Overview

Amazon’s worldwide sales surged past $514 billion in 2022, prompting sellers to expand into new territories. Yet many overlook the nuances of true localization, relying on quick translations that damage visibility, compliance, and conversion. Getting the translation process right is essential for any seller aiming to grow beyond their home market.

Key Points

• Machine‑only translation — Using free AI tools without human review often produces stilted phrasing, such as rendering the English word “waterproof” as “water proof” in German, which confuses shoppers.
• Absent local keyword research — Skipping native‑language keyword discovery can erase up to 30 % of potential traffic; for example, the phrase “eco‑friendly tote bag” in Spanish (“bolso ecológico”) is a high‑volume term that many sellers miss.
• Title‑length overruns — Translating a 200‑character English title into French can push the character count beyond Amazon’s 200‑character limit, causing truncation and loss of critical selling points.
• Incorrect unit conversion — Listing a 12‑oz bottle as “12 oz” in the United Kingdom without converting to milliliters (355 ml) leads to buyer complaints and higher return rates.
• Culturally mismatched bullet points — Bullet statements that work in the U.S., like “Perfect for BBQs,” often fall flat in Japan, reducing click‑through rates by as much as 15 %.
• Missing compliance checks — Publishing a translation without verifying local advertising regulations can trigger policy violations, resulting in listing removal or account suspension.

How Listing Translation Mistakes Occur

1. First‑pass translation — Sellers paste the original English copy into a free translator, receiving raw output such as “high quality” becoming “hoch Qualität” (missing the German adjective ending).
2. Skipping keyword audit – After the raw output, many sellers forgo a language‑specific keyword analysis, leaving out native search terms like “capa de chuva” for rain jackets in Portuguese.