How to translate your texts, keywords and titles for your app descriptions? How to deal with localization for your app listing?
The major app stores list your apps in many languages. The Apple App Store in 37 languages. Google Play Store (Play Console) in more than 49 languages.
App developers and publishers have to decide, how to proceed with this localization options. Not translating, is not completing an important App Store Optimization topic. Human-based translations are expensive. Are machine-based ones a valid alternative? In other words which, one is the better option? App Store localization, machine or human-based?
Applying translations to Google Play Console and Apple iTunes Connect
Each language has to be added manually to the stores. Above all, this is time consuming. Many repetitious steps:
- Write your descriptions (long, short, promo), search for keywords, write titles
- Translate everything into as much languages as possible
- Ask professional translators, friends and family to cover the missing translations
- Collect the whole results in sheets or other files
- Take a deep breath – and start to copy and paste everything to the stores:
- Set the first language
- Select the text in your source file
- Copy
- Pick the corresponding form field in the store
- Paste
- Select the next description in your source
- Copy and paste again
- Repeat 6 + 7 until you are done
- Now – select the next language
You got the point. Not only translating is effort, provisioning takes hours, too.
Localization options for app listings
Some developers translate their keywords, titles and descriptions themselves. At least, a couple of them. Or hire professional translators or use – translation services or software. Large business of course have the budget to go only the professional human based way.
Decide what you can afford. Check our calculator to get an idea about translation costs. By today, human based translations always beat the machine-based ones. But, to start with at least something, why not using a machine based description to open or test a new market? If it kicks, go for a professional one.
Here are a couple of opinions about human based vs machine-based translations:
- https://speakt.com/5-reasons-machine-translations-will-never-replace-human-translators/
- https://speakt.com/5-reasons-machine-translations-will-never-replace-human-translators/
- http://www.sure-languages.com/machine-translation-vs-human-translation/
- https://www.translateplus.com/blog/machine-vs-human-translation-pros-cons-use/
Which machine-based services
Of course machine-based translation will grow and will get better. That’s just a matter of time. There are already some specialized translation services with decent results available:
| Service Name | Provider |
| Amazon Translate | Amazon AWS |
| Google Translate | |
| Microsoft Translate | Microsoft |
| Watson Language Translator | IBM |
| Deepl | DeepL GmbH |
| MyMemory | translated Labs |
Human-based translation services
If you look around, you’ll find the following cloud based translations solutions. All of them offer possibilities to translate your words or texts for free. For professional use they supplement APIs or other professional features:
| Service Name | Provider |
| Translate by Humans | Translate By Humans [Innovative Humans Limited] |
| Gengo | Gengo, Inc |
| Tomedes | Tomedes Ltd |
| Lingy | lingy Ltd |
Our conclusion for your localization
No doubt, a professional human translator is – by the date – ahead of any machine-based translation. In some scenarios, automated translations might be a good alternative.
As I WANT AN ELEPHANT services user, you have the freedom of choice. Optimize the localization for your app listing with our App Store Localizer.
Of course, you can apply human based translations. Or use our automated translation feature. Both, automated and human based texts can be transferred automatically.
We integrate automated translations to start your App Store Optimization easily. Translate what you can by yourself.
Use automated translation to test new markets. Adjust your budget to optimize your translations after you have gained users.
