By Mehdi HassanWhat is the difference between website localization vs translation?
Translation turns your existing copy into another language as faithfully as possible. Localization starts from the market instead: what do these buyers care about, what proof do they trust, what do they expect to pay, and how do they expect to buy? Then it adapts the page to fit, which usually includes translation but goes well beyond it.
We come at this as a team that writes before it designs. The words on a marketing page aren't decoration; they're the argument. If the argument was built for US founders, translating it word for word into German or Japanese keeps the argument and changes only the language. That's why we treat localization as a copy problem first. Our multilingual website guide covers the structure and SEO side; this page covers what the page should say.
Element | Translation | Localization |
|---|---|---|
Headline and value proposition | Same message, new language | Rewritten around local priorities |
Examples and use cases | Kept as written | Swapped for familiar industries and names |
Social proof | Translated quotes and logos | Local customers, reviews and press first |
Pricing | Numbers converted | Local currency, tax wording, billing norms |
Forms and checkout | Labels translated | Local address formats, phone formats, payment methods |
Legal and trust | Same pages translated | Local requirements, entities and contact details |
Tone | Matches the original | Matches local business norms (formality, directness) |
SEO | Translated keywords | Keyword research in the target language |
Why isn't machine translation enough for a marketing website?
Machine translation isn't enough because it translates sentences, not intent. It gets the grammar mostly right and the persuasion mostly wrong: idioms flatten, headlines lose their edge, and a confident claim in English can read as odd or pushy in another language.
That doesn't make it useless. Modern machine translation is a good first draft for help articles, long feature descriptions and legal boilerplate that a reviewer then checks. The risk sits on the pages that sell: the home page, pricing, product pages and anything with a call to action. These are short, dense and idiomatic, which is exactly where literal translation fails.
There's also a search angle. Google's guidance treats automated translation like other automation: acceptable when it produces helpful pages, a problem when it's used to publish large volumes of unreviewed content. Keyword research matters too. The term your German buyers type into search is often not the literal translation of your English keyword, so a translated page can target a phrase nobody uses.
How do you localize messaging, not just words?
Localize messaging by re-checking your positioning for each market before anyone translates a line. The product is the same, but the buyer's main problem, the competitor they compare you with, and the reason they hesitate often aren't.
List what's really different
Talk to sales and to two or three customers in the market. Note the alternatives they compare you with, the objections they raise and the words they use for the problem.
Rewrite the top of each money page
Draft the headline, subhead and primary call to action fresh in the target language, using the brief above. Keep your structure; change the argument where the market differs.
Translate the supporting copy
Feature details, specs and long-form content can be translated, by a professional or by machine with review, once the core message is settled.
Adjust tone
Decide formal or informal address, how direct claims can be, and how much detail buyers expect. German B2B buyers, for example, often expect more specifics than a short US-style page gives.
Review with a native speaker who knows the market
A fluent reviewer catches errors; a reviewer who sells in that market catches pages that are correct but unconvincing. You want the second kind.
How should you localize proof and social proof?
Localize proof by leading with customers, reviews and press the market recognizes, and only falling back to translated proof from elsewhere when you have nothing local. A logo wall of US startups doesn't reassure a buyer in Japan the way one familiar local name does.
- Logos. Reorder logo strips per locale so recognizable local or regional customers appear first.
- Testimonials. Use quotes from customers in that market where you have them, in their own language. Never translate a quote and present it as if it was said that way without the customer's approval.
- Review platforms. Different markets trust different review sites. Show the ones your buyers actually check.
- Certifications and compliance. Security and data-handling badges carry different weight by region. Data residency and privacy questions often matter more in the EU.
- Case studies. One relevant local example is worth more than three translated ones from other industries.
This is also a design task. Proof sections need to be built so each locale can choose its own content, not hard-coded to one list. Our guide to designing for multiple languages covers how to build components that flex for this.
What does localizing a pricing page involve?
Localizing a pricing page means showing local currency at sensible price points, using local tax wording, offering payment methods buyers expect, and explaining billing in the market's terms. A converted number like 4,627 yen or 92.37 euros signals that nobody thought about this market.
Decide whether you'll set local price points or convert from a base currency. Set prices look intentional; converted prices are easier to maintain but often land on awkward numbers. Then check what a buyer expects to see: whether prices include VAT, whether annual billing is normal, and whether invoices or bank transfers are expected for B2B. Each of these changes copy, design and sometimes your billing setup.
Hypothetical example: localizing one pricing page for Germany
For example, suppose a US SaaS company adds a German site. The translated version simply converts dollar prices to euros and keeps the US headline about "moving fast".
A localized version does more. The headline speaks to reliability and data protection, which the sales team says German buyers ask about first. Prices are set in round euro amounts and labeled with whether VAT is included. The FAQ adds questions about invoicing, a data processing agreement and where data is hosted. The logo strip leads with two European customers. The form accepts German address and phone formats.
None of this is extra translation work. It's decisions, and they have to be made by someone who owns the message, the design and the build together.
How do translation and localization affect SEO?
Both translated and localized pages can rank, but localized pages target the searches people in that market actually make. Translation inherits your English keyword choices; localization starts with keyword research in the target language and adapts headings and slugs to match.
On the technical side, the requirements are the same either way: each language on its own URL, correct hreflang tags, self-canonical pages, translated titles and meta descriptions, and the language declared in the page markup. Our technical SEO checklist for new launches covers those basics. If you're moving an existing multilingual site to a new platform, our guide to migrating a multilingual website covers translation tools and URLs.
Should you localize or just translate your website?
Localize your money pages and translate everything else. The home page, pricing, key product pages and sign-up flow decide whether a market converts, so they deserve rewritten messaging, local proof and local pricing. Docs, blog archives and legal pages can be translated and reviewed.
This split keeps cost sensible. Full localization of every page is expensive and slow, and most of the value comes from a handful of pages. If you're working out a budget, our breakdown of multilingual website cost shows where translation, review and per-locale design fixes add up.
