Winning over Swedish software customers starts with getting the language right. Though many Swedes know English, they expect software to be in Swedish in order use of it effortlessly and productively. 

Considering that Sweden is a hotspot for technology, it’s especially critical to localize software and IT services for the Swedish market. As you prepare your English to Swedish localization strategy, here are some key points to ensure a flawless software launch in Swedish. 

How to localize software for the Swedish market

Software localization is distinct from other types of content because of the impact it has on the user experience. Localizing software isn’t just about wordsmithing the language, but also ensuring a seamless experience across the technology. This may involve software-related content such as:

• Software/user interface
• Help screens, instructions, menus, shortcut keys
• Software manuals
• License agreements
• Legal and security disclaimers
• Warranty arrangements
• Marketing material and packaging content
• Cultural related content
• … and more.

For Swedish users to strongly connect with the software, the experience must include clarity, ease of use and cultural fit – every click of the way.

1. Build an English-Swedish localization strategy

Your English-Swedish localization strategy starts with leaning on experts. Be sure to work with Swedish linguists with experience in software localization (like me!). Together, you can start putting together robust strategy documentation, including a Swedish style guide, SEO checklist and localization processes/timelines.

2. Create localization-friendly English texts

Before localization even begins, you can prepare by writing localization-friendly copy. It’s much more difficult to “correct” English texts downstream in the localization process. Ideally, you can write and edit texts in English that are clear and avoid culturally-specific wording.

3. Plan early for your software localization launch

Sweden is a hub for cutting-edge technology, which means localization from English to Swedish can’t be an afterthought. Incorporating Swedish software localization early in the process can help you get high-quality localization outputs, instead of rushing to meet your launch date.

4. Remember on-screen formatting and visual differences

English and Swedish read quite differently on the screen. For example, Swedish is typically longer in translation and requires Swedish characters, which make your technical internationalization efforts vital. 

In addition to these formatting differences, you should take into account how images, icons and more should be localized. As part of the localization process, find culturally-strong imagery for Sweden so that it gets optimal results.

5. Follow software localization best practices

Software localization requires a close relationship to your tech team. For one, they’ll need to prepare the code for localization and create a repository for multiple languages. What’s more, you should work with them to use the best localization tools so that your processes are as automated as possible and it’s easy to get stakeholder feedback along the way.

6. Do UX research in Sweden for 100% success

The main goal of software localization is to build an ideal user experience. To make sure you meet that goal, UX research is recommended before you launch your software product/service in the Swedish market. You don’t need a huge budget for UX research to get insights for improving your localization of certain areas or features.

Boost your Swedish software localization efforts 

As you get started with Swedish software localization, you can use these key points as a guide. Remember that any successful localization strategy requires hiring an expert language partner that can handle the challenges of software localization with clarity and nuance. 

Get in touch with me to learn about my experience with software localization from English to Swedish and how we can work together to build a robust strategy that gets results. You can even check out these software localization case studies to see my expertise in action.