Localization is essentially making a product or service appear as if it was developed in the local market, and it’s a key component of expanding into new countries. Cultural localization uses things such as local customs, colors, societal codes and values, and similar cues and sensibilities that are understood by the market. Once you have a better sense for the culture of the United States, you’ll be able to better localize your website and mobile apps for Americans. You’ll know what you can handle yourself and what areas will require professional guidance.
More broadly speaking, depending on any particular country where you are expanding, there may be a lot of similarities to your own. With others, things will be very different. In either case, there will be changes necessary to localize your product for that new market.
Global strategy, internationalization, localization… and globalization
Let’s first take a moment and put localization into context with internationalization and having a global strategy, since you will sometimes hear these terms used interchangeably. We’ll also give you a quick definition of globalization to help you differentiate it from global strategy.
Global Strategy – At some point, going global has entered your strategy, which is probably what brought you to Globig. Developing a global strategy is the process of addressing all of the logistical and organizational aspects for content, assets, and messaging across markets and cultures for your global expansion. Think of it as the first step in your process, as the foundation for what comes next. In developing your global strategy you’ll want to consider:
- Research, identification, market validation, and selection for any new global market
- Capturing and formalizing global business requirements
- Identification of technology standards, available solutions, and how your systems, products, and services integrate with these standards
- Language differences leading to translation needs
- Cultural considerations that could impact your product, service, messaging, and interactions
- Opportunities for marketing or technological reuse across global markets as you expand
- Internal alignment and support for globalization, internationalization, and localization
Internationalization (i18n) – This is the process by which you prepare the technical aspects of your product or service to easily be localized, and requires both technical expertise and knowledge of the markets you plan to enter. It is essentially building flexibility into your coding, site layout, and documents so that you can easily switch from one language or cultural setting to another. If you have done your i18n correctly, you can much more quickly and cost-effectively localize as you expand.
Localization (l10n) – With localization, you are making a product or service in such a way that it culturally belongs in that market, so that it feels natural and local. Depending on the market, localization may include:
- Changing the language to the one used in the new market
- Changing images, colors, and other visuals to be appropriate for that market
- Updating time zones, contact information, hours of operation
Globalization – This is often confused with global strategy, but they are very different. Globalization refers to the worldwide movement toward economic, financial, trade, and communications integration.
“Globalization implies the opening of local and nationalistic perspectives to a broader outlook of an interconnected and interdependent world with free transfer of capital, goods, and services across national frontiers.” — BusinessDictionary.com Globalization Definition
If you understand local culture and etiquette…
You will have a better chance of successfully communicating and providing products that fit. We’ll pull some of the information highlighted in the Business Culture section to provide background to this discussion.
Cultural localization for the US
Cultural refers to things such as:
- Colors, shapes, sizes, styles
- Images, icons, graphics
- Societal codes; i.e. humor, etiquette, rituals, myths, symbols
- Societal values, power, relationships, beliefs
Let’s look at how culture can play into product localization in the United States.
National culture
Each culture has a collective way of thinking, which in turn affects the workplace. For instance, in cultures where getting along is much more important than arguing, negotiations can be very confusing for someone who is used to saying what they think and demanding results. To better understand how values in the workplace are influenced by culture, Geert Hofstede of the Hofstede Center conducted a comprehensive study around six different dimensions and uses this information to explain business culture in many countries.
The six dimensions follow, with a brief summary for where the US falls according to Hofstede’s research. It’s well worth your time to read through this section to get a sense of the national culture dimensions for the United States.
The six dimensions
Power Distance A measure of how much the less powerful members of a society accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. The United States scores toward the lower end of this scale, suggesting that Americans prefer to equalize inequalities in the distribution of power and do not simply accept that others have more power and control. There is a lot of sharing of information between managers and workers, and managers are expected to be accessible. Business interactions tend to be informal and participative.
Individualism vs. Collectivism In societies showing more individualism, members are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families. In collectivist societies, individuals expect their family or group to take care of them in exchange for loyalty. The US has one of the highest scores in this category, indicating Americans are very individualistic. Society is loosely-knit, with people looking after themselves and family but not the greater society at large. People are comfortable doing business with others they don’t know well and will reach out for information.
Masculinity vs. Femininity Masculine societies prefer achievement, heroism, assertiveness, and material rewards and are competitive. Feminine societies prefer cooperation, modesty, caring for the weak, and quality of life. Americans score high on the masculine side, reflecting a competitive, success-oriented, winner-take-all nature. Americans like to win and be measured against targets.
Uncertainty Avoidance This is the level of discomfort with uncertainty and ambiguity. Americans score below average here, indicating openness to new ideas, opinions, and innovative products.
Long Term vs. Short Term Orientation This dimension measures preference for maintaining traditions versus thrift and education to prepare for the future. The US shows respect for traditions and verifies new information carefully. There is also a “good vs. evil” dynamic evident in social attitudes.
Indulgence vs. Restraint Indulgent societies allow free gratification related to enjoying life. The US scores as an indulgent society, which shows up in paradoxes like strong anti-drug laws coupled with relatively high drug usage.
For more, see Hofstede Insights: United States
Images, icons, and graphics
Images, icons, and graphics carry special cultural meanings. The way people perceive and interpret symbols and cultural norms is called semiotics , which varies by culture. Understanding this is key to avoid confusing or alienating your potential customers.
Find local specialists to help develop relevant products, services, and campaigns for the US market.
For an overview of semiotics, see:
(video)
Holidays in the US
While Christianity is the dominant religion, only Christmas is a federal holiday based on a religious date. Easter is widely celebrated but not a federal holiday. Other popular holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Halloween are not work holidays but are commercially significant.
2024 Federal Holidays (US):
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | January 1 (Observed Jan 2) |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 16 |
| Presidents Day | February 20 |
| Memorial Day | May 29 |
| Independence Day | July 4 |
| Labor Day | September 4 |
| Columbus Day | October 9 |
| Veterans Day | November 10 |
| Thanksgiving Day | November 23 |
| Christmas Day | December 25 |
Source: Office of Personnel Management – Federal Holidays
Humor in the United States
Humor varies widely by culture. British humor differs significantly from American humor, and using humor incorrectly can confuse or offend your audience.
This clip featuring British actor Stephen Fry compares British and American humor:
Before incorporating humor into your product, service, or marketing, get localization and marketing expert guidance.
Localizing for color in the US
Colors carry different cultural meanings. For example:
- White: In Western cultures symbolizes purity, weddings, peace; in China, death and mourning; in India, unhappiness.
- Red: Traditional bridal color in parts of Asia; in the West, associated with love, passion, or danger.
Using inappropriate colors can confuse or alienate customers.
For color meanings by culture, see: Color Meanings by Culture
Consult US branding and marketing experts on color choices.
Website style localization for the US
Website styles vary by region. US websites tend to have cleaner, less busy layouts compared to regions like China or Singapore. What feels local and normal in one region may feel overwhelming or strange in another.
Make sure to research US website layout preferences or get professional assistance to tailor your site for the US market.
Cultural localization for the US — Summary
Cultural localization involves many components and attention to detail. By localizing your website, app, marketing, and documentation, your products and services will feel natural and increase acceptance in the US market.