5 Key Benefits of SaaS Localization Every SaaS Vendor Should Know in 2022
When your company is a small seed in the ground, waiting to bloom, you have very few things to think about as far as an expansion to other markets is concerned. SaaS stands for software-as-a-service and companies that offer such a service is known as a SaaS company. The arrival of the pandemic has led to significant changes in the SaaS industry. As more people recognize the benefits of using SaaS applications for different parts of their business, demand for SaaS has increased.
Hence, as SaaS companies continue to expand and enter new markets, the need for SaaS localization arises. In the current business landscape, it is important to align your vision, pricing, product literature, and marketing according to the audience you are catering to. A marketing campaign that was successful in the U.S. may not give you the same results in Italy.
This is one of the reasons why SaaS localization becomes so important. Besides, as a SaaS vendor, providing a seamless user experience across all stages of a buyer’s journey is critical. Again, without SaaS localization, you may struggle to understand the psyche of your audience across different parts of the world, affecting your business negatively.
In this blog, we are going to take a look at some of the benefits of SaaS localization. But before we begin, let’s understand a few basic concepts.
SEE ALSO: 6 SaaS Trends That are Expected to Dominate in 2022
What is SaaS?
In simple words, software-as-a-service (SaaS) is a cloud-based software licensing model. Instead of installing them on their machines, users can access these applications when they are connected to the internet.
There are plenty of benefits associated with SaaS models, and their usage has witnessed considerable growth over the past few years. Do not believe us? Here is an interesting stat for you. A Markets&Markets report suggests that the global SaaS market is growing at an impressive 18% each year [1]. 99% of business organizations were expected to use one or more SaaS solutions by the end of 2021 [2].
These numbers indicate that businesses have embraced SaaS with open arms, and this trend will continue.
Now, let us understand the importance and benefits of SaaS localization.
Importance of SaaS localization
Although English is spoken across many countries worldwide, customers prefer to navigate through websites and applications in their native language. As per Forrester, nearly 56% of customers would prefer getting information in their native language [3].
This trend even extends to software. As a company, if you are looking to expand your horizons and move into new markets, translating and localizing your SaaS product according to the native language of that country is essential. In addition, localization is instrumental to performance, and thus, companies should be prepared for the global markets.
Benefits of SaaS localization
1. Eliminating culture and language barriers
One of the barriers you may face while expanding to new markets is cultural and language barriers. Localization addresses this problem and enables you to communicate with more clarity and conviction. In addition, your target audience is likely to have a much better user experience with SaaS localization in place.
2. Better customer experience
If implemented to perfection, SaaS localization is an excellent way to gain the trust of local customers. As customers begin to observe that your services and support are available in their local language, they start trusting your product.
In addition, since they enjoy using your product owing to the exceptional customer experience, they are likely to advocate your products. This improves brand awareness and further strengthens your position in the local market.
3. Competitive edge
As mentioned above, one of the benefits of SaaS localization is that it builds trust. This is because localization ensures that your product is reliable and developed with a lot of attention to detail. When you make your SaaS product available in multiple languages, it sends out a strong message; you care about your customers and wish to personalize your products for them.
4. Revenue generation
SaaS localization is an exciting way to increase your revenue. The logic here is very straightforward. As you tap into newer markets and widen your horizons, you are likely to get more customers onboard. Hence, your profit margins are likely to grow, increasing your company’s revenue.
5. Product Integration
Since it is easier for people to work and collaborate with their team members in their native language, they are more likely to use a localized SaaS product. It is also important to understand that product integration goes beyond the initial onboarding and implementation processes. Bug resolution, understanding of advanced features, and similar other processes are also important parts of product integration.
All these processes work in a streamlined manner in a localized environment.
SaaS Localization Challenges
Although SaaS localization will generate additional revenue down the road, it requires an upfront investment. Let’s take a look at some of the common challenges involved with SaaS localization.
- Software layout issues
- Inconsistencies in translation and linguistic barriers
- Image and video localization
- Finding a trusted localization partner
- Lack of localization agility
- Collaboration bottlenecks
- Dearth of resources
- Delay in launches
Bottom Line
SaaS is more than just a website. It is a product that is ideated to provide a seamless user, layout, and visual experience. Localization can strongly influence the performance of your software and product on the whole.
We understand that there are a few challenges linked with SaaS localization. However, the SaaS localization benefits mentioned in the blog should give you enough reasons to go ahead with it, especially if you are looking to enter untapped markets.
There are plenty of agencies out there that can help you localize your SaaS product. With some research, a clear vision, and set goals, you can kickstart your localization efforts.
Are you looking to localize your SaaS product? Or have done it already? We would love to know your thoughts on the importance of SaaS localization.
SEE ALSO: Software Requirements vs Software Wants: How to Perform a Software Requirements Assessment
Feature Image Source: Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash
Image 1 Source: Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash
