A product that has been properly localized has the look and feel of a product originally written and designed for the target culture. Here are just some items that, aside from language, have to be considered in order to effectively localize a product or website. It is the measuring units, number formats, address formats, time and date format (long and short), paper sizes, fonts, default font selection, case differences, character set, tables for sorting, word separators, local regulations, copyright issues, data protection, payments, currency conversion, taxes...
The standard localization process includes the following basic steps:
Depending on the project size and complexity, this process may require the coordination of different professionals: Account Manager, Project Manager, Translators, Proofreaders, Engineers, Desktop Publishers, and QA Testers. Certain projects may also require assessment by experts in the field.
