Since few decades, if you have observed carefully, there is a gradual decline in the importance of English and world languages are raising as business languages. As a proof, you will also see blooming of foreign language and the can be attributed to other countries’ economic growth. Because of its sheer size, China, for example, has always represented a massive potential market. It is now stepping into the limelight and playing an important role on the global stage. Other regions in Asia, Africa, and Oceania are expanding their influence in the global digital landscape. And this is not the end of the story…
We have compiled important statistics and facts from internet that make it clear that your company’s ability to survive and thrive in the global marketplace greatly depends on your ability to embrace new cultures and languages. This will help you understand why localization is important for surviving in today’s interconnected business world. Localizing your product to suit new markets will increase your consumer base as well as your business’s growth and profitability. Let’s begin.
- 9% of the world’s internet users are in Asia
According to https://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm, 54.9% users browse internet from Asian countries. Therefore, you might think about heading in the direction of the Asian markets if you want to establish your business in foreign seas to reach more individuals. As you are aware, not all Asian countries prefer English as their primary language for business communication as well as marketing. You cannot think of entering these marketing without adding localization approach. Same case exists for European countries where the number might be less but the penetration rates are much higher.
- More than 50% of all queries on Google are in languages other than English
In non-native English-speaking nations, internet usage has been increasing at an amazing rate. In order to accommodate linguistically diversified users who are responsible for more than half of all Google queries that are generated in languages other than English, search engines have also undergone a significant evolution over time.
- Approximately 40% of internet users never make purchases from websites that are not localized.
Although most of the internet content is in English, many internet users do not speak or read the language. Approximately 40% of internet users will never buy from websites that are not in their native language and will simply stay on your website if you localize the content into their native tongue.
- Non-native English markets account for 7 of the top ten iOS download markets and 9 of the top ten Google Play download markets.
Non-native English markets dominate app download charts on both iOS and Google Play. Meanwhile, mature markets such as the United States continue to see consistent numbers, though localized markets have shown more growth in recent years.
To summarize, after reading all the above statistics and facts, you must have understood the gravity of the market situation and immense urge to talk to people with context to their own lifestyle and culture. Localization is and going to play prominent role in customer engagement and business growth in the near future.
