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Abstract
This paper deals with the components of websites in general, with regard to the localization process. Steps to be taken in the localization process are also considered. One important component of the localization process in the case of the commercial websites from the perspective of the would-be localizer translators is the instrumental translation. The localizer must often be aware of the social and economic conditions of the target locale.
Keywords: localization, website localization
The components of a website are interconnected and all of them contribute to the success of the website. For this paper I will look at the typical parts of a commercial website.
First of all, a web site is composed of front end elements and back end elements. Front end is what the website visitor sees or the website interface, while the back end is what goes behind the scenes.
Front end includes:
* The domain name represents the very first contact of the visitor with the website. The domain name should be easy to remember and it can be turned into the brand of the site. Domain names should be short and easy to spell, contain keywords or popular search terms.
* The logo. I have already shown the importance of the logo for branding. The logo bears a multitude of meanings and it is the most important non-textual element. The logo is placed on all pages in the same place, usually in the top-leftcorner.
* The navigation structure is like the contents of a book. It helps the user to quickly go from one page to another. It determines the hierarchy of the pages (main pages, subpages, sub-subpages). The navigation structure is represented on a site one or several navigation menus.
* Page layout refers to how text and non-text elements appear on the webpage. For instance the navigation menu can be placed at the top, at the side or both at the top and side. When there is content under the fold as well, it is common to use a third navigation menu at the bottom of the page as well. Other layout features include delimitation of titles and subtitles, taking into account the reading patterns of visitors, determining the percentage of non-text elements versus text, consistency...