Why Every Developer Should Localize Their App

Alex Valaitis — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 17:41:34 +0000

A few years ago I went to a talk by one of the early developers at Facebook.

Out of all of the growth features that Facebook launched in the early days, only 1 out-performed all of their forecasts...

That feature was localization.

Ever since that talk, I have always prioritized localizing my apps as soon as possible, and it has paid MASSIVE dividends.

But I've noticed that many developers still choose to ignore localization for far too long.

(Most likely because they think it's too costly or complex)

This post will explain WHY localization matters and HOW to implement it in the most efficient way possible.

Why You Should Care About Localization

I think most developers intuitively understand why localization is a good idea, but let's highlight some of the key reasons:

1) Global Reach = Bigger User Base

Only 25% of internet users speak English, so by supporting multiple languages, you tap into the other 75%, opening up growth opportunities in less competitive regions.

2) Improved User Experience

Users are more likely to stay if your app feels native to their language. Localization boosts accessibility and engagement by creating a personalized experience.

3) Higher Conversion Rates

72% of consumers prefer buying in their native language. Localized apps convert better, leading to more in-app purchases, subscriptions, and user engagement.

4) Better SEO for International Markets

Localized content improves your app’s visibility in global search results, helping it rank higher when users search in different languages.

Localization Best Practices

Alright now assuming that I have convinced you of the benefits of localization, let's talk about how to save yourself some headaches:

1) Plan Ahead with Flexible Text Storage

Store all user-facing text in external files like .json from the start, so it’s easy to extract and translate later without touching your core code.

2) Automate Locale-Sensitive Formatting

Make sure your app automatically adjusts for region-specific formats, such as dates, times, and currencies, to ensure correct display across different countries.

3) Handle Text Expansion

Ensure your UI can accommodate longer translations without breaking layouts. This helps prevent overflow issues when translating shorter text into languages that take up more space.

4) Use AI-Powered Automation

Automating the translation process with LLMs saves significant time, especially for apps that update frequently.

I used to work with human translation vendors but it was extremely expensive/slow. Not to mention LLMs are really good at this. (It was the original use case for LLMs after all).

The Simplest Way to Implement Localization

Alright this is a shameless plug, BUT... I just launched a localization product that solved all the problems I've had with localization in the past.

The product is called Blendin.

Here's how we enable developers to localize their entire app in just 4 steps:

(Note this flow is for React, but we list out other flows on our site)

1) Install the Blendin CLI and React SDK

npm install -g @blendin/cli
npm install @blendin/sdk-react

2) Wrap your application in the BlendinProvider

import { BlendinProvider } from '@blendin/sdk-react';
import blendinConfig from './blendin.json';

export const App = () => {
  return (
    <BlendinProvider config={blendinConfig}>
              <HomeScreen />
          </BlendinProvider>
  )
}

3) Use the t hook to tag text you want translated

import { useTranslation } from '@blendin/sdk-react';

export const HomeScreen = () => {
  const { t } = useTranslation();

  return (
    <div>
              <p>{t('This text will be automatically translated by Blendin')}</p>
           </div>
  )
}

4) Run blendin translate to generate the translation files

blendin translate

Follow these steps and BOOM, your entire app is translated. Just like that.

And the best part is that we'll let you translate to your first 2 locales entirely for free.

Oh and so you don't think I'm only shilling our app, I encourage you to research other products like: Lokalise, Crowdin, Phrase.

I am confident you will find that none of these alternatives are as developer friendly as Blendin. (Believe me, I wish they were)

Conclusion

Regardless of whether you use Blendin or not, I hope you all take away this one point from this article:

Localize your app ASAP frens!

Your users will thank you 😊

DEV Community: Alex Valaitis

Why Every Developer Should Localize Their App

Why You Should Care About Localization

Localization Best Practices

The Simplest Way to Implement Localization

Conclusion