5 Localization Challenges to Expect When Entering a New Market and 5 Solutions to Overcome Them

In today’s globalized world, many businesses are actively expanding into international markets. While this can bring significant rewards, it also presents several localization challenges. To ensure your brand succeeds in new markets, you must navigate and overcome these obstacles. Lionbridge, as an experienced localization service provider, can help businesses tackle these issues, ensuring that your content and brand message resonate effectively across the globe. Below are five common localization challenges businesses face when entering new markets, along with solutions to ensure your content makes a lasting impact.

1. Communication Involves More Than Just Language

When entering a new market, many businesses focus primarily on translating language, often overlooking the cultural differences that influence communication. While translating the language is important, the true challenge lies in how to convey content and messages that are culturally relevant. Different countries and regions have varying perceptions of colors, symbols, images, and design styles, all of which can impact how your brand message is received. For example, while red may symbolize passion and good fortune in Western cultures, in some Asian cultures, it may represent danger or a warning.

The Fix
At Lionbridge, we approach localization through three distinct lenses:

• Perceptual Level: How people in a culture interpret sensory input.
• Symbolic Level: Cultural norms and semiotic meanings, like those attributed to colors, symbols, and myths.
• Value Level: The values and beliefs that guide decisions in daily life.

By reviewing your content and design through these three lenses, we can identify cultural nuances and make necessary adjustments. This ensures your brand’s message aligns with your audience, allowing them to truly engage with what you’re saying.

2. Brand Voice Can Clash with Cultural Norms

Different cultures have varied communication preferences, especially in terms of formality and individual versus group orientation. For instance, in the U.S., casual and friendly tones are preferred, especially in advertising. However, in Japan, the language used in communication is heavily influenced by the status of the speaker and listener, making a casual brand voice unsuitable. Similarly, a brand that emphasizes individuality in a highly collectivist culture may not resonate as strongly.

The Fix
Cultural disconnects like these run deep. To address them, businesses need a comprehensive understanding of the target culture. It’s not just about language—it's about adapting your brand’s voice to meet local communication preferences. At Lionbridge, our team is immersed in the target market, helping ensure that your brand voice is culturally appropriate and impactful, fostering stronger connections with your new audience.

3. Localization Takes Time and Investment

Localization is a time-consuming process that requires significant investment. Many businesses rush through it to save time, but this can result in poor-quality outcomes. According to the Content Marketing Institute and Marketing Profs, brands that release ineffective content are 40% less likely to generate sales. Rushing localization can lead to missed opportunities and a diluted brand image.

The Fix
Localization should be treated as an investment, not a quick fix. Effective localization pays off in the form of global revenue and brand loyalty. At Lionbridge, we understand the importance of taking the time to get it right. We recommend focusing on concise, high-quality content that can be localized effectively, without oversimplifying or losing substance. Our team helps you craft content that balances brevity with meaningful engagement, ensuring a lasting impact in the new market.

4. Translation Affects Design

Language translation impacts more than just the words—it can affect the entire design of your website, app, or marketing materials. For instance, certain phrases may be longer or shorter in different languages, causing problems with text fitting within design elements like buttons. Additionally, languages like Arabic or Hebrew are written right-to-left, which poses challenges for websites designed with left-to-right text flow in mind.

The Fix
A centralized localization strategy is key. At Lionbridge, we coordinate across multiple teams—designers, content creators, SEO experts, and more—to ensure your content is consistent and relevant across all languages. By working together, we ensure that the design of your website or app adapts seamlessly to different languages and writing systems, creating a user-friendly experience in any market.

5. Prepare Your Infrastructure Before You Start Localizing

Successful localization relies on having the right infrastructure in place. If your company’s technology systems can’t support global operations, even the best localized content may not work as intended. Consider factors such as whether your content management system supports the characters and accents in your target language, or if it can properly handle local currencies, date formats, and measurement units.

The Fix
Before beginning localization, businesses need to ensure their infrastructure can handle the demands of a global operation. This includes reviewing your content management system, e-commerce functionalities, and workflow designs to ensure they support multi-language and multi-currency requirements. At Lionbridge, we work with companies to ensure their systems are fully prepared for global operations, making the localization process smoother and more efficient.

Conclusion

Entering new markets requires more than just translating your content into a different language—it involves understanding and adapting to cultural, technical, and business nuances. Lionbridge, with over 20 years of experience in localization and globalization, helps businesses overcome these challenges and ensures their content resonates with new audiences. Our team provides tailored localization strategies that make sure your message is effective, culturally appropriate, and aligned with your global goals.

Contact us today to learn how Lionbridge can help your business succeed in a new market and communicate like a local from day one.

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