6. Content Planning used to ignore the World…
6
• No localization... Well, until after
• Incomplete content strategy
• No understanding of global markets per
content type
7. …generating results like the Dark Ages
• Bad for Translators, SMEs &
End users
• Bad for content
• And we haven’t even
checked whether it’s
relevant or nice
8. A new dawn
8
• Content and Product Marketing
acknowledges localization
– Creation strategy defined
– Localization strategy implemented
– Success defined and measurable
– Follow-up being defined
• Including all the support required:
– Planning now acknowledges content creation, localization
and local market feedback
– Strategy owners identified
– Clear roles, responsibilities, expectations
– Clear roles, responsibilities and expectations set
• Localization Director hired
A new dawn!
9. Localizing the future SDL.com
9
• A controlled process for
– Translators
– Subject Matter Experts (Reviewers)
– End users
• Concretely
– Clear source material, incl. context
– Clear, well defined terms, styles, positioning
– Clear KPIs to work against for all stakeholders
– Constructive production follow-up based on
transparently managed expectations
• And this time, we will even
check whether it’s relevant
and nice!
11. Process evaluation & Updating the rules
From siloes to integrated processes
11
Plan
Branding guidelines & Web requirements
Localization requirements & Translation rules
Prepare Develop Test Roll-out
12. • Media with embedded text
• Character limitation
• Line breaks
• Formatting & Notations
• Keywords & Labels
• Policies & Data privacy
12
Areas that need specific attention
13. • SDL Web / SDL TMS
• Digital Media Management
• Geo location targeted content
• Best practices from the field
– Global roll-out
– URL, SEO, etc.
13
Technology supporting localization
14. • Embed localization in your content strategy
• Combine web and localization requirements
• Review the rules, not the sentences
• Look for technology that facilitates
understanding
14
Key takeaways
Introducing the topic
Welcome everyone. This session is a case presentation on website development and the challenges we have dealt with on content localization. We will give you a view from a web development perspective and from a localization perspective. We see opportunities to improve the localization activities and optimize the visitor experience on localized websites. We will give you an insight on that best practice.
Maria Schnell
VP Global Language Offices, SDL
Responsible for language production, incl.
Translation & Localization
Engineering, Testing, Desktop Publishing
Rich Media Production
Supply Chain
Stuttgart Based
Joost Comperen
Global Web Channel Manager, SDL
Responsible for SDL websites, incl.
Design & Requirements
Development & Testing
Content Localization
Deployment & Roll-out
Amsterdam based
To start with, let me explaining the global website set-up that we have with which we are managing our international website and local language websites.
Probably not to your surprise we use SDL technology and services to manage our global web presence.
We are using SDL Web and SDL TMS which has an integration that takes away the burden of copying an pasting files for translation. We can collect content items in a translation job and send that over to TMS. After the translation is completed in the requested languages, the translated content is automatically retrieved back in the web system in the local website level.
SDL Web’s BluePrinting functionality helps us building and managing our international and local websites in a central environment. We use the digital media management model for videos, images and pdf files. And we have an integration with Marketo and Salesforce. We are using Mareketo forms on our website for lead generation and we use the lead nurturing capabilities of Marketo. Contact data eventually lands in Salesforce.
SDL TMS helps us manage the translation tasks with the translators and reviewers. And it gives us an insight into translation volume and cost. The translators are equipped with a terminology glossary that contains terms and phrases that are specific to our business and terms that define the offerings and messaging of SDL. And a crucial part of TMS is the translation memory that records all sentences. With every new translation the translator will be served with present translations and can then focus on translating the updates of that content, the delta. This saves time and money.
In terms of website localization the Website editors and Subject Matter Experts from the SDL Marketing department play an important role in the localization process in cooperation with the Translators and Linguistic reviewers in the Translation Services department. The project manager plays a vital role to orchestrate it all.
Here is a simplistic view of a typical web development process. Based on a project roadmap the design and requirements preparation is done in order to bring the project into a scrum process. There is a series of different test done to assure the quality of the web delivery to that shows well in multiple browsers and devices. The roll out phase is where the content is applied, translated and reviewed. This results in a global launch of a new website, a part of the site or a piece of functionality. We evaluate in a development project retrospective and we’re done. On to the next project which has already prepared for.
HOWEVER
Looking back at previous web project deliveries and then the larger ones, we have to acknowledge that the main focus is on the web development process and the localization part has been treated as side project. That is not fair and it is also not bringing the desired results on the local language websites. Looking at the process side of things, we’ve seen that we:
Only English in mind with web page design. Were designing new web pages with only English content in mind. We have been running into issues typically in areas where there is limited text space. Translating to the German language for example can make sentences 1.5 times longer.
Localization requirements not taken into account. Were making functional requirements without checking the consequences of choices for local websites. An example are bread crumbs that require specific implementation to allow ourselves to treat bread crumb words / phrases as content. We can then include that in the content translation process.
Testing with sample localized content. Were have not been testing the freshly developed product on local websites with local sample content. We learned later that it would have revealed areas that require specific attention to get an optimal result on our local language websites. I have a few examples of that later.
Time squeeze for localization. Were pushing the translations and review at the end into a time squeeze quite often. You’re unlucky if your at end of the process and the delivery date doesn’t shift, despite the slack built in. We have seen that the quality of the translation had to be repaired in a few weeks after the go live moment.
This was a view on localization challenges from web development and roll-out. Let me hand over to Maria to understand what the perspective is of the localization team.
How do we create content – reuse vs creativity
Localization as an afterthought
No planning
No guidelines
No time
No follow-up
No feedback loop
Content strategy undefined
How do we create content?
Which rules do we follow during creation?
How do we identify and map our non English buyers personas and journeys
Lack of understanding of global markets per content type.
Who is our local target group?
How should we localize our positioning.
How far should we really go with this?
How can we translate this into guidelines?
How do we follow-up on those guidelines?
Uncontrolled process for:
Translators …do not understand the source and improvise…scramble to make deadlines
Subject Matter Experts (Reviewers)…are absent…skip most content, since there’s not enough time (they have a day job to be getting on with)…have unrealistic expectations
…unwilling to help
End users...can’t find what they’re looking for
Inconsistent, unclear source material
Thousands of unclear terms
Inconsistent terminology, styles, messaging
Undefined terminology, styles, positioning
Years of non-reviewed content
Inconsistent, preferential and destructive feedback
How do we create content – reuse vs creativity
Content and Product Marketing acknowledges localization
Creation strategy defined
Brand positioning shared
Localization briefing created from there
Localization strategy agreed and defined
Localization strategy being defined, implemented, rolled-out
Per content type
Per target group (client base)
Per market
Success defined and measurable
For source and target content
Time/cost/quality
Constructive feedback process established
Post production review
Following pre-defined SLA's
Content and Product Marketing acknowledges localization
Creation strategy defined
Localization strategy implemented
Success defined and measurable
Follow-up being defined
Including all the support required:
Planning now acknowledges content creation, localization and local market feedback
Strategy owners identified
Clear roles, responsibilities, expectations
Clear roles, responsibilities and expectations set
Localization Director hired
A well oiled machine.
Translators …know what’s coming their way…Foundations are set - clear guidance and support - terminology and style guide
Subject Matter Experts (Reviewers)…focus on what’s relevant…Their valuable time is spent more wisely
End users...can get what they need
This best practice for web site localization is asking for more consideration in the process of website development. Let’s see how this rolls forward.
We have acknowledged that localization was treated as a side activity and we were actually working in siloes with some points of interaction.
In our new approach we will streamline web and localization activities in every step from planning to roll-out.
The planning phase is becoming very important to understand the marketing requirement for the web project with respect to localization. It is understanding the type of content and alignment on localization requirements and the translation rules. Regardless the size of the project, this is an essential step that will reveal the expected amount of work involved doing the translations and linguistic review. The project initiation document will include the localization timing details in the test and roll-out phase.
In the evaluation of the project we will not just look at the process but we will also look at result on the local websites and identify areas that require us to update the translation rules. This will beneficial for any future translation activity.
To give an idea what details to focus on with developing website for multiple languages and countries here are a few things we have learned:
Media with embedded text – Requires content planning and reserve enough time to manage this. Channel local marketing needs and orchestrate this as parallel track together with the teams that produce the media items (images, videos).
Character limitation – It makes a big difference in the localization process when a web page design allows for text flowing without character limits. If you include areas with limited text space it’ll require a specific communication to translators and reviewers.
Line breaks – Titles and headings often allow text flowing to multiple lines. That is a good thing for the localization process, but the website does not always make the line break on the correct place in the sentence. This is often the case with Asian languages. Allow the ability to create line breaks manually by your editors.
Formatting & Notations – Think of formatting of dates, time, time zones that can be different on a specific language site or could adjust based on geo location. There are differences in order, character, punctuation, etc.
Keywords & Labels – Include keywords and labels, which are usually used across the entire website, in your content plan
Policies & Data privacy – pretty obvious as there are difference in privacy policies and regulations in the countries and continents around the world. It takes more time to manage this then you think.
In addition to all we said, we are looking for opportunities in using technology that makes localization of content easier and that brings a better result on local websites.
SDL Web / TMS
Preview translations in context of the website
Digital Media Management
Assets: images, documents, videos
Asset tagging with language code that matches the language code of local sites
Asset localization for (language code)
Geo targeting
SDL.com international website can be more relevant with targeted content
Best practices from the field
Full website localization to make sure all content is localized
URL localization
Country / language specific SEO
Embed localization in the content strategy
Requires Planning, Cooperation, Rules and Clear expectations
Combine web and localization requirements
Tackle as much as you can in the design and requirements phase.
In every step of the web project, ask yourself “How will this work on a local language website?”
Review the rules, not the sentences
Take away the burden of for your subject matter experts and let them bring value in a sustainable way.
Look for technology that facilitates understanding
Research the technology options that can help you delivering a even better experience in all parts of the world.
Thank you for listening and we are now opening up for questions.