In the era of globalization, brands are competing to expand into the global arena. They are utilizing digital technology to reach a broader market through their website. 

Brands use their websites as the first point of contact for providing information. However, the massive shift toward internationalization has led many brands to launch multilingual websites without ensuring content accuracy. 

As a result, localization often becomes just word-for-word translation instead of true context-driven adaptation. Common problems arise from ambiguous words or phrases that are translated literally.

Even simple word misuse can harm a brand’s professionalism and weaken international audiences’ trust in its products or services.

Amazon has encountered examples of ambiguous phrases due to translation errors on its website. 

In some early versions of the Indonesian localization, the word ‘Order’ was literally translated as ‘perintah’ (command) on the help page. 

This mistake created an ambiguous sentence that confused users, showing how poor localization can distort meaning and harm clarity. In fact, the word “order” in Indonesian means’ pesanan’.

Culturally inappropriate tones can make messages feel stiff, offensive, or irrelevant because each country has its own norms and expressions.

Another common mistake is carelessly translating legal pages—such as terms and conditions, privacy policies, or disclaimers—which contain sensitive terminology that can lead to future issues.

To avoid these errors, brands should work with certified translation and localization experts to ensure their websites are truly accurate, not just multilingual.

Why Most Localized Websites Still Read Like Machine-Translated Pages

A website is a representation of the brand itself. One way to make users feel closer to the brand is through localisation. 

However, many websites localise their content but still make users feel like the experience is foreign. This is because the process stops at translation. 

Translation without cultural and user experience context makes the website feel stiff. For instance, a South Korean brand expanding into Malaysia translated their website. 

Even though it was in Malay, it felt different because the choice of diction and cultural context did not align with how local users speak. 

In fact, data from the Harvard Business Review reveals that  72.1% of consumers spend most or all of their time on websites in their own language. Proper localization would certainly increase user loyalty.

Translation errors can diminish taglines’ emotional impact or even offend. For instance, the localisation of Pepsi’s slogan. 

Their slogan says “Come alive! You’re in the Pepsi Generation!”, but the German translation turns it into “Rise from the grave with Pepsi!”. Another mistake involves confusing navigation menus.

For example, users criticised the official LEGO website because its navigation menu focused too heavily on people already familiar with the brand, making it difficult for new visitors or those looking for gifts or specific content to find what they needed.

Another equally fatal mistake is a legally incorrect disclaimer. If left uncorrected, these issues can trigger future legal or reputational problems.

These mistakes can occur if a certified translator does not do the translation. Many people assume that regular translators can do all translation processes. 

However, localisation requires translators who understand specific terminology, the cultural nuances of the target country, and the local communication style.

What Certified Translation Actually Fixes That Regular Translation Cannot

Certified translation offers a level of precision that ordinary translation cannot achieve. 

In the context of websites, it ensures legal and technical accuracy through a rigorous verification process, including a signed accuracy statement by a professional linguist. 

This means we double-check every term, phrase, and sensitive detail, rather than merely translating them at a functional level.

Unlike standard website localisation, certified translation adds a layer of credibility—a guarantee that the content is not only readable but also legally valid and accountable. 

Terminology consistency is carefully maintained, especially for specific terms related to compliance, regulations, or claims that could have legal implications. 

Therefore, the verification process is multi-layered, involving checks on style, terminology consistency, and alignment with industry regulations and context.

In addition, sensitive parts of the website need to be taken into account as they affect user trust and legal compliance. 

Pages such as privacy policies, terms and conditions, and product claims must be clear, accurate, and not misleading. 

Medical or legal content must also be conveyed carefully and based on facts. 

According to The Guardian, Facebook faced legal action from German regulators because its translated privacy policy did not accurately reflect the original English legal text.

Therefore, accurate translation helps prevent legal risks, maintain transparency, and enhance brand credibility.

The High-Stakes Zones of a Website That Demand Certified Precision

Source: Freepik.com 

The riskiest parts of a website, if mistranslated, is the area directly related to transactions and compliance. 

The checkout page, for example, is a critical point because every word related to price, return policy, and payment instructions must be understood correctly by users. 

Small errors, such as ambiguity in ‘total cost’ or ‘payment authorization’, can lead to misunderstandings, potential fraud, or make customers feel insecure.

The same applies to privacy policies, legal compliance pages, product safety descriptions, and subscription terms—all of which require consistency in terminology and accuracy in legal and technical context.

Even the smallest translation error can immediately diminish a brand’s perceived professionalism. 

Users judge credibility heavily based on linguistic clarity, so ambiguous terms can make a company appear unserious or untrustworthy. 

In a highly competitive global market, small details like this are enough to drive customers to competitors who appear more professional.

Therefore, companies are strongly advised to use certified translation and professional localization services to ensure linguistic accuracy, cultural appropriateness, and legal compliance—so that operations remain secure and reputations are protected across markets.

Where Certified Translation Meets Real Localization—And Why You Need Both

Certified translation ensures accuracy of meaning: every term is translated accurately, consistently, and is legally and administratively accountable. 

However, accuracy alone is not enough when you want to enter the international market. 

This is where localization comes in—adapting messages to be culturally relevant, easy to understand, and feel ‘natural’ to the local audience. 

Localization touches on many aspects. In terms of communication tone, for example, promotional messages that are casual and humorous may be suitable for the Indonesian market. 

Still, the Japanese market often prefers a more formal and polite style. In UI text fitting, the word ‘Continue’ in English is only eight letters long, but its Tagalog equivalent ‘Magpatuloy’ is longer and often requires layout adjustments. 

Colour and imagery sensitivities are also important—aggressive red is used in some European markets, but is considered lucky in China. 

Localization also affects call-to-action phrasing: ‘Buy Now’ may be more effective in the US, while ‘See Details’ feels less pushy to Southeast Asian users because it does not emphasize urgency. 

Even SEO keywords change by country; Indonesians users search for ‘toko online murah,’ while Singaporean users tend to type ‘best online deals. ‘ 

When certified translation and localization are combined, your message becomes both semantically correct and culturally relevant. 

SpeeQual delivers this by accurately and consistently conveying all information on our clients’ websites with cultural relevance through certified translation and localization.

The Future of Global Websites: Not Just Multilingual, but Trustworthy

Source: Freepik.com 

Entering the 2025–2030 period, the global digital landscape is moving toward much stricter language and compliance standards.

Many countries are beginning to implement language regulations requiring international websites to provide official content in local languages, especially in the financial, health, and public services sectors. 

At the same time, compliance rules regarding claims, data, and transparency are rapidly increasing. 

Users are becoming far more sensitive to accuracy and consistency. They not only assess the quality of the translation, but also the consistency of terminology, clarity of context, and integrity of the source. 

Trust is the key currency that determines whether a brand is worth following or abandoning.

In this increasingly complex digital environment, simply translating content is no longer enough. 

Global consumers want an experience that feels authentic, relevant, and verifiable. Therefore, certified translation and localization are no longer additional costs, but rather strategic investments for the long term. 

Brands that choose this approach demonstrate a commitment to accuracy, legal compliance, and respect for local audiences—essential foundations for building a truly trusted reputation. 

SpeeQual, a trusted provider of certified translation services and website localization, helps you stay relevant to your audience. Contact our team now to get the best localization services!