Localize Your Uber Button, Drive Engagement in New Markets

By Rachel MacDonald

With 1.8 billion of the 2 billion smartphones in the world belonging to users outside of the US, it’s important to consider how you approach international audiences. You’ve likely already thought about how you can localize your app experience… but, have you considered your Uber buttons?

Marketers around the world have seen increased engagement by thinking local with their global strategy. With 50% of the countries in the iOS App Store’s Top 10 for downloads and revenue designated as non-English speaking, the opportunity is clear.

We already know Uber buttons can increase time spent in your app upwards of 11%, demonstrated by users coming back to use the feature again. One app that added Uber buttons in 60 countries saw over 58% of new Uber installs attributed to non-English Uber buttons and over 71% of new installs completed outside of the United States. Going global with your Uber buttons increases their relevance, utility, and subsequently, your app engagement.

Perhaps the best example of the need to meticulously and intelligently localize your Uber Button for a local market is India. With over 204 million smartphone users in India using 22 official languages, it’s not enough to just place an English copy “Ride there with Uber” button in your app. To capture these smartphone users, it is critical to hyper-localize your Uber button and adapt to preferred language preferences.

Simply put, you need to translate the language string in your code for each country. Some opt for translation tools that make it easy to automatically do this, but these run the risk of mistranslation or inaccuracies.

The first step is to identify all of the same countries and cities where Uber operates and where your app is available, as well as the respective native languages there. Then, with each variation, you need to create a unique language string. Both Apple and Android have complete documents on how to do this, which you may find helpful. There are also partners, like Button, who can provide you complete Uber button functionality including localization to over 30 languages.

With a flawless translation, you’re optimizing for a higher conversion rate and new market opportunities. In fact, the Uber button in the Hotels.com app—localized for South Korean users—sees a 2.8 times higher install rate than the one for users in the United States. We also found that, when given an Uber button in a contextual experience, international users install at a rate 17% higher than U.S. ones, meaning they find real value in a localized user experience.

While language translation is the most obvious localization need, you should also consider how this affects your button’s design. Each unique language translation can introduce text shrinkage or expansion. Planning in advance for these aesthetic differences by copy testing first can help ensure a seamless global implementation.

Hotels.com, which operates in 60 countries that speak 30 different languages, approached Button with the challenge of integrating Uber into their app in a short timeframe. After a hackathon where they put Button’s technology to the test, Hotels.com’s developers were so impressed with the ease of integration and the utility that an Uber button added to their user experience that they decided to make this hack a reality and deploy Uber Buttons in their 60 markets.

A partnership with Hotels.com and Uber was a perfect fit — you could book with Hotels.com, and upon receiving your booking confirmation, get to the hotel quickly with the inline Uber button.

Ready to get started with app localization? Read more on Android or iOS specific instructions, then visit Button’s website to learn how to localize your Uber button.

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