sale or a bounce.

Localization helps customers understand exactly what they’re buying and how to get help when needed.

Brands have to work harder online because customers can’t see physical products. They must trust that when they pay, you’ll deliver.

And nothing kills a sale faster than checkout instructions that read like a riddle.

For example, fashion retailer Zalando hires content localization specialists to handle specific regions:

These team members localize all product and marketing materials in a creative, consistent voice.

Here are three localization content types that e-commerce brands should prioritize:

1. Product listings and descriptions reduce confusion and drive purchase decisions
2. Return policies and shipping info build trust and minimize friction at checkout
3. Search engine optimization (SEO) metadata and content marketing help people in local markets find you on search engines and social media

Localization ensures that technical content is crystal clear and compliant in every market where you build or ship products.

In manufacturing, even minor miscommunications can lead to major safety issues and costly delays. Guessing how to operate heavy machinery never ends well.

Take Siemens, an industrial automation leader. The company localizes everything from safety data sheets to training manuals across its global footprint.

Its multilingual knowledge base allows customers and partners to use its products with confidence:

Plus, the company avoids any regulatory fines for not offering these options.

Here are three content types manufacturing companies should prioritize:

1. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) ensure compliance and safe handling of products
2. Technical specifications must be precise, especially for international equipment or parts usage
3. Training materials and guides help customers or distributors install and maintain products properly

You don’t need to localize everything overnight, but you do need a repeatable process to scale across regions and content types.

A thoughtful strategy helps you prioritize tasks and meet global audiences’ needs.

Here are five steps to build an effective localization strategy for your business.

Note: Use these steps to create a custom content localization template you can reuse for everything from product launches to marketing campaigns.

Get specific about where you’re localizing and why. Without knowing this, you’re just translating stuff and hoping for the best.

Localization should support real business needs. These could be reducing product returns or speeding up regulatory approvals.

Let’s say a German equipment brand wants to grow in Southeast Asia.

Localizing safety manuals and tech specs into Bahasa Indonesia helps distributors understand how to assemble and maintain products correctly. Because ‘Did you try turning it off and back on?’ rarely works on factory lines.

It also ensures they meet local safety regulations.

Start by asking your team what you want to achieve. Are you trying to drive more sales in a specific region? Or are you losing leads because content doesn’t match local expectations?

Once your goal is clear, prioritize your global markets based on real data like:

• Website traffic or demo requests by region. High volumes suggest strong interest, so start where demand already exists.
• Support ticket volume in different languages. A spike in tickets from specific languages may signal a growing user base that needs localized help.
• Sales performance across geographies. Double down on top-performing regions to accelerate growth. Or invest in low-performing ones to remove friction and unlock new opportunities.

Then, match languages to those priorities. 

For example, if APAC traffic is growing fast but your content is only in English, that’s a clear case for adding Japanese or Korean. Don’t just default to Spanish because it’s a popular language.

Before you start, assess your content and determine what’s worth localizing. This step will help you focus on high-impact materials relevant to the regions you care about.

It also means you’ll avoid wasting time localizing content no one reads or that’s already outdated.

For example, a SaaS company might discover that it covers 80% of support queries in just 20% of its help center articles. Those are the posts to localize first (not your archived webinar from 2018).

You can figure out where to start by asking these questions:

• Which content is getting the most traffic or usage?
• What’s critical to the customer journey or compliance?
• What’s outdated or irrelevant that we could lose?

Prioritize content that moves the needle. Whether that’s driving conversions, making onboarding smoother, or ensuring regulatory approval.

The right tool can make localization a breeze or a stress. So, it’s important to lay strong foundations early on.

You can manage localization with spreadsheets, email chains, and frantic Slacks at 10 PM. But it’s like using a butter knife to cut a steak — technically possible, but not ideal.

There are a few alternatives to avoid this:

1. Translation management systems (TMS). The best option for teams that need to scale high-quality content in one place.
2. Localization services or agencies. Suitable for one-off projects or when nuance really matters (like legal contracts).
3. Machine translation (MT). Fast and budget-friendly but risky without human review.
4. Freelance linguists. Great for quality and local flavor, but tricky to scale without a system.

Localization gets a lot easier when you’ve got the correct setup.

A global content localization solution like XTM can help you manage translation processes for 887 languages and 65 file formats:

The AI-powered XTM platform includes three core products:

1. XTM Cloud is a top-rated TMS that helps automate your entire localization workflow. Ensure consistency with brand style guides, translation memory, and glossaries
2. Rigi offers real-time previews of localized content in its actual layout. That means your translators can catch broken formatting or UI overflows before launch
3. XTRF helps manage your global team of linguists. Track localization project progress and automate payments to keep complete control and transparency at all times

XTM also integrates with 60+ tools like CMS software and help desks — perfect for localizing everything from web pages to support documents.

Use the all-in-one platform to save money and 2,000 hours of work. All while avoiding version chaos.

Let’s say you’re a global e-commerce brand rolling out campaigns in 15 countries.

XTM lets you launch enterprise-scale translations in parallel, track quality assurance (QA) issues, and go live faster. All without 27 browser tabs open.

So yes, there are lots of localization tools out there. But if you’re serious about localization, a proper cloud-based TMS like XTM ticks all the boxes.

Solid briefs create content strategies that connect. These documents tell translators what each piece of content is supposed to achieve (i.e., audience, tone, goals, key messages).

Think of it as giving someone a recipe. Not just handing them the ingredients and hoping for cake.

Because content localization can go sideways without an in-depth brief. Sending a translator a block of raw copy and saying ‘Make it French’ could completely miss the mark for your target region.

Say you’re localizing onboarding emails for a Brazilian audience.

Should the tone be warm and casual? Professional and direct? Should the CTA drive users to email support or WhatsApp? 

Cultural habits like channel preferences or formality matter more than you think.

A good brief covers:

• The content’s goal. Are you trying to convert, inform, or meet a compliance need?
• Tone and voice. Formal or casual? Playful or authoritative? Let the translator know
• Important terms to keep consistent. Which legal terms or technical phrases should translators spend more time on?
• Formatting and visuals. Will images or emojis land the same way?
• Cultural no-gos. Which idioms or symbols may not translate or, worse, offend?

Treat translators like creative partners, not robots. The more direction you give, the better the result.

Testing helps you catch and fix any issues that local audiences would notice. 

Remember, typos or layout glitches make your brand look careless and can hurt trust before you’ve earned it.

Even the best content translations can run into trouble once you drop them in an email or product UI. 

Words break buttons. Paragraphs wrap weirdly. And that friendly CTA? It now looks like it’s yelling.

Start testing with translation tools like XTM that have automated QA features.

For example, Language Guard spots inappropriate terms or language risks and explains how to fix them:

You can save endless reworks and protect your brand’s reputation from compliance failures without effort.

After that, have a native reviewer or linguist comb through the content to ensure every sentence flows naturally.

Here are four crucial elements to check when testing:

1. Language quality. Pair automated translation tools and human reviews to catch grammar issues, inconsistent terms, or awkward phrasing
2. Layout and formatting. Some target languages will expand (e.g., German) or contract (e.g., Korean) text. Always check how translations fit across devices and screen sizes.
3. Right-to-left or multi-byte languages. Arabic, Japanese, and Chinese all have formatting needs that can easily break your design
4. Functionality and UX. Check if that ‘Buy now’ button still works in your localized app and links point to the right place.

Think of this final step as a dress rehearsal.

Everything might look good on paper. But you won’t know how it holds up until you test it in the real environment.