Localization testing is a type of software testing to ensure that a product or application is adapted to meet the linguistic, cultural, and regional requirements of a specific target market. This type of testing verifies that the software is correctly adapted to the needs and expectations of local users. 

Localization testing involves checking various elements such as language translation, date and time formats, currency, symbols, icons, and graphics to ensure they are appropriate for the targeted market. Localization testing is essential to ensure software quality and usability in different markets and to avoid cultural misunderstandings or linguistic errors.

Best practices and language quality assurance tips from Alconost

As a reputable company specializing in localization for software, games, and websites, Alconost has extensive experience in Language Quality Assurance (LQA) and Language Quality Testing (LQT). Below is a list of the best practices we’ve developed to ensure that your product is ready for LQT.

• Have your translations done by native speakers. Alconost always works with native-speaking translators, as they have a better grasp of linguistic nuances, grammar, and the local mentality. Employing native speakers can help ensure that the translation is accurate, appropriate, and looks natural to the target audience. You can read about how we helped one mobile gaming company—Wildlife studios—localize and test game apps in 12 different languages, which increased their organic traffic several times over.
• Find and correct oversights such as untranslated or incorrectly translated text, inconsistent or inappropriate use of terminology, and errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Localization testing is less of a technical procedure: it is conducted either by going through the product using scripted scenarios provided, or by checking screenshots of the product in use.
• Check for UI issues—for example, when localizing from English, keep in mind that text in some target languages (such as German) may not fit in the space originally allocated. Also, make sure the date and time is displayed in the local format. One company we’ve assisted with this is Speakap, a branded communication platform, whom we helped to test their website localization and implement its functionality in 3 languages.
• Perform functional testing. While localization testing does indeed help to detect critical functional bugs, localization testers simply don’t have the technical background to alter the code and get the product working properly. Check with developers and engineers who can perform functional testing to ensure that the translated content is correctly displayed and functional. The localized product has to work smoothly in every language.
• Use human review for final quality assurance. Without native speakers you can never be sure whether your product is truly ready to be introduced to a foreign audience.  All translations by the Alconost team are done by real native speakers and are checked by human review for final quality assurance, to ensure that the translation looks natural to locals.
  

If you're looking for more tips and best practices, be sure to check out our comprehensive guide on the topic here.

How is localization testing different from functional testing?

Localization and functional testing are two types of software testing that serve different purposes. The primary objective of functional testing is to ensure that the software product or application functions correctly in accordance with its specifications. In contrast, the primary goal of localization testing is to ensure that the software product is adapted to meet a specific target market's linguistic, cultural, and regional requirements.

Functional testing ensures the proper performance of an application feature, while localization testing focuses on checking how content will be perceived. Functional testers must have a solid technical background, attention to detail, and time management skills. Most functional testing is not done by native speakers with a thorough understanding of the target languages, so it’s crucial to include native speakers in the localization testing process. 

Conversely, localization testing doesn't require technical expertise, but it does involve a careful reading of the content to identify translation errors, consistency issues, and UI problems. Both types of testing intersect when localization testing detects critical functional bugs. 

Who would benefit from localization testing?

Localization testing is crucial for any software product or application targeting a specific geographic location or market. We’ve already posted an article about who can benefit from localization testing. Let’s briefly revisit the highlights:

1. Business owners and founders

Business owners and founders are the primary beneficiaries of localization testing. Localization testing ensures that the software is correctly adapted to look natural for local users. By performing localization testing, business owners can ensure that their software product is functional, reliable, and meets the user's requirements in different markets.

2. Community managers and customer support departments

Community managers and customer support teams benefit from localization testing as it lets them form a community and reduce negative feedback from the target market. It helps them to understand the local market's preferences, user behavior, and customer needs, which in turn allows them to develop effective business and community building strategies.

3. Localization teams

Localization teams translate content and ensure that it is adapted to the local culture and language. Localization testing helps these teams ensure that the translation looks accurate and organic. It also lets them verify that the localized content is correctly displayed and contains no errors or inconsistencies.

4. End users

The ultimate beneficiaries of localization testing are end users. Localization testing ensures that the software is tailored to their needs, preferences, and cultural sensitivities. This, in turn, enhances the user experience, improves user adoption, and increases customer satisfaction.

Conclusion

Localization testing and language quality assurance are essential for anyone involved in software development, marketing, and sales on the global market. They help to ensure that the software is adapted to meet the local market's linguistic, cultural, and regional requirements, thereby improving the product's quality and increasing its acceptance in the target locale.

For almost 20 years Alconost has been developing best practices and language quality assurance tips to ensure high quality translations that meet the linguistic, cultural, and regional requirements of the target market. These best practices and tips will help your business to localize and test software, to be certain that it is ready for launch on the new market.