Are you ready for these game-changing localization trends in 2024?
As we begin 2024, new technologies and changing consumer behaviours are shaping the future of localization.
The global language services market size hit $ 72.1 Billion USD in 2023. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach $ 108.9 Billion USD by 2032. That’s a growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6% during 2024-2032.
But what can we expect in the next few years?
Here’s the top localization trends that are set to revolutionize the industry in 2024 and beyond.
The Ascent of Machine Learning in Localization
By now, we’re familiar with the benefits of machine learning. Language models learn from its experiences and gets better over time without requiring any manual programming.
Now, let’s imagine the powerful impact this could have on your localization projects.
In the blink of an eye, translations become more accurate and quicker, making it a breeze to break into new markets and connect with a variety of audiences.
We’re not just talking about simple translation here. We’re talking about understanding and interpreting the intricacies of language and cultural nuances, things that have traditionally been a bit of a headache.
But with machine learning stepping up its game, these challenges are becoming a thing of the past.
Let’s use e-commerce as an example. Picture this – you’re an American shopper browsing a French e-commerce site. You add a chic beret to your cart (when in Rome, or in this case, Paris), but then you hit a snag. The product description is in French, the prices are in euros, and the payment options are unfamiliar. Frustrating, isn’t it?
Now, imagine the same scenario but with everything customized to your comfort zone – product descriptions in English, prices in dollars, and payment options that you regularly use. Feels like a breath of fresh air, right? That’s the power of localization.
Don’t miss out.
Increase in Voice-Based Localization
“Alexa, what’s the weather like?” “Siri, set a reminder for my meeting.” Sounds familiar, right?
Voice assistants are prevalent in our day-to-day lives. As we talk more to our gadgets, businesses will need to ensure they’re ready to respond, no matter where their customers are or what language or dialect they’re speaking.
When your audience around the globe asks their voice assistant about your product or service, you want them to receive a response that’s not only accurate but also culturally relevant and in their native language.
So, it’s beyond time to localize voice search capabilities. It’s all about tweaking and tuning your content so it works seamlessly with voice assistants, making the user experience smoother than ever, regardless of where they are in the world.
This involves understanding the intent behind the search, the local lingo, and the cultural context. It’s about making sure the voice assistant can understand a user asking for the “nearest gas station” in the US and the “nearest petrol station” in the UK, at the very least.
In a nutshell, voice-based localization is about more than just understanding and speaking the customer’s language – it’s about understanding and responding to their needs in a way that feels natural and intuitive.
For more, check this article on Voice Data Collection Challenges (And Why We Overcome Them).
Multilingual Customer Support Services
As businesses grow and reach out to new markets, there’s an increasing need to chat, email, or talk in the customer’s native language. It’s about catching the cultural connotations, the way certain phrases are used, the colloquial terms, and even the local sense of humour.
Remember, the customer must feel understood, and cared for. So, when they hear or read their own language on the other end, it doesn’t just make communication easier; it builds a bridge of trust and familiarity.
For every second chatbots can shave off average call centre handling times, for example, call centres can save as much as $1 million in annual customer service costs.
AI chatbots are always there, ready to help 24/7, every day of the year. Chatbots cut the cost of customer support while speeding up response times.
By one estimate, AI-powered conversational solutions reduce customer service costs by up to 30%. Maybe that’s why 56% of companies say that they’re investing in conversational AI technology to improve cross-channel experiences, according to Deloitte.
Sophisticated voice recognition systems require large volumes of speech data encompassing a broad spectrum of human interactions.
In this way, they can recognize different people’s speech in a variety of circumstances, allowing conversation to be as natural as possible.
Now, these are just a few localization trends for 2024. A trusted language service provider will be able to keep you up to date on these trends and all the rest.
Let Us Help with Your Localization Challenges This Year
With our expertise in data collection, annotation, testing, localization and translation solutions, and staffing and project management solutions, we’re geared up to take on the future.
Our technology-enabled solutions blend automation with human expertise, ensuring that you get the best of both worlds.
If you’re a global, content-rich company grappling with multilingual data challenges, our services are designed to alleviate your stress. We help you connect with your customers in a way that feels personal and genuine, no matter where they are.
We’re big on a hybrid machine translation approach that combines multiple MT techniques or systems with human post-editing. You might also refer to it as Post-Edited Machine Translation (PEMT), Machine Translation Post-Editing (MTPE), or Machine-Aided Translation (MAT).
Whatever you call it, the result is an improvement in translation and localization quality and accuracy, at a lower cost.
