The translation of a literary work or legal contract should be a faithful reflection of the original. On the other end of the spectrum, there is a growing demand for localization, in which the translation is adapted as closely as possible to the linguistic and cultural requirements of the country where it will be used.

Localization services we provide include website translation, resizing and translation of dialogs, help files and user interface text, reconfiguration of measurement systems, numbers, currency, addresses, telephone numbers and postal codes, glossary development, cultural adaptation of symbols, formats, convention programs, etc.

Although the economy in general and the 'dot.com' industry in particular may go through periods of adjustment, maintaining an internationalized website is important in today's market. So, when it comes to software and multimedia localization, we aims to deliver a product that is fully adapted to its target audience both culturally and linguistically, while still retaining its original form and quality.

What is Localization (l10n)?
Localization is the implementation of locale-specific terminology and data to a product or application to meet the language, cultural and other requirements of a specific market. Localization follows internationalization, which is the process of ensuring - at the technical/design level - that a product's country-specific design, layout and language can be easily localized.
The abbreviation 'l10n' is derived from the fact that Localization has 10 letters between the initial 'l' and the final 'n'.

What type of Localization services do you provide?
Although localization pervades every aspect of product design, development, testing, marketing and support, our team specializes is the linguistic process. We can translate and resize dialogs, help files, user interface text and other documentation. We can reconfigure measurement systems, numbers, currency, addresses, telephone numbers and postal codes. We also help with related business communication, glossary development and the cultural adaptation of symbols, formats, and convention programs.
When it comes to localization, Alchemy Translations aims to consistently deliver a product that is fully adapted to its target audience - linguistically, culturally and physically - while retaining its original quality.

What is website Localization?
The translation and localization of a website is a particularly delicate and complex operation. It is not enough to simply convert text into the destination language. Many other factors must be also be considered:

1) Contents are adapted to the linguistic and cultural system of the target language
2) Communication tone is adapted to technical standards and stylistic requirements in the target market
3) Graphical components are transformed to meet the linguistic and cultural communication requirements
4) Scripting components (Javascript, PHP, Perl, ASP, database, etc) are harmonized with the resulting product
5) Page formatting is made compatible with original graphical structure and demands of search engine and directory positioning
6) Careful local market research is performed to see if local TLD will be required for optimal search engine positioning

Do I have to translate my entire website?
No, but you will need to translate the most important pages, especially the ones that will be referred to in the web promotion material in the languages you are targeting. If you are serious about addressing international markets, translating your site is inevitable. Online Marketing always takes place in the language of the target country, as do all other forms of marketing.

What languages are most commonly used in Localization?
The languages most commonly used for localization are French, Italian, German and Spanish, often referred to as FIGS in the localization industry. Other popular languages include Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Dutch, Portuguese and Russian.

How do I prepare my website for Localization?
Localizing your website ensures that your products and services are readily available to potential customers in foreign markets. Full localization of your website is a complex process that typically includes not only the translation of text into the target market's language, but also the adaptation of the content, style, graphics, and cultural conventions to that international audience.