The new year is right around the corner! Hopefully, your business is finishing off strong. As you look toward 2018, you’ll find that it’s worthwhile to get all your localization goals and plans settled early. With a clearly defined list of objectives, you and your team will stride into the new year confident to achieve localization success. Whether you want to expand your business into a new market or enhance the reach of your marketing campaigns, key action items can help you achieve your company’s localization goals in 2018 and give your strategy focus.

Here are our best tips to help you identify your 2018 localization resolutions so you can take steps to make them happen.

1. Evaluate the past year’s localization efforts

It’s essential to take a look back at the initiatives your organization has completed over the past 12 months, keeping in mind how it all fits into your organization’s overall localization plan. Whether you expanded your website in two new target languages or launched a new product in six new markets, analyzing your company’s past activity will aid you in formulating goals and budgets for the coming year.

Pinpoint factors that made your localization projects successful, along with aspects that could have been improved. If specific tasks took longer or costed more than expected, adjust your expectations when allocating time and resources for similar projects.

2. Account for changes within your business and abroad

Before you can make plans for your business next year, make sure you have a good sense of what’s going on in your business now. Check to see that your localization plans account for any upcoming product releases or market expansions. For example, website localization in particular is a large undertaking that requires the attention of multiple teams prior to implementation.

Further, keep in mind that localization is never completely finished. Languages, cultures, and industries are constantly evolving—your localized materials should be updated accordingly.

3. Identify four proper goals for the coming year

Determining what it is you want is crucial to achieving success in localization. The goals you set should be critical achievements with measurable success metrics. For each objective you decide on, identify key milestones and check-in points. Exactly what will you do to accomplish them?

Consider the following examples:

• Increase total site conversion by X%
• Expand business into X new markets
• Increase market share by X%

4. Create a detailed timeline and stick to it

Be very deliberate on your time. Take the goals you decide on and split them appropriately through the year, breaking them down by season, quarter, month or promotional period. Planning out discrete steps toward success will keep you on track to reach your objectives. In addition, make note of important dates, reminders and events. This will remind you of your commitments and allow for better time management.

Even after you’ve followed all these steps, working with an experienced language service provider can help you and your team identify opportunities or areas you may have missed. Localization professionals will identify the best solutions for your specific needs to ensure that all your goals come to fruition.

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