6 Criteria for Choosing the Right Partner
Global e-commerce is booming. By 2026, online retail sales are expected to exceed $6 trillion (Statista). Yet, research from CSA shows that 76% of consumers prefer to buy from websites in their own language, and 40% will not purchase at all if information is only in English.
This proves one thing: translation is not optional for global growth—it’s essential. But simply translating text is not enough. To succeed, businesses must invest in website localization, adapting not only language but also tone, design, user experience, and SEO for each market.
If you’re considering international expansion, here are the six key criteria to look for when selecting a localization partner—along with how Translated helps leading e-commerce businesses meet them.
1. Native Linguistic and Cultural Expertise
Why it matters:
Product descriptions, CTAs, and even checkout flows need to feel authentic to local buyers. Literal translation can confuse or alienate potential customers.
What to look for:
- Native-speaking professionals for each target market.
- Cultural expertise to ensure messaging resonates.
How Translated does it:
With a community of over 600,000 professional translators (and 10,000+ regularly engaged via T-Rank), we ensure your e-commerce content is adapted by native speakers who understand local buying habits.
✅ Example: For Airbnb, we localized millions of listings in 60+ languages, tailoring content to each culture so that hosts and guests felt at home worldwide.
2. Translation Quality and Quality Control
Why it matters:
Inconsistent translations across thousands of SKUs damage trust and sales. Customers expect product details, measurements, and terms to be reliable.
What to look for:
- Structured review and QA processes.
- Use of technology to maintain consistency at scale.
How Translated does it:
- TranslationOS orchestrates localization at scale, giving clients visibility into quality and workflows across thousands of translators.
- Matecat ensures efficiency and terminology consistency.
- Lara (our context-aware AI) provides semantic accuracy and assists human professionals with document-level coherence.
✅ Example: For the European Commission, we deliver millions of words per month with quality levels independently recognized as best-in-class.
3. Proven Experience and Portfolio
Why it matters:
E-commerce localization involves complex catalogs, frequent updates, and global SEO strategies. Experienced partners anticipate these challenges.
What to look for:
- Case studies in e-commerce or high-growth industries.
- Evidence of managing complex, high-volume projects.
How Translated does it:
With 25 years of experience and 300,000+ clients served, our portfolio includes:
- Glovo: Scaling multilingual updates for Europe’s leading delivery app.
- Airbnb: Enabling international adoption through culturally adapted listings.
- SpaceX: Handling technical and high-stakes content with accuracy.
4. Project Management and Transparent Communication
Why it matters:
E-commerce is fast-moving—new launches, seasonal promotions, and continuous updates demand agile localization workflows.
What to look for:
- Dedicated project managers.
- Clear, proactive communication.
- Real-time progress tracking.
How Translated does it:
Each client works with a dedicated project manager, while TranslationOS provides real-time visibility into progress, talent performance, and QA results. This transparency ensures smooth collaboration and reliable delivery.
5. Technology, Integrations, and Multilingual SEO
Why it matters:
If localized content isn’t optimized for search, customers won’t find it. And if CMS integration is missing, updates become costly and slow.
What to look for:
- CMS connectors (Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, custom systems).
- Multilingual SEO capabilities for local search visibility.
- Automation to streamline workflows.
How Translated does it:
We combine CMS integrations with SEO-driven localization, adapting keywords, metadata, and alt text to each market’s search behavior. AI tools like Lara accelerate scale, while human professionals ensure natural, persuasive copy.
✅ Example: With Airbnb, localized SEO-rich listings helped the platform rank higher in local search engines, fueling adoption in new markets.
6. Scalability Across Languages and Markets
Why it matters:
Many e-commerce businesses start with a few languages (e.g., English, Spanish, German) but quickly expand into new markets. A localization partner must be able to scale up seamlessly—from 5 to 50 or even 100+ languages—without compromising quality or consistency.
What to look for:
- A large, diverse pool of translators to cover niche markets.
- Flexible infrastructure to support rapid scaling.
- AI-driven systems that maintain coherence across languages and markets.
How Translated does it:
- Our network of 600,000+ translators covers 200+ languages, making it possible to expand into any market.
- TranslationOS allows businesses to manage multilingual projects with transparency and control, regardless of size.
- Our technology ensures consistency across SKUs, campaigns, and regions—even as your global footprint grows.
✅ Example: Glovo expanded rapidly across Europe and beyond. With Translated, they were able to scale content localization to dozens of markets while maintaining speed, brand voice, and cultural accuracy.
Putting It All Together
Website localization is not a one-off task—it’s a growth engine. To succeed globally, businesses need a partner who can deliver:
- Native linguistic and cultural expertise
- Reliable quality assurance systems
- Proven experience with global brands
- Project management and transparent communication
- SEO and CMS integration capabilities
- Scalability to support multi-market growth
At Translated, we bring all six. With:
- 25 years of experience
- 600,000+ translators worldwide, with 10,000+ regularly engaged via T-Rank
- TranslationOS for visibility, scalability, and quality control
- Proprietary AI innovations like Matecat and Lara
- Proven results with Airbnb, Glovo, SpaceX, and the European Commission
Your website won’t just be translated—it will be localized, optimized, and ready to grow across every market you enter.
Ready to expand your e-commerce store globally? Contact Translated today to learn how our AI-powered localization solutions can help you scale with speed, quality, and confidence.