Website Localization Is More Than Translation: Notes From Kathmandu, Nepal

When clients in Kathmandu, Nepal ask us to 'localize' a website for the Nepali market, the request is usually framed purely around translation, but genuine localization involves several details beyond the words on the page.

Currency display needs to default to NPR with correct formatting, not just a converted number pasted next to a dollar sign. Date formats, address structures, and phone number formats should match local conventions, since a US-style address form on a Nepal-facing website quietly frustrates local users filling it out.

Payment methods are part of localization too: a site translated into Nepali but still only offering international card payment has not actually localized the experience that matters most, completing a purchase. True localization means the whole transaction feels native to the market it is built for, not just the text.