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( votes)Mobile apps are one of the most downloaded products in mobile markets worldwide. As per a survey, around 60% of the countries from where the highest downloads come from are most non-English speaking countries. Now suppose you have created a mobile app and it is not in other languages which are local to other countries, what will happen? Your app will miss out on that opportunity and will not be downloaded due to this language barrier. This is where the mobile app internationalization comes into play.
The internationalization of an app makes it easily adaptable in different languages and regions without further modification. Moving forward, it will help you target multiple emerging markets conveniently. Thus, paving the path for more revenue generation for your business.
Mobile App Development
In order to proceed with the mobile app internationalization, we need to configure the mobile app before the launch. This will take place in the mobile app development phase.
The Planning Phase
It is quite difficult to reconfigure the mobile app code after the development phase is over. So, it is essential to plan beforehand if you are going for mobile app internationalization to avoid this hurdle.
The Target Markets
It is not possible to include each and every language in a mobile app in a short period of time. It is a time-consuming task and takes up the resources for a longer period as well. It is better to target the regions where the maximum number of downloads come from.
Creating Support For Languages
You have included the languages in your mobile app, and it is now ready to launch in the app stores around the world. But keep in mind that customers might face any problem related to the usage of a mobile app and will reach out for support. The basic requirement here is the customer service and technical support for localized languages.
The Permits And Regulations
Countries vary in their rules and regulations. Make sure that the content (localized) you put up in your mobile app complies with the local laws and regulations of the target country before the launch. Whether the app is released through Google Play or App Store, you will be held accountable for any legal issues that may arise with your app.
The Process Of Localization
Mobile app internationalizing is done through several processes and stages. They are as follows:
Configuring the code
Configuring the code is one of the crucial aspects of this process. The mobile app code should be able to run properly and should successfully be able to view the content (pages and sections) in the localized language to the user.
The content and code
In the process of internationalization, it happens that the entire content gets changed due to certain errors in code. To avoid this, the foremost thing to do is to separate the content from the coding part.
Don’t confuse this with code forking.
Reason? You are not creating copies of your code for each locale. Instead, you are storing the content in a central repository, from where different versions of the content can be created when required.
This process helps the development team to work with the coding part, and the localization team can work with the internationalization part of the mobile app.
The content elements
Mobile app internationalizing process involves working with the content elements such as the text, the numbers, the formatting of the dates and time, the plural forms, the punctuation, the breaks, and the currencies.
The media
There can be pictures and videos which make up a significant part of your content. It is important that your media (audio, video, and photo) needs to be localized as well. For example, the audio of a video in the mobile app has to be translated and recorded in localized languages so as to facilitate the customers to understand the content and context. The same will have to be done with the images and other media contents.
Text and font support
There are few languages such as Arabic and Farsi, where the text is written from the left direction. This has to be kept in mind during localization. Remember that every digital content includes text, and the UIs are still text-oriented. Font selection is very important in this aspect.
Google Fonts and Adobe Fonts are being brought up in the market to facilitate localization and are doing pretty well in providing locale support.
Best Mobile App Development Company
The best mobile app development company is that company that can seamlessly perform the above-mentioned tasks and comes up with an internationalized mobile app. There are various mobile app development companies in the USA that have a dedicated localization team to do the task. According to the ranking published in website Clutch, here are some of the best mobile app development companies in the USA:
- WillowTree
- Rightpoint
- Hyperlink Infosystem
- Blue Label Labs
- Applify
Hire Mobile App Developer
Before any mobile app launch in the market, companies hire mobile app developers to do the task for them. He/she should have sound knowledge in programming languages such as C#, Java, and objective C and should be able to work for platforms such as iOS and Android.
The development of APIs for mobile functionalities and integration of local languages are some of the key requisites of a hired mobile app developer these days. The developer must analyze, test, and modify the codes of the mobile app as per the company’s requirement and terminologies mentioned.
Mobile apps have come a long way, and many companies have opted for internationalization and localization of their mobile apps. These processes are quite complex demanding ample resources. However, a well-planned globalization strategy will surely ease the process and obtain the desired outcome. The mobile market has evolved and expanded with time, and around 91 percent of mobile users use mobile apps these days. The opportunities are vast for mobile apps, and the future holds immense prospects in this field.
