What is mobile app localization?

App localization is when all elements of an app are adapted so they suit the linguistic, cultural, and technical requirements of the targeted markets. This means localizing everything including the terminology used in the app and any cultural references as well as audio-visual content. The elements of the app are recreated so that the users are convinced that the app was initially developed in their native language.  The following parts of an app should be localized:

• audio including spoken words, sound effects, and music, 
• colors that suit the targeted culture and country;
• date, currency, and number formats.
• design features, which are when an app is adapted for a right-to-left language or as languages with different characters.
• faqs,
• images, 
• pictures,
• terms and conditions, 
• text embedded in graphics, 
• user instructions.

Of course, there’s no point localizing your app for global use unless enough people are downloading it.

Marketing a company’s app in the Android and iOS stores means it is available around the globe. However, there’s a large gap between what’s considered globally available and globally accessible. Even if the mobile app has been translated into dozens of languages, localization still needs to be done.

Why mobile app localization?

It gives your business the chance to increase its reach not by just making it available but also makes it more appealing to those who reside in different countries.

How to localize your app or game for German

As with all Mobile App Localization, there are specific features that attention needs to be focused on.

-Understand the German language

An important aspect of mobile app localization is the translating of text into other languages. For example for the German language, the following should be considered:

All names and nouns are capitalized.

-Understand the German use of the font

You need to understand German font so you need to check that the font to be used supports German’s special characters Ä, ä, Ö, ö, Ü, ü the “sharps” character ß

When translated to German there are longer sentences and longer words so that the text can take up to more than 30% more space than would be found in English. The app design needs to look good in German as if that is the language the app has been designed for.

-Punctuation hint

A colon (“:”) is more often used than a hyphen (“-”). 

-Understand German cultural nuances

Choose whether you wish to use informal or formal German. This will not have much of an impact on search results in the app store, but it is part of a business’s branding and sets the tone for how app users are spoken to. App localization is a marketing channel, so it is important to “speak” in the same way as the targeted audience.  

Typically, German speakers prefer games and apps in German, but it is usual to keep some words in English, like fitness, workout, and online game. You just need to conduct some research to find out what words are used in both English and German.

When beginning the translation of your app, the first thing you need to do is to adapt your app’s title and description. Following that you should focus on seeking out the best German keywords so that your visibility is increased. Don’t try using auto-translation tools because even though they are fast translators they often use not only awkward words but incorrect keywords – particularly in German. For example, a translation of “mobile phone” would be “Mobiltelefon” even though most native German speakers call it simply “Handy”.

-Research Your Competitors

This is a great way to discover whether your app localization is a success as you will start to see an increase in sales of your product compared to your competitors.

-Checking your app analytics

There are many online resources for checking your mobile app analytics such as the following:

• Mixpanel.
• Localytics.
• Countly.
• App Annie.
• iOS App Analytics.
• Indicative.
• Flurry Analytics and
• Firebase.

-Check Your App Reviews

To ensure your app localization has been a success you should regularly check app reviews as these give you the insight you need if improvements to your app in German are required.

The post How to Localise your Mobile App or Game in German appeared first on Aussie German Translation.