Case Study: The Exakt Health App Localization Journey

Starting your app localization project can seem like a daunting task. The process involves many variables; from collecting the content, choosing the translators, setting up integrations to launching the app in the different languages you want.

But, if you know how someone else managed to do it, the process can be easier. 

This is why in this video interview, I am talking with Philip Billaudelle, the founder of the medical advice app Exakt Health. Philip worked hard during the last few months to localize and translate his app into 3 different languages, German, Spanish and French. 

Here You Go the Full Interview:

YouTube video

What exactly does the Exakt Health app exactly do?

The app helps people recover from sports injuries. It gives them the right exercises to rehabilitate from their injuries and get back to their normal sports routine. The app was launched in August 2021 and now supports English, German, Spanish and French. 

What are the reasons behind the Exakt Health localization?

  • A data point Philip discovered while reviewing their website visitors geographical data, using the free Google Analytics services. He discovered that 80% of their website visitors are from the US, while they are certified only to offer their medical app for European countries. So, to attract more of their target customers, they had to write content in the language of the European countries. Also, when the founders of the app asked their friends and families to try the app, it was hard for them to use it as long as it is in English only. So, they had to go local to reach their local customers.
  • To make the app easier to understand. Philip explained that the app was developed using the English language, but as the app uses technical terms, it was necessary to translate it into other languages to make it clear for more customers. The technical terms are not easy for those who speak English as their second language. So, it was better to translate the app into European languages and make sure these technical terms are translated clearly and fluently. 
  • Localization is a part of the customer acquisition strategy. The owners of the Exakt Health app wanted to attract customers when they were searching online for medical advice they could find in their app. People usually use their native language when they search online, so it was positive to localize the app so it can appear when the target customers see it when they search online.

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The App Localization is a Part of a Larger Localization Strategy:

 The overall strategy is to translate the app, the website and blog articles. This is an integrated marketing strategy that aims at building a deeper connection with the target customers. It does not make sense for a Spanish user to find the free content on the Spanish version of the website, and when they download the app, it is only in English! The app should have a Spanish version as well.

Use a Tech Stack for the Exakt Health Localization :

Integration of the different pieces of the localization process is crucial. But Philip did this in a really smart way. Here is how he did it. 

  • Running the app in the Contentful Content Management System (CMS) made it easy to manage the app localization. Contentful enables the app developers to manage the localization procedures with too much of hassel.
  • The website itself is managed through WordPress. This CMS already has many popular plugins which can be used to run the translation process and create a multilingual copy of the website very easily. So, Philip used the WPML plugin to translate the content of the website.
  • The last piece of the puzzle was how to sync the content with a translation tool the translation team is familiar with. This is where Smartcat was very handy. Smartcat already has integrations with the Contentful translation plugin for the app and the WPML WordPress plugin for the website translation.
YouTube video

What about international SEO and ASO?

Philip did consider the principles of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and App Store Optimization (ASO) while preparing the content for translation. He prepared a list with the keywords they wanted to target in search engines and app stores. Then, asked the translation team to find the translation of the highest search volume for these keywords. Using translations with high search volumes will help the Exakt Health team generate more traffic from Google and other search engines.

Conclusion

The app localization journey can be more enjoyable and effective if you look at your data and choose a good stack to develop and localize the app.

Review your visitor’s analytics dashboard and check if your visitors are the ones you are targeting or not. Then, start prioritizing your localization efforts and budget.

Check how the different tools of your marketing assets, such as your website, integrate with the tools you will use for the localization of the app or the website.