Why It's Important to Localize Your App

If your app’s a success in your home market, then the chances are it has the potential to be just as popular in international markets. So why limit your market share with just one version of your app? The app market is phenomenally large – predicted to reach US$77 billion by 2017; and more than half of the world’s mobile subscribers are based in Asia/Pacific.

Added to that the growing demand for smartphone technology in developing countries in Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that if you only offer your app at home, then you’re greatly limiting your potential for future growth and profit.

Be More Than Just Available

Being available in the Appstore in different countries is just the first step. Your app needs to be localized to your target audience in different countries. What does that mean? That your texts need to be translated, your source code needs to be worked on and, like your local SEO; your ASO (app store optimization) needs to use local search terms and keywords to increase your visibility in the App Store and appeal to customers in different markets.

Deliver the Right Message

Localizing your app will make sure that you deliver the right message to the right people, and by correctly choosing the app name, logo and using keywords in the description and title, you’ll increase your visibility and download rate. Make sure that you study your audience carefully so that you know if there’s a realistic demand for your app in the places you want to launch it.

Internationalize Your App’s Code

If you already have your app launched, then internationalization will most likely require that you adjust your software to ensure that it takes regional formats into account. It will be easier to plan for internationalization of your app’s source code in the introductory stages so that you can get it written to be multiple languages friendly.

Check Out the Competition

After you’ve profiled your audience and gotten your app’s texts translated and localized, be sure to conduct a competitive analysis to see what competing companies are doing. You may need to change the color of your app’s icon or certain features for different markets, and checking out what your peers are doing is always a good benchmark. Not to copy, but to improve on or learn from.

While you may not have a budget for app localization, or may not think you have a budget for app localization, with 95% of the world’s population subscribed to mobile phones, even if your app is in its infancy, the potential for future profits will by far outweigh the cost, positioning your app for global success.

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