Websites are now a fundamental element for companies and brands.  A few functions of a company’s websites are:  representing the company’s online image, exposing a brand to incoming traffic,  attracting and keeping target audience on its site and for converting online traffic into active sales.  Some brands are found only online and no longer as physical stores.  A perfect website translation is therefore vital for all companies with websites in multiple languages.

Checklist when doing website translations:

  • be aware that for websites, translation is often restricted by limitations of space (e.g. buttons)
  • localization is an important aspect, e.g. currencies, units of measurement (Metric vs. Imperial system), dates, number formatting
  • consistency in translations of repeated terms
  • if the website is in HTML, please be careful not to touch the codes! Visit our HTML tutorial for more.
  • be aware that other content will be displayed alongside your translated text, and think about how this content relates to your translation (images of products, maps, photographs, etc.)
Some more things to think about:
  • first and foremost: a website is a brand’s presentation card for its target audience.  Adapting the right tone is crucial for visitors
  • what is fitting in the target language -tone, etc.
  • the online culture of the target language
  • which information is essential and important for the target audience of the target language’s market?
  • multi-lingual websites are more prone to being “compared” by equally multi-lingual visitors:  peer proof with your colleagues in other languages is possible
  • consider the market’s linguistic style and cultural aspects:  hierarchy, seniority, addressing the target audience appropriately adhering to either formal or informal language.  The translation is directed not just toward a target language but towards a target culture!
Check out more guidelines on translation in our Resources portal.

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