What is Localization (l10n)?

Localization (l10n) is of making something specific to a particular location, including language, culture, legal and compliance, imagery, or financial modifications.

For instance, if you Google a subject, sometimes you will see an option to translate a link which is in another language. This means Google has found relevant content for you but knows it is not written in your native tongue. Or if you go to a European online store, prices are listed in Euros, and can be converted to USD if necessary.

Localization Use Cases

• Content Localization: Used in marketing to target customers based on factors such as interests, language, age, currency, device (a different view of a website is displayed for mobile and web applications) and geographic location. The goal is to increase the possibility of a customer buying a product or service, clicking on a link, reading web content, or responding to a survey. For instance, a local retailer may display a list of the closest outlets in a shopper’s area where a particular product is in stock and provide contact details for the store.
• Website Localization: Social, business and news networks use website localization to serve relevant feeds and advertisements to website visitors, and personalize the digital experience.
• IP Geolocation: IP geolocation maps a device's IP address to a geographic location, providing location information such as the country, region, state, city, zip code, latitude and longitude coordinates, currency, ISP or mobile carrier, etc. It is the same as content localization, but in this instance, the process of contextualizing content by location is automated. For instance, a global eCommerce website will usually identify where a shopper is located in order to display prices in the user’s currency. Website localization uses IP geolocation to instantly serve relevant content.