Translation answers the question "what does the text say". Localisation answers a different, far more difficult question: "how should this product sound, look and work so that a user on the new market perceives it as their own". Our localisation practice serves exactly this question: we adapt websites, apps, software, online stores, marketing content and video material for the Georgian, English and other language markets so that the end result leaves the impression not of a translated product but of one created in this language from the start.
Translation and localisation: where the line runs
These two concepts are often used as synonyms, but in practice there is an essential difference between them.
- Translation carries text from one language into another, preserving the accuracy of meaning and terminology. A contract, a technical manual or a medical report needs exactly that.
- Localisation includes translation but goes far beyond it: it changes date and number formats, currency, units of measurement, colours and images, humour and cultural references, the interface layout and sometimes the logic of the product itself.
- Transcreation is the highest level of localisation: an advertising slogan or a brand message is not translated but created anew, so that it has the same emotional effect on the target audience.
A simple example: the button "Sign up for free" would literally be "register for free" in Georgian, but if the button has a 12-character limit, the localiser chooses the shorter "Sign up" and moves the "free" message to another place in the interface. That is no longer a translation decision but a product decision.
Why cultural adaptation is a business decision
A badly localised product sends the user two signals: that the company does not take this market seriously, and that the other parts of the product are probably made just as carelessly. Research consistently shows that most users prefer to buy in their native language, even when they know English well. Cultural adaptation builds exactly this trust:
- Tone and form of address: the English "you" may be formal or informal in Georgian, and the choice depends on the brand positioning. A fintech app and a youth social platform will take different decisions.
- Visual elements: photos, icons, colours and gestures read differently in different cultures. An icon that means "mail" on one market may say nothing on another.
- Local realities: payment methods, address format, telephone code, holidays, legal texts. An online store that offers a Georgian customer payment only by international card loses a significant part of the market.
- Humour and metaphors: sporting, historical or pop culture references are either lost in a literal translation or even become offensive.
UX and UI: localisation that begins in the interface
The most frequently neglected part of localisation is the visual behaviour of the text. Together with the translation our team checks the following parameters:
- Change in text length: a Georgian translation is on average 20-30% longer than the English original. Buttons, menu items, table columns and messages must be ready for this growth in advance, otherwise the text is cut off or the interface "breaks".
- Typography: not every font supports the Georgian alphabet fully. The choice of the system or web font, line height and letter spacing is a technical part of localisation.
- Formats: the date (15.09.2026 rather than 09/15/2026), the decimal and thousands separators, the position of the currency symbol (₾ after or before the amount), the time zone.
- Forms and validation: a name field that accepts only Latin characters is an obstacle for a Georgian user. The validation rules for the personal number, postal code and telephone must change by market.
- Direction and layout: when entering the Arabic or Persian market the whole interface switches to right-to-left (RTL) logic, which requires a separate design review.
That is why we start localisation work not from a finished text file but from getting to know the product: we go through the interface, study the user journey and only then start translating in context.
Our localisation services
The localisation practice brings together six specialised services. Each has its own methodology, tools and quality criteria:
- Website localisation: corporate sites, portals, landing pages. CMS integration, multilingual structure, hreflang and SEO preserved.
- App localisation: the interface of iOS, Android and web apps, App Store and Google Play descriptions, push notifications.
- Software localisation: string resources, desktop and SaaS products, technical documentation, help centre.
- E-commerce localisation: product catalogues, the checkout process, payment and delivery texts, customer support templates.
- Marketing and SEO content localisation: transcreation, keyword research in the target language, blog, social media, advertising campaigns.
- Audio and video content localisation: subtitles, transcription, video tutorials, product presentations, corporate videos.
How a localisation project works
- Analysis: we study the product, the target market and the existing terminology. We determine which elements need only translation and which need adaptation or transcreation.
- Terminology base and style guide: we create a glossary (brand terms, interface elements, forbidden variants) and style rules that maintain consistency over the whole life of the project.
- Localisation in context: we work in CAT tools (translation memory, terminology control), with screenshots and access to the interface.
- Linguistic and functional testing: we check the translation in the real product: length, cut-off text, encoding problems, wrong variables, formats.
- Support after launch: every new feature or campaign is localised according to the same base and standard, so the product stays uniform.
Why us
- The team brings together professional translators, UX copywriters and technical specialists who know localisation formats and platforms well.
- We work in both directions: bringing foreign products to the Georgian market and taking Georgian products to the international market.
- Every project is carried out under a signed non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between translation and localisation?
Translation carries the content of a text into another language. Localisation adapts the whole product to the target market: language, formats, visuals, interface behaviour and cultural context. Translation is one, though not the only, component of localisation.
What is transcreation and when is it needed?
Transcreation is the re-creation of a marketing message in the target language instead of a literal translation. It is needed for slogans, advertising campaigns, brand tone and every text where the emotional effect matters more than the content.
Which file formats do you work with?
JSON, XLIFF, XML, .strings, .resx, PO/POT, CSV, Excel, Markdown, HTML, as well as exports from CMS and localisation platforms (Crowdin, Lokalise, Phrase and others). If the format is non-standard, the technical team checks it in advance.
Can you localise from Georgian into English and other languages too?
Yes. Taking Georgian products to the international market is one of the main directions of our work. Apart from English we work in Russian, Turkish, German, French and other languages too.
How long does a localisation project take?
It depends on the volume and complexity. A small app or a landing page is ready in a few days, while a full corporate portal or SaaS product is done in stages over several weeks. We name the exact deadline after analysing the project.
How do you maintain consistency when the product is updated?
For every client we create a translation memory and a terminology base. Every new update is localised on the basis of the same base, so that even years later the same term sounds the same in the interface.