Website Localization - Everything You Need to Know

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Why Website Localization Matters

Your content is important. Your website, as your storefront, hosts that content. The more visible it is, the more traffic it will get.

With more traffic comes greater visibility and revenues. All successful businesses—whether manufacturers of goods, service providers, or software—know this.

In order to maximize content value, these businesses localize their websites. This article provides you with the complete steps of website localization, along with key definitions, best practices, tools, cautionary tales, and cost-saving tips.

MotaWord is both a leading provider and active user of website localization. Our website content is translated into 11 languages and counting. We're the best partner to learn from.

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Understanding Translation vs. Localization

You've likely heard the term localization when talking about translation. These two terms are often used interchangeably, but there are important differences.

Translation is the exchange of one language for another, staying as close as possible to the original text.

Localization goes deeper. It ensures that content, currencies, addresses and the overall message feel natural to the local audience.

In this article, when we use the term "translation," we mean localization.

Questions? Feel free to contact us at any time.

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What Is Website Translation?

Website translation is the process of converting website content from one language to another while preserving its meaning, tone, and cultural relevance.

It goes beyond mere word-for-word translation. It involves adapting text, images, and design elements to ensure the site is accessible and engaging for users in different regions.

Effective website translation helps companies reach new markets, improve user experience, and increase global engagement. It makes content resonate with diverse audiences.

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Why Website Localization Is Important

Reaching Global Internet Users

As of now, there are 4.6 billion internet users worldwide. That number is growing.

While English is the most popular language on the internet, only 26% of these 4.6 billion people speak it. That leaves around 3.4 billion people who cannot see your services if your site is only in English.

The more you translate your site, the more of those 4.6 billion internet users you can reach.

Your Website as a Global Storefront

Having a website is like having a storefront. While not everyone will be your client, you can potentially get clients from anywhere.

You should ensure the reach of your website and content are as wide as possible.

What Users Actually Want

According to research by the Common Sense Advisory, over half of internet users would rather get information in their own language than shop around for the best price.

If this doesn't motivate you to seek website translation and localization services, nothing will.

Beyond Information: Necessity and Compliance

We've touched upon the information aspect of localizing your website. There's also the necessity aspect.

Many companies need to provide information to their workforce in different locales in their native language. Companies within the U.S. differentiate themselves from competitors by speaking the language of neighborhood minorities.

Press releases, legal advice, and large-scale announcements benefit from translation. Our websites are increasingly where this information is gathered and circulated.

Growing Internationally Without Opening Offices

In the past, companies had to open local offices in other countries to grow internationally. Today, website translation makes this nearly unnecessary.

For a company like MotaWord, ensuring our translation service is accessible to non-English speakers is the primary path to international growth. We also handle currencies, localized information, and consistent content creation—but we'll cover more on those later.

Who Needs Website Localization?

Short answer: Anyone who has a website—even individuals who use it mainly as a CV for their services.

Businesses of all sizes localize their websites to ensure compliance, reach more people, and gain competitive advantage.

Types of Organizations Using Website Localization

Any website seeking to inform the maximum number of internet users uses localization to augment content reach. MotaWord works with a wide variety of clients:

Large international firms: Companies like Iron Mountain, Nielsen, and Coach use our services. See our full case studies.

Small and medium businesses: SMEs of all sizes use MotaWord to translate website content into multiple languages.

European healthcare firms: Europe requires nearly all healthcare and medical device content to be translated into 24 European languages. MotaWord offers an "All Official EU Languages" selection.

Market research firms: Global surveys, word clouds, marketing materials, and case studies are routinely translated.

Software developers: Developers understand the importance of localization—adapting content while considering country-specific issues.

Game developers: Among the most translation-savvy users. They localize both games and websites into multiple languages.

Law firms: Immigration and family law firms know the value of translating websites into their target audience's languages.

Hospitals and clinic systems: International hospitals attract patients by localizing content. U.S. systems serve Limited English Proficiency (LEP) populations by translating into LEP-specific languages.

MotaWord's diverse clientele and industry experience make us a premier website localization service.

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Common Website Language Localization Methods

Within the industry, not everything is called "website translation." Each translation process has its own terminology.

Depending on your content and pages, a knowledgeable localization service will offer options:

Translation

This is what most people think of, but few understand fully. Translation means rendering source content into a target language while staying as close to the original as possible.

A translator ensures accuracy but doesn't deviate from the original source or alter it.

For marketing content with cultural undertones, humor, or creative demands, translation has limitations.

Translation is typically rendered as TEP (Translation, Editing, Proofreading). A professional translator works first, then a separate proofreader checks for consistency and accuracy, followed by a final editor.

This process ensures mistakes are kept to a minimum.

Transcreation

Transcreation is a blended word made up of "translation" and "creation." It means creative translation, but it's deeper than that.

Transcreation considers not only the words and meaning but focuses on which words would be best received by the target audience.

This takes into account culture, language, vernacular, and the specific audience for the message.

When done well by native translators familiar with the target locale, transcreation is the highest quality available.

It requires constant client consultation.

Copywriting

Copywriting is the complete creation of content based on its intended use. For websites, this might be extensive, but for important marketing messages, copywriting adds value.

Back-Translation

Back-translation is useful when accuracy is paramount—especially when the message must resonate with the target audience.

Say you're translating a vital marketing message into French. Translate it, then have a different translator (who hasn't seen the original) translate it back into English.

Compare the result to your original. This ensures the message conveyed is correct.

Machine Translation

Machine translation (like Google Translate) is an amazing tool. It translates large amounts of text in seconds and is free for non-commercial use.

It comes in two categories: statistical machine translation and neural machine translation (newer technology with better results in some scenarios).

However, machine translation has limitations. Quality can be poor or suspect, with no guarantees.

Search engines tend to disfavor machine-translated content without proper multilingual SEO optimization.

Translation errors can reflect poorly on your brand and have ended many products and companies. Unchecked, machine translation puts your brand at risk.

Best use: Machine translation works best for getting the gist of a foreign-language message. For anything "publish ready," human translators are essential.

Post-Editing

Post-editing is the hybrid method: machine translation with a layer of human editing.

It's faster and cheaper than straight translation, but accuracy might suffer if not done carefully with proper tools.

Collaborative Translation

This is what MotaWord pioneered: multiple translators working in tandem on the cloud, translating simultaneously while a proofreader checks for consistency and accuracy.

It's much faster than regular translation and delivers better quality as multiple translators collaborate.

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How Does Website Localization Work?

Like any project, website localization requires preparation. As Abraham Lincoln said: "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."

A proficient website translation partner will guide you through these steps:

1. Content Review

Review your content and ensure it's ready for translation. Only translate fully approved and finished copy—this saves time later.

If that copy was AI-drafted, run it through an AI humanizer first so it reads naturally.

2. Style Guide Preparation

Prepare a style guide to communicate to the translators. Learn more about what a style guide is here.

3. Glossary Preparation

Prepare a glossary and get it translated for your review.

4. Site Assessment

Understand which parts of your site need translation. An experienced partner provides insights based on experience.

5. Translation Management System

Use an easy Translation Management System (TMS)—free of charge—to ensure seamless translation and easy future updates.

6. Translation Memory

Use a robust Translation Memory (TM)—also free—ensuring you're never charged for repeating sentences previously translated. Read our article on Translation Memory.

7. TEP Process

Translation, Editing, Proofreading—nothing less. All for a single low fee.

8. 24/7 Support

Continuous support in real-time for last-minute changes and questions.

9. Modern Connectors

All modern connectors—WordPress plugin, Drupal plugin, API, advanced tools integrating machine and human translation. All free of charge.

10. After-Sale Support

After-sale support where any issue is solved to your satisfaction, even after project completion.

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How Technical Is Website Localization?

Website localization is quite technical. Don't be scared—you just need a knowledgeable partner willing to help.

Even with the best tools, WordPress included, localizing your website requires planning and some coding.

Planning Considerations

Planning is required for how to display your new languages. Will you use a dropdown menu? Will you auto-detect visitor browser language and serve the site in that language if translated?

How will your URLs look for foreign language sites? Will you use a prefix or folder structure?

Your images, meta tags, and titles all need consideration during translation. Previous experience and amazing tools are invaluable here.

Getting Help

Reading this might worry you. Don't let it. Understanding the best way to translate your website is as easy as asking us.

Drop questions in our real-time chat and we'll answer.

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What Language Does the Internet Speak?

Around 26% of the 4.6 billion internet users are English speakers. That leaves 3.4 billion people speaking other languages.

What language do those internet users speak? Based on our in-house research of the top 100 ecommerce websites, these platforms prefer translating into:

French, Spanish, and German are the top three, followed by Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Korean, and Turkish.

Maximum Reach Strategy

If maximum reach (regardless of industry or geography) is your aim, 90% of the world's sales potential can be accessed by localizing into:

English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (and their local variants).

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Free Website Translation: Is It Possible?

Yes, absolutely. Machine translation is one way. The other is you or a colleague knowing the target language and doing the work yourself.

Both options have shortcomings. Website translation and localization services that modify content to feel natural to local audiences rarely come free.

This is because human translation is required for localization. Machines aren't yet good enough to make text feel natural to local audiences.

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Free Website Translation Limitations

Self-Translation Challenges

When performing your own localization, there's a learning curve plus the time you'll spend. Localization can be arduous, time-consuming, and distracting from other valuable tasks.

Machine Translation Issues

Machine translation has quality issues. It often fails to recognize nouns and nuances in meaning.

Machine translation works better for some languages (those with good training data) and worse for others.

SEO Penalties

Depending on translation quality, search engines can penalize your site for poor content, ranking you lower than competitors.

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Can I Handle Website Translation Myself?

Yes, with organization. Start with webpage structure—buttons and common elements—then move to text and images.

Depending on your website hosting, you'll need technical knowledge for displaying multilingual content and hosting new language versions.

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Common Mistakes in Website Localization

The most common localization mistakes relate to lack of preparation. As with any publishing task, you need to think it through and plan properly at the start.

Website Localization ROI (Return on Investment)

You're doing this work to get more visibility and revenue. But how do you calculate this? How do you ensure the best ROI?

Think of translation as part of your product development cycle. Well-planned web localization is easier to execute.

Two Components of ROI Maximization

First: Ensure you're doing the right things. Don't translate into Arabic if you won't operate in the Middle East or serve Arabic-speaking groups. Right-to-left languages can be painful in execution, requiring more effort.

Second: Ensure cost-effectiveness. Website translation analytics help you see which languages attract traffic, which pages drive engagement, and where professional review impacts ROI most.

Modern Localization Approach

Historically, growing companies created a Localization Department. Large corporations outsourced to multiple vendors.

Both approaches are obsolete today. Platforms like MotaWord, with complete workflows and constantly evolving technology, enable companies of all sizes to streamline translations while slashing costs versus traditional agencies.

MotaWord is 20x faster and 60% cheaper than traditional translation agencies—not only because of collaborative nature but because our process constantly evolves.

We don't bog down clients with technology purchases. We're your trusted translation source, investing in technology ourselves.

Analyze your website in minutes and get a free website localization quote here.

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Website Translation or Localization?

While translation and localization are used interchangeably for websites, most work is actually localization.

Localization renders a website in another language and ensures user experience works for that language (consider Arabic's right-to-left orientation).

Localization also accounts for country-specific issues: currencies, measurements, addresses, telephone information, and more.

When we discuss website translation, we're referring to localization.

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What Are the Best Website Localization Formats?

You're ready to localize but unsure what formats your partner should support? The answer: all of them.

A technically savvy partner handles:

HTML files, XML files, InDesign documents, SRT and VTT files for time-coded videos, Illustrator and Photoshop files, PDFs for marketing materials, and basically anything you can think of.

Website localization should be full-service.

Modern Technology Advantages

Gone are the days of putting website content in Word or Excel for translation, then recreating the site in another language.

With current technology and the right partner, your WordPress website is handled with a plugin, HTML files render easily, and content publishes in new languages with minimal coding.

See the full list of supported file formats at MotaWord here.

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Localizing Websites Into English

As English speakers, we don't often think of English as a foreign language. For over 3.4 billion internet users speaking other languages, it is.

The same localization considerations apply. Plan well, ensure appropriate English (US English differs significantly from British English), and account for country-specific factors.

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How Do I Localize an Entire Website?

The answer depends on how your website was created. It certainly helps to have a CMS (Content Management System).

A CMS ensures all content is easily accessible, well-organized, adaptable, and localizable. See our article on CMS systems.

WordPress: The Gold Standard

There's one CMS that rules above all else: WordPress is the most popular content management system worldwide.

• 62% of websites built on a CMS are WordPress sites
• 37% of the top one million websites use WordPress
• WordPress users produce about 70 million new posts each month

  Before You Translate

If you don't have a CMS, you're not ready for website translation. First, get your website onto a CMS.

Once done, pick a localization service with proprietary tools. MotaWord has a proprietary WordPress translation plugin ensuring your WordPress website translates easily into any language.

Download our tool directly from WordPress free of charge and get started.

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How Much Does It Cost to Localize a Website?

A reliable service charges only per-word translation rates and provides free quotes.

Unfortunately, many translation industry middlemen charge for every task and technology. These add to total cost.

What to Avoid When Shopping

• Stay clear of subscription-based fees
• Avoid companies with "minimum charges" ($50 per language for one sentence across 10 languages = $500 for one sentence!)
• Avoid companies charging for Translation Memory use

  Expected Pricing

A reputable company provides transparent pricing with no hidden fees. Expect 8 to 14 US cents per word per language (depending on volume and language).

Transparent pricing is a must. You should get instant quotes 24/7.

At MotaWord, we provide instant quotes. Visit our quote page to try it yourself and see how simple getting a translation quote can be.

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Importance of Translation Memory (TM)

We touched on Translation Memory earlier as both a cost-saving and consistency tool. We cannot stress its importance enough, especially for ongoing website translation needs.

Why pay for the same translation repeatedly?

A Translation Memory is great for distributed teams, large enterprises, or setups where multiple departments independently order translations.

Your HR department could translate one portion while sales sends a presentation with the same taglines and disclaimers.

A well-maintained Translation Memory ensures those pieces translate only once.

MotaWord discounts Translation Memory matches and repetitive content within documents at quote stage. Expect nothing less.

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Translation Management Systems (TMS): What Are They?

While not entirely necessary for website translation (your modern CMS can act as a TMS), it's useful to have one.

A Translation Management System is a centralized place for translations. The best ones handle many file types, allow stakeholder communication, handle translator payments, incorporate Translation Memory, and let you manage it all.

Traditional TMS Pricing

Many TMS providers charge monthly (with translation limits) or per-use. MotaWord is different.

MotaWord is a Translation Management System at its core. With one key difference: all repetitive functions are automated by our AI.

For our clients, all TMS functionality is always free of charge.

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Finding the Right Translators for Website Localization

Choosing a translator is like choosing a contractor for house renovation. Website localization is best done by translators with expertise and experience.

You wouldn't let anyone do electrical work in your home, right?

It's imperative to use native translators with previous experience and tool familiarity. They should know basic HTML and handle image files.

Individual translators have less ongoing experience than specialized companies like MotaWord with constant, real-world experience.

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What Content to Translate for Your Website?

All navigation panels, images, text, blog posts, marketing materials, product presentations, videos, audio, and more can be translated.

Planning What to Translate

Ask yourself what's really necessary. A blog post specific to a certain country makes no sense to translate.

The same applies to products or services not offered in the translation target country.

Do simple triage: ask "will this be necessary?" before beginning translation.

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How Do I Add Translation Services to My Website?

Many organizations want instant translations for customer support or constantly updated text.

These are handled by specialized translation services, mostly using machine translation with sometimes human post-editing for accuracy.

A knowledgeable partner like MotaWord easily helps craft a solution and budget for incorporating translation services.

The MotaWord API is a great tool for any process needing instant translation.

For advanced needs, talk to us. A simple "hello" works. Our Translation Pricing page is a good way to have someone contact you.

Ongoing Website Localization Workflows

For many companies, localization doesn't stop after initial translation. New blog posts, landing pages, product updates, help content, and marketing assets continue appearing.

Connecting translation to your existing systems helps. Explore our API-related integrations.

For a broader overview of automating website, software, and document localization at scale, read our guide to translation APIs for business.

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Dealing With Website Localization Errors

No matter how well you plan, unforeseen problems or errors may arise. As they say, "People plan, God laughs."

With the right localization service, any error can be handled—even months after project completion.

At MotaWord, we stand behind all translations, ensuring flawless service and live 24/7 customer support for projects of any size.

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How to Localize a Website

Your website is constantly evolving. Content naturally evolves and gets added to.

At minimum, websites have ongoing localization needs for blog articles or new product/service pages.

Ongoing Localization Strategy

A good website localization plan includes continuing translation as needed.

Tools and systems save tremendous trouble here:

• A CMS makes updating content—for all languages—easy
• A translation partner like MotaWord with no minimum charges and free Translation Memory and TMS makes updates effortless for pennies
• Tech-savvy support answers all your questions Choose the best partner. It makes all the difference.

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Can Any Translator Localize Websites?

We said earlier: "Use native translators with previous experience and tool familiarity. They should know basic HTML and handle image files."

So the answer is a solid no.

Use only translators who are native in the target language, have website localization familiarity, and will support your ongoing localization needs.

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What Makes MotaWord the Ideal Partner for Website Localization?

Remember our step-by-step process? MotaWord delivers all of it:

1. Content review and preparation

2. Style guide preparation

3. Glossary preparation

4. Site assessment with experience-based insights

5. Free Translation Management System

6. Free, robust Translation Memory

7. TEP—Translation, Editing, Proofreading

8. Continuous 24/7 real-time support

9. Free modern connectors (WordPress, Drupal, API, advanced integration tools)

10. After-sale support for post-completion issues

Years of experience localizing websites for organizations of many sizes make MotaWord the ideal partner for your website localization project.

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Bottom Line

Website localization is not just a technical task—it's a strategic imperative for companies succeeding in the global marketplace.

It involves more than translating content. It requires understanding cultural nuances, regional preferences, and local regulations.

Effective localization ensures your website resonates with local audiences, providing seamless user experience that builds trust and engagement.

The Strategic Value

Localization enhances brand credibility and accessibility, making it more relatable and appealing to different demographics.

By adapting your website to specific target market needs and expectations, you expand reach and foster stronger global connections.

Professional localization services save time and resources while ensuring quality and accuracy. Whether you're a multinational corporation or small business entering new markets, the benefits are clear.

It positions your brand for success in the competitive global landscape, helping navigate cultural differences and capitalize on new opportunities.

Creating Global Connection

Website localization creates an inclusive digital presence that speaks directly to audiences worldwide.

Harness localization's power to elevate your brand, drive international growth, and achieve lasting success in the global marketplace.

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If You Have a Website to Localize Today

You should contact us. Not necessarily to work with us—maybe you'll decide against translating your website.

But at minimum, you'd have advice from the best in the business. We love sharing our knowledge.

For any advanced needs, just talk to us. A simple "hello" works. Our Translation Pricing page is a good way to have someone contact you.

And if you're ready to get started, let us know. We look forward to being your trusted website translation partner.