The localization industry is growing rapidly. This is mostly down to advancements in technology that significantly help automate traditional tasks and means brands can localize at a faster pace.  

Brands that have taken the business decision to enter new markets will need to work on a localization strategy that determines the markets and countries to do business in. 

However, the concept of localizing a brand is no small job. Translating website content, your product/ services, images, PDFs, videos, and blog posts all fit under the umbrella of localization. And it’s not just language – cultural differences also need to be considered. 

For big brands constantly updating and managing large websites, this can quickly become a full-time job and is exactly what a website localization project manager takes care of. 

So, in this article, we’ll take a look at the role of a localization project manager, how it can benefit a localization project and where Weglot fits in with it all. 

What is a Localization Project Manager?

A localization project manager oversees the whole process of a company entering new markets. They are responsible for implementing and executing the localization strategy of a company, managing translation projects from beginning to end. 

It primarily involves translating the content of a website into multiple languages, depending on which markets have been chosen in the localization strategy. 

However, a localization project manager is not a translator, instead, they manage and maintain relationships with trusted translators, alongside internal team members and final reviewers to produce an efficient translation workflow that ensures the product/ services and website are well localized. 

It’s a continuous job and not a one-time process which means many localization project managers prefer to utilize localization technology to smoothen out the process and improve the efficiency of a big website localization project. 

Technology not only helps improve the time to market but also helps in the ongoing process of regularly updating and adding new content and services. 

The Role of Localization Project Manager

There are several areas where a localization project manager is an integral part of a long-term localization project, as well as those smaller projects that have an immediate deadline. 

The exact parts that fall under the role of a localization project manager include:

• Implementing the localization strategy of a company from start to finish
• Coordinating and managing translators, freelancers, content experts, and internal departments, including training 
• Working with internal and external vendors to identify any potential business blockers and ensure a smooth translation workflow
• Driving high-quality output from freelancers
• Tracking and monitoring of a translation project, reporting of progress to internal stakeholders 
• Assessing project risk through prioritization and other means 
• Researching and optimizing the best localization technology for improved efficiency
• Managing the budget of a localization project through gathering data on cost, including forecasting for future markets
• Monitoring localization ROI of the company 
• Creating glossaries and briefs for those involved in projects 
• Building regional guidelines for better cultural understanding of new markets 

It’s easy to see how this role can be integral for larger companies with big localization needs as there are seemingly endless tasks and project management activities someone in this role needs to handle. 

As you can imagine, being details orientated is a crucial component of a successful localization project manager. 

One important aspect mentioned above is that localization teams generally work with a localization tool. The question is, how does a localization tool help project managers with many of the tasks above. 

How Weglot Works Alongside Localization Project Managers

Weglot, a leading website translation tool, works together with teams handling localization projects to make managing the process smoother, more efficient, and not to mention cost-effective. 

Weglot has helped thousands of brands fast-track their localization projects. 

“Weglot interface is really friendly and easy to use. You can find all your content in a few clicks and then translate it quickly and efficiently”
Jamila Halloum, Digital Marketing Director at Ron Dorff

This is helped by how Weglot detects and translates all the content on your website, so you don’t need to mess around with numerous word or excel files. 

Other important features include: 

Translation Import and Export  

Import and export your translations from and into the Weglot Dashboard. 

Full Translation 

Weglot automatically detects all the content on your website, translates it, and then gives you the option to review the translations. 

The detection part means you won’t miss a translation and 100% of your website is translated, including dynamic content.  

No Developer Time 

The beauty of Weglot is that you won’t need a developer to implement any of your translated pages. Weglot automatically displays the content of your site under language subdirectories/ subdomains, without the need for duplicate websites. 

Your translations are live and online as soon as you want them to be so you don’t need to nag your developers to make changes. 

Single Dashboard 

With Weglot all aspects of your website localization projects are managed in one single dashboard. That means whether you’re translating text, metadata, replacing PDF files/ videos/ images and any third-party apps – you can keep an eye on everything in one place. 

This makes things a lot easier as you won’t need to keep switching between several different dashboards. 

Invite a Translation Agency to Your Project 

When you’re managing a large translation project it’s important to be able to collaborate with team members and translators. Use Weglot’s team tab to add your translation agency and give them certain viewing rights. 

For example, the ‘Manager’ role gives access to every part of the Weglot Dashboard, whereas the ‘Translator’ role gives users access to the translations list and visual editor. You can also give the translator role access to only certain language pairs. 

Glossary 

A glossary is an important part of any website localization project. You can expect to add numerous different terms and short phrases, not to mention your brand name, and set different rules. Such as ‘never translate’ or ‘always translate’. 

Weglot allows you to do that by either adding the terms through our tool or uploading your own glossary file with the terms you’ve manually collected. 

Summary

For large brands and companies, having a localization project manager to aid in the process of a localization project can significantly help smoothen out what for many can seem like an impossible task. 

They’re able to communicate with important stakeholders and manage the output of translators to provide a seamless translation workflow. 

With those human skills and the right localization tool, vital time can be given back to your project manager so they can actually innovate and get the most out of their team.

See how Weglot fits in with your website localization project with our 10-day free trial.