10 Indispensable Tips for Translating Your Website

Website translation

Thinking of expanding globally with your website? Great move. But website translation is more than just swapping words—it’s about communication, culture, and adaptation. Here are 10 essential tips to ensure your multilingual website succeeds.

1. Choose the Right Website Structure

Start by deciding between a multilingual website (one CMS with multiple languages) or multiple localized websites. Most businesses today opt for the multilingual approach using plugins like WPML for WordPress, Weglot, or Lokalise, which streamline translation workflows and support dozens of languages.

Pro tip: use headless CMS options like Contentful or Strapi if scalability and performance across locales is a priority.

2. Prioritize Content for Translation

You don’ t need to translate everything at once. Start with high-performing pages (landing pages, bestsellers, contact forms) and expand strategically. Analyze your web analytics and determine which pages are essential for each target market.

And don’t forget hidden content: metadata, image alt texts, menus, buttons, legal disclaimers, and pop-ups. All these impact user experience and SEO.

3. Create a Localization Style Guide

To keep messaging consistent across languages, develop a style guide for translators. Include your preferred tone (e.g., formal vs. conversational), terminology, and brand guidelines. This reduces misinterpretations and keeps your brand voice intact across markets.

Today, AI-assisted translation tools can speed up work—but human translators are still vital for tone, humour, and nuance.

4. Optimize for International SEO

Translation without SEO is like building a shop in the desert. Research local keywords using tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, or Ubersuggest, and don’t assume direct translations will rank.

Also consider search engine preferences: Google rules globally, but in China (Baidu) and Russia (Yandex), different algorithms apply. Use hreflang tags and submit multilingual sitemaps to improve visibility.

5. Get the URL Structure Right

SEO is also affected by your URL setup. The three main structures are:

• ccTLDs: yourwebsite.fr (country-specific domains)
• Subdomains: fr.yourwebsite.com
• Subdirectories: yourwebsite.com/fr

Subdirectories are often preferred for unified SEO authority, but ccTLDs can build greater local trust. Use Google Search Console to geo-target content effectively.

6. Translate or Localize? Know the Difference

Translation is more literal. Localization adapts your content culturally. That includes local idioms, holidays, humour, and even units of measure.

Advanced localization can also include adjusting UX elements, like reading direction for Arabic, or colour schemes for cultural preferences.

7. Don’t Forget Multimedia Content

Images, infographics, videos, and embedded text need attention too. Subtitles, voiceovers, and captions should be translated, and culturally inappropriate images replaced.
For example, a gesture as simple as a thumbs-up might offend some markets. Always review visual elements with local sensitivity in mind.

8. Design for Flexibility

Languages like German, for example, take up more space than English. Asian scripts may require vertical alignment or different fonts. Ensure your website design for the target audience.
Implement auto text-resize, flexible containers, and avoid hard-coded content in graphics.

9. Use the Right File Formats for Export

Depending on your CMS, you may export content as:

• .XLIFF or .PO files (ideal for translators using CAT tools)
• .CSV or .XML (used for eCommerce platforms like Magento or Shopify)
• .DOCX or plain text for small-scale projects

Your translation partner can guide you on this.

10. Think Beyond Language—Adapt Your Operations

Don’t overlook operational localization. This includes:

• Localized payment options (e.g., iDeal in the Netherlands, Sofort in Germany)
• Shipping policies and returns
• Tax and legal compliance (like GDPR or cookie consent)

Partnering with a Payment Service Provider (PSP) like Adyen or Stripe can help integrate region-specific payment systems with ease.

We will help you through all this process

Translating a website is a complex task that goes beyond simply converting text from one language to another—it requires cultural insight, technical precision, and an understanding of your target audience. For this reason, it is extremely important you share your thoughts about the tips outlined in this article with a professional agency, like us.
Our experienced team is here to guide you through every step of the process, ensuring your website speaks clearly and compellingly to users around the world. Let us help you go global with confidence.
Would you like more information and to find out what your options are? Please contact us.