Professional localisation services

Languages don’t always match up one-to-one. While some languages prefer long sentences, others tend to be more to the point. And sometimes standard translation can struggle with these discrepancies. That is where localisation comes in: it goes one step further than translation to ensure that the final result sounds completely natural to the target audience. Read on to find out how LEaF Translations can help you tailor your content to your international audiences.

Rated 5 stars
Read our reviews

2,000 trees planted and counting…

Localisation for unstoppable international growth

If you are looking to expand into new markets, you need to gain the trust of a whole new audience. Language can play a key part here and can help you truly connect with your potential customers. LEaF Translations’ localisation services ensure that your texts are not just translated into a different language, but perfectly tailored to the target audience in question.

This has a positive impact on how your message, your product or your service is received. It will also increase the chances of your potential customers feeling like you are communicating directly with them. Bad translations and texts that aren’t properly localised can have the exact opposite effect – they can make people feel like they are not being valued and can even go so far as to put people off completely.

The benefits of localisation:

Content is adapted to the target audience
Increases the chance your messaging, products and services will be well-received
Fully customised texts
Forges trust
Increases customer loyalty

Speak the language of your customers with properly localised websites, landing pages, product detail pages, blog articles and more. It will boost sales for your products and services, and will help to create the trust required to attract loyal customers.

Get a quote for your localisation project

What does localisation mean?

Like a translation, a localisation involves adapting a text for a different language or market. But localisation also goes one step further than this. As we touched on above, the language and content is also adapted so it is perfectly tailored to the target audience in question. In other words, localisation is a translation that also takes local cultural differences into account.

Here’s an example:

Localisation is really important when it comes to the English language. Is “trainers” the right word for your target audience? Or do they use “sneakers” or “tekkies”? Depending on the answer to this question, you will require a localisation for the British, US or South African audience. Similarly, if you are from the USA and you are going on holiday, you are highly unlikely to use the word “holiday” – instead you will talk about “taking a vacation”.

If you fail to take these specific cultural considerations into account, you can come across as rude, you might put your foot in it or, in some cases, you simply won’t be understood. Localisations are really key whenever the context is important or when you want to get a specific message across.

What is the difference between localisation and translation?

Localisation is essentially a translation that has been tailored to the specific target audience. Localisations convey the meaning of one text into another (often in a different language, although not always), and go one step further, adapting the content precisely to the target audience. As a result, localisation is more specific than translation. It takes the audience to the place they feel most at home: their direct cultural surroundings.

Texts ideal for translation:	Texts that are better localised:
Technical datasheets	Websites
Legal documents	Marketing
Contracts	Keywords
Financial documents	SEO-optimised texts

Should I localise or translate my content?

Whether you should head down the localisation or translation route is not just a question of the type of text – if you want to influence rather than just inform, then we would always recommend localisation. This is because localisation involves adapting the text to the intricacies of the local culture – something that is not always the case with translation.

This is not to bad-mouth translation – in fact, research shows that translating a website is almost always worthwhile. The results of the 2020 “Can’t read, won’t buy” study by CSA Research confirm this: the market research institute surveyed around 9,000 consumers across 29 countries on their preferences during the customer journey. They looked into the impact of the content being in their native language versus in a foreign language, such as English.

The results were clear: if you aren’t willing to translate your online content into the local language, you will lose customers:

67% of the respondents said that they were okay with multilingual websites
76% preferred products with information in their own language
40% said that they don’t buy from websites in other languages

If you want to capture an audience and impress them with your message, product, service or brand, then you need localisation to adapt your content into their language and to their culture.

Do I need to localise every type of content?

As we mentioned above, there are some types of text where conveying an emotional message is less of an issue. Operating instructions, for example, mostly just need to be easy to understand and written clearly. Contracts, legal documents and financial texts are based on facts, objectivity and logic. For this type of content, the emphasis is on professional translation by an expert in the respective field.

Which content do I definitely need to localise?

The more emotive the messaging and the more precise the feelings and motivations it is designed to provoke, the more important localisation is. If you are looking to sell products, services or ideas overseas, then you need to localise your marketing and website content.

Content that sells products, services or ideas need to be localised!

This essentially includes everything related to marketing and PR. From websites to brochures, press releases to newsletters, and even menus. All of these types of content are designed to persuade. Achieving the correct “tone of voice” is key here. Professional localisations demonstrate cultural dexterity and a high level of marketing expertise.

Localisations: for increased credibility

Working with professional native speaker translators helps you to avoid errors during your translation and localisation process. If you want to go one step further and ensure that your foreign-language content is both credible and authentic, look no further than LEaF Translations’ expert team of experienced professionals.

Imagine that you are localising a text from English into German. The article is about slippers. Did you know that there are dozens of words for slippers in German? Puschen, Latschen, Pantoffeln, Schlappen, Finken, Schlapfen, Patschen and more… And the correct word depends on which part of Germany, Switzerland or Austria you are addressing. There are six different words for slippers in the German region of Bavaria alone! Language doesn’t always respect national borders – just consider all the different words for bread rolls in the UK (baps, rolls, buns, muffins, cobs, etc.)

As you can see, the geographical distance doesn’t have to be as great as that between the UK and the United States to justify a professional localisation. Wherever your target audience may be, localisation will lend you greater authenticity and credibility, so you can persuade your international audience as successfully as you persuade your local customers.

Work with LEaF for native speakers with local cultural knowledge

This is exactly why our native-speaker translators always translate into their mother tongue, for their own local culture. We believe it is the only way to ensure that your content is translated and localised properly – to produce a text that is not just error-free, but that truly stands out thanks to its locally crafted nuances.

After all, when it comes to a high-quality localisation, it is not just the choice of words and the context that matter – it is also the emotions and associations that the content evokes. Only professional native-speaker translators have the skill and finesse to achieve this.

Click here to work with our professional native speakers

Machine translation & AI – a word of warning

Machine translation tools and artificial intelligence have come on leaps and bounds in recent years. Some are now even able to translate idioms correctly. But not all and not always.

Despite all the algorithms, language lives and breathes through the images and emotions it evokes in people. And who is better able to achieve this same effect in translations and localisations – AI or highly experienced translators from the local culture?

Here at LEaF Translations we have decades of experience in translation and localisation and we are convinced: the more emotive the messaging in a text, the more important it is to work with expert native-speaker translators to ensure the localised version of the text is as effective as the original.

LEaF Translations – your experts in translation and localisation

LEaF Translations’ story began several years ago with German to English translations and localisations. We now work in multiple language combinations – covering all the main European languages and some global ones too – and are here to help localise your content for your specific target audience. Despite our wealth of experience in a number of different sectors, we specialise in a few in particular:

Website localisation and translation

Expand to new markets, reach out to new international audiences and win over a whole new base of customers – LEaF Translations is your perfect localisation partner when it comes to localising your website content. Genuine SEO expertise, a wealth of experience in website translation and lots of highly satisfied customers – three good reasons to entrust your content localisation to our experienced team.

Keyword localisation & SEO-optimised translations

Thanks to the internet and its search engines, a whole new field of expertise has emerged in the worlds of translation and copywriting. Websites need content and, if they want to be found and seen, they need SEO-optimised content. And this is just as true for your foreign-language websites as it is for your primary market. Lucky for you, LEaF Translations specialises in SEO translation and keyword localisation. Email hello@leaftranslations.com to find out more!

Localisations for the tourist industry

The tourist industry is by nature an international one and if you are part of the sector, many of your customers will be from overseas. By translating your content into their native language, you can really stand out from the crowd.

Here at LEaF Translations, we are on a mission to rid the world of badly translated hotel websites, museum information and restaurant menus. Our marketing translations are perfectly adapted to their international audience – whether they be for restaurants, tourist associations or travel agents.

Marketing localisations

Marketing is all about using language to achieve a specific objective, but literal translations of marketing content very rarely evoke the same emotions as the original. Here at LEaF Translations, we see ourselves as writers first, then translators. Our passion for language allows us to localise your marketing copy so it really hits home. From PowerPoint presentations to product catalogues…

We are here to localise your content

Are you looking for a localisation partner with genuine expertise? Then you’ve come to the right place. Regardless of the type of text, we will use all of our experience and skill to localise it for the very best results.

We are based in York in the United Kingdom. We regularly translate and localise from English into a range of different languages (French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, etc.) as well as from different languages into English. We also offer localisations from British English to American English and vice versa.

Whatever your desired language combination, work with us for content that will put you in the best place to expand into new markets and increase your customer base. Your brand is precious, don’t put it in the hands of machines!

Instead, rely on LEaF Translations for localised texts that will help your brand and your company flourish and grow.

Request a quote for your project