iOS localization: fixing the last mile problem
It’s the age of apps. Every stream of life flows in the wave of application. There is an app for almost everything we can think of. App stores like Apple are clearly showing the limitless potential of the right apps, both in terms of adoption and revenue generation.
While most leading app stores will have guidance/policies terms and suggestions to help developers navigate this extraordinary group of opportunities, most developers miss a critical component in an app’s journey. No matter how intuitive, user-friendly, needs-driven, and agile you think your app is, it will stop an inch from reaching the desired segment if you can’t find the iOS localization.
Yes, iOS developers can launch apps in any or many of the 150 countries there with a single click, but what about making sure these countries peel off the product nicely and don’t get stuck opening the language sleeve? What good is a great product if it goes unnoticed inside the box? Most of the countries you are releasing the app to may not have native English speakers, and here, your app would be pointless, regardless of how robust, fast, and visually appealing it is.
If you really want your app to be easy to use across the spectrum of a store, first things first, you need to internationalize it properly. That means your application should be designed with a reasonable level of international compatibility so that areas like date/time/number formats; text input; time zone differences; user interface, output processing, etc. they are capable of use in the user’s native language, no matter what it is. Code should be approached from this angle throughout the development phase and not as an afterthought.
Once the code is well configured for international settings, you should take advantage of this capability for effective localization to a specific user base. That means enlisting the help of translation companies to convert the user interface and main parts of the app into a language that applies to a given user or culture.
It is recommended to test the application for various environments and situations with the use of translation experts, tools and pseudo-localization. Keep in mind that this process is much more than just exporting text and giving the app a superficial repackage for a new language. This process must be well under the hood and managed deeply. It can also be done before the app is fully ready so that additional iOS localization and audio image specifics can be brought in line as the app progresses.
Expert translation companies can enable parallel localization work and import it intermittently into the project and then test the app in all languages and UI scenarios.
If a developer or a software maker can devote a little proactive attention in this direction and employ the right translation resources, the app can not only get enviable ranks in the app store, but it will also be an instant favorite among its audience. aim.
After all, the user experience was and still is the ultimate test for the actual stability and adoption of any application and software. It’s a litmus test, and when applications don’t take into account the language aspect of the UI image, sooner or later they will fail at this gate eventually. Think about it: why should a great app grab the user’s attention just because it’s in a different language? Language used to be a big barrier before, but not anymore. What good is it to be in the app economy and the 21st century, if we let language get in the way even now?