Common Mistakes When Translating Website Content

In the era of globalization, having a multilingual website is no longer a choice but a necessity for businesses aiming for international reach. However, translating website content is not simply about “transliterating” each word from Vietnamese to English, Japanese, Korean, or vice versa.

In reality, many businesses that have invested in website translation still fail to conquer the international market, simply because the translated content suffers from basic but extremely serious errors.

So, what are the common mistakes when translating website content? And how can we avoid them?

Join MIMA – a unit specializing in translation & multi-language website content optimization – to explore the details in the following article.

Common Mistakes When Translating Website Content

Unedited Machine Translation (Google Translate)

This is the most common mistake among businesses looking to save costs. Translating website content using tools like Google Translate, DeepL, ChatGPT... should only be an initial support step. If the content is not carefully edited by native speakers or translation experts, the results will be:

• Awkward sentences, unclear meaning
• Grammar errors, vocabulary out of context
• Loss of brand emotion and style
• Causing misunderstanding or offense to international customers

🔴 Example:

• Original Vietnamese: “Chúng tôi cam kết mang đến dịch vụ tận tâm và chất lượng.”
• Machine translation: “We commit to bring thoughtful and qualified service.”
• Correct translation: “We are committed to delivering attentive and high-quality services.”

➡️ Note: Machine translation is just a tool, it cannot replace experienced translators.

Word-by-Word Translation, Lack of Localization

A common mistake is translating word by word without considering the context and local culture (localization). This makes the content:

• Difficult to understand, unnatural to natives
• Unsuitable for consumer behavior
• Causing dislike, reducing brand reputation

🔍 Example:
The phrase “cà phê sữa đá” if translated as “iced milk coffee” would make Americans think of iced milk mixed with coffee. But the correct localization translation should be:
“Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk”

Not Optimizing SEO for the Target Language

Even if an English, Japanese, or Korean website has well-translated content, if it is not optimized with keywords that match local search behavior, Google in that country will not display your website.

📉 Consequences:

• Lost opportunity to reach new customers
• Waste of website creation costs without effectiveness
• High bounce rate because the content does not match search needs

✅ Solution:

• Research keywords specifically for each language
• Translate titles, meta descriptions, and headings according to the target keywords
• Optimize URL, alt image, schema, multilingual internal link

Keeping the Vietnamese Tone of Voice in Other Languages

Many translators make the mistake of trying to maintain the tone of voice and structure of the Vietnamese version. This leads to:

• Long-winded sentences, not in the style of foreign writing
• Unnatural, unconvincing
• Giving the feeling that the website is “unprofessional service”

🔁 Each language has its own style:

➡️ Solution: Edit the content according to the tone of voice of the target language instead of mechanically translating from Vietnamese.

Translating Specialized Terminology Incorrectly

Website content often contains many technical, legal, and marketing terms, and if translated incorrectly will:

• Cause serious misunderstandings about the product
• Affect business reputation
• May violate international laws

🔍 Example:

• "Tối ưu chuyển đổi" = Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
• "Tăng trưởng doanh thu" = Revenue Growth, not “Income Boost”

➡️ Solution: Need translators with industry expertise or supported by a standard terminology dictionary.

Not Editing and Checking After Translation

No matter how good the translator is, the translation still needs a process of checking for spelling, grammar, format, layout, and web display errors.

⚠️ If this step is skipped, the website may:

• Font errors, incorrect line breaks, incorrect meaning
• Incorrect display of Japanese/Korean characters
• Title, bullet, form template format errors

➡️ Solution: Have a cross-check by another person (proofreader), and test the translation on a real website build.

Translating Content While Ignoring Images, CTAs, Meta

An overlooked mistake is only translating the text, while important elements such as:

• Images with embedded text
• Button (CTA): “Register”, “Contact now”
• Title tag (Title), description (Meta Description)
• Address, phone number format...

➡️ Consequence: International users do not fully understand – or do not know what to do next.

✅ Solution: Comprehensively translate the entire interface, images, and accompanying supporting information.

Ignoring Cultural & Political Factors

Content that seems normal in Vietnam may be considered sensitive, strange, or offensive in another country if not carefully reviewed.

❗Example:

• Red = lucky in East Asia but is “dangerous” to Americans
• Topics of religion, gender, national flags, symbols… can be sensitive

➡️ Solution: Consult native speakers or content localization experts.

Ignoring the User Experience (UX) Interface and Structure

• Not only the text content, the website interface – layout also needs to be localized:
• Language must be in the correct writing direction (e.g. Arabic is written from right to left)
• Button sizes that match usage habits on devices in each country
• Information input forms in the correct phone number and address format for each country

➡️ Solution: Use a professional multilingual CMS (such as WordPress + WPML, Webflow Multilingual...) and coordinate between translators + programmers + UX/UI designers.

Not Using Professional Translation Services

Finally, the biggest overall mistake is self-translating or assigning it to non-professionals, causing the website to:

• Not meet content quality standards
• Lose the opportunity to rank on foreign Google
• Cause brand damage and waste design costs

Comprehensive Solution from MIMA TRADING AND SERVICE CO., LTD.

✅ MIMA provides:

• In-depth translation of multilingual websites (English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, German, French, Thai...)
• Localized, SEO-standard content editing, suitable for the target market
• Optimize interface, buttons, images, CTAs, input forms, multilingual meta tags
• Carefully edit & check for errors before publishing
• A team of translators, copywriters, designers, and SEOers with many years of practical experience

Contact Information
Don't let small translation errors make your website lose points in the eyes of international customers. Let the team of experts at MIMA help you translate – optimize – convert all web content.

MIMA TRADING AND SERVICE CO., LTD
📍 Address: Hoc Mon, Ho Chi Minh City
📞 Hotline/Zalo: 0909 035 333
📩 Email: info@mimadigi.com
🌐 Website: https://mimadigi.com

Translating website content is not just about changing the language – it's about building a comprehensive content experience for each market. Every small error in translation can be a major barrier that causes international customers to leave and your competitors to take the opportunity.

Therefore, don't skimp on costs – invest in translating & optimizing website content professionally from the start. And if you need a reliable partner – MIMA is the right choice to accompany you on your journey to conquer the world!