Listen on :
Our Guest
Michela Guiliano
Localisation Product Manager, Wix.com
Our Host
Alpi Mantry
Chief Human, Translate By Humans
Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts for a thrilling expedition yet again. Today, our CEO and host, Alpi, has a delightful guest, Michela Giuliano, Localisation Product Manager at Wix.com, heading the Italian market. Wix’s powerful technology allows everyone to get online with a personalised, professional web presence. Whether it’s your first time creating or you’re a long-time expert, you’ll find the features and solutions you need to build a professional website with total creative freedom.
But hold onto your hats, my friends, because this is no ordinary tale. As we bid adieu to the last installment of this series for the year, we promise it’s a crescendo of knowledge and inspiration that will leave you eagerly awaiting our return in the new year with a fresh set of exciting guests and stories.
For one last time, let’s dive into Michela’s treasure trove of strategies for handling localisation projects. What secrets does she hold? Are there predefined processes and methodologies that guide her, or is it an alchemical mix of her unique insights and experiences? Discover the special considerations she considers when venturing into the Italian market.
A warm welcome to our show, Michela!
Key Takeaways:
Key Insights:
Let's start with your introduction and the journey leading to Wix. What are your current role and responsibilities at Wix?
Certainly! My name is Michela, originally from Italy, but I’ve called Israel home for the past seven years, all because of my Israeli boyfriend. When I first arrived in Tel Aviv, it was just me, my trusty dog, and a big suitcase. Since then, our family has expanded uniquely. We’ve adopted some street cats and another dog, and the latest addition to our clan is our 18-month-old son, Josh.
I might be relatively new to the mom role, but my other job has kept me busy for almost five years. I work at Wix, where I wear multiple hats as a product language lead for the Italian market and a localisation manager. For those unfamiliar with Wix, it’s a versatile website building platform. It offers web hosting, design services, AI capabilities, eCommerce tools, and much more. Wix empowers you to craft a tailor-made online presence, whether you’re selling products or services and looking to expand your business.
Here’s a bit about my journey.
My path to localisation wasn’t a straight line; it meandered through various passions. It all began with my love for music, a language of its own. Music allowed me to express myself, but the lyrics required translation for meaning. As I began writing music at age 12, it became my sanctuary. Travelling and interacting with diverse people further fuelled my curiosity. At 16, I embarked on a journey to master English in the USA. After three years in Brussels, studying Theology and Anthropology and enhancing my French, I returned to Italy, unsure of my path. Through it all, I continued to write songs and ventured into different fields. I even released my first album, “An Echoic Chamber,” performing across Italy. This unique journey eventually led me to localisation.
So, that's your name?
Yes. You can hear it on Spotify.
In the enchanting realm of an Echoic Chamber, I stumbled upon a new passion without even realising it – writing. Nestled in Italy, I crafted captivating narratives for a jewellery company, collaborating closely with designers to weave tales for their collections. I had the delightful task of curating content for their social media, website, and business materials. What I cherished most was the artistic freedom to create in Italian and English, giving me the power to choose my language of inspiration. As I journeyed to Israel, I embraced the freelance life, realising that writing could be my boundless creative canvas beyond songwriting. Okay. Sorry that I am like giving you the whole story.
No, indeed, this is fascinating. I mean, it is one of the unique journeys I've heard about, which started from music as a language and, you know, you have come this far. So please continue.
Life is sometimes a challenging path. I didn’t figure it all out initially, but that’s okay. I began freelancing, enjoyed it for two years, and eventually landed a role at Wix as an Italian writer. From there, I progressed to become a language lead and localisation manager. Now, I’m in Israel, and the journey continues.
So, how did you shift the roles? Like, was that your choice or was it the call of the situation?
It was like a bit of both. The role evolved because when I started, localisation management was yet to be a thing. So we understood that this was needed. We took on this role and then also the localisation lead. We grew so much that we had to have more writers, also we needed someone to oversee the content and help them grow as writers. So I also took over this role, and then we were given a choice to choose if we wanted to wear both hats or go in one direction, but I liked to grow in both of the fields and that’s why I took both of the roles.
Could you share your approach and strategies for handling a localisation project? Do you have predefined processes or methodologies that you follow?
In the world of Wix, crafting UX copy is an art that starts with empathy for our 200 million users across 21 languages.
As a language lead, I put our users at the forefront of my mind when shaping content. So, our primary goal is to talk directly to them and ensure the product speaks their language, right? To make our product feel like it was tailor-made for them. This requires research and understanding their needs, which helps me create a user-centric tone and a consistent copy strategy that speaks directly to their hearts.
Is there anything in particular that you have to be careful about specifically for Italian markets?
Localising content for the Italian market can be challenging due to language nuances, gender considerations, and evolving awareness around gender issues. Balancing these factors while managing limited resources makes it tough to decide the best approach for content adaptation. Sometimes, practicality must influence our decisions, even when our beliefs lean in a different direction. Change is not always comprehensive, and past content may coexist with updated approaches.
What are the key challenges that you face in managing product localisation for Wix, or the ones that you have met so far?
When it comes to maintaining consistency in localising a large volume of content and products, the challenge is real. Multiple teams work on various aspects like marketing, knowledge base, blogs, chatbots, and more for the same language, often leading to inconsistencies. To tackle this, we adopt a “many eyes on the copy” approach. UX writers, reviewers, and language leads collaborate closely with knowledge base experts, creating glossaries and updating style guides. These resources are shared across departments and available to everyone. Before starting, we conduct thorough terminology research, and after writing, we perform quality assurance checks. Reviewers oversee content in the collaboration tool and help with QA, ensuring a consistent and error-free journey from start to finish.
How do you ensure that the translations received from vendors or partners adhere to your glossaries, translation memories, and style guides during the QA process?
We collaborate with our QA team to fine-tune product flows and triggers in special “experiment” environments before going live. Unlike testing just the design, this method allows us to experience the user’s journey and gain deep insights into the context. This approach often leads us to adjust terminology for better clarity, even if our initial research suggested otherwise.
How do you ensure that your external vendors and internal translators or localisation experts are effectively collaborating on the same platform and staying aligned in their work?
I’m the sole in-house member of my Italian UX team, with a talented group of freelancers by my side. We form a seamless collaboration united by a shared goal. Our process begins with comprehensive training, ensuring everyone is well-versed in our tools and market-specific tone of voice. We even kick-off projects with reviewers, diving deep into the features we’re working on. This approach enhances their effectiveness and internal knowledge, making me pleased with our teamwork.
How do you ensure alignment between your developers and vendors, especially when developers may not fully grasp the importance of localisation?
As a localisation manager, I’ve noticed that convincing product teams about the importance of early involvement in localisation can be challenging. Many see it as a last-minute translation task.
However, localisation goes beyond translation; it impacts the product's professionalism, brand image, and user trust.
When we integrate localisation from the start, issues like spacing, date/time formats, and content length can be addressed collaboratively with product managers, developers, and designers, preventing problems rather than fixing them later.
How do you assess the return on investment for your localisation efforts in a specific market, and do you have particular metrics or criteria to gauge the effectiveness of your localisation investment?
Our goal is to minimise user complaints and support tickets. While we aim for perfection, some imperfections may exist, like untranslated support links. However, we strive to communicate clearly to users to prevent surprises, save time, and reduce frustration, ultimately resulting in fewer complaints about our products.
Do you also provide multilingual customer support?
Yes, we do.
How do you stay updated on the latest trends in the localisation industry while managing product localisation for various markets, especially in Italy?
Staying current in our field is essential, but it’s a challenge. As language leaders, we constantly research to keep up with industry developments. However, balancing this with other responsibilities can be pretty demanding. We strive to excel in all aspects of our work, but it’s not always easy.
Do you participate in support groups or have specific interests within the industry that you enjoy exploring?
We’re fortunate to have the company organise valuable workshops and invite experts from other companies to share insights and solutions. These opportunities foster collaboration and help us address common challenges despite our busy schedules. It’s a fantastic benefit provided by our company.
What essential advice would you like to offer, particularly to your younger self or to someone in localisation?
I believe many things that I talked about during the conversation, like empathy for your target audience or advocating for localisation to be an integral part of the project cycle. Practice “localisation inception” by speaking the language of different stakeholders. Don’t fixate on job titles; think big and focus on the problems you want to solve. Embrace continuous learning, adaptability, and the uniqueness of being human.
Your capabilities can lead you anywhere; don't confine yourself to a job title. Stay open to new possibilities.
That was such remarkable advice. As we wrap up, let's have a quick rapid-fire. Here we go!
What's your favourite language and why?
English, as I first fell in love with it.
Your favourite vacation spot?
Anywhere with sea and sand.
Who is your localisation hero?
The team of Spotify. Don’t know who is behind it all, but the team that works for Spotify for sure.
Any localisation advice that you received in your career?
One thing I remember is to think about the user; think about the person who is receiving your text.
And there you have it, folks! Michela Giuliano’s incredible journey from the enchanting world of music to becoming a product language lead and localisation manager at Wix. Her unique path reminds us that the road to success is seldom a straight line; it’s a mesmerising journey filled with unexpected turns and opportunities.
We’ve gained valuable insights into localisation, the challenges of adapting content for the Italian market, and the importance of empathy in crafting user-centric experiences. Michela’s advice to her younger self and all aspiring localisation professionals is a shining beacon of wisdom, reminding us to stay open to new possibilities and to think beyond job titles.
But before we say goodbye, here’s a special offer for our listeners. If you need top-notch localisation services, look no further than “Translate by Humans.” For a complimentary consultation, visit our website and book a call today. Your global journey starts here!
Thank you for joining us on this tale!