When conversion rate optimization (CRO) is analyzed in an e-commerce, the debate often centers around two main factors: investing in website design or in e-commerce translation, including the involvement of a Catalan translator, Basque translator or Galician translator, depending on the market. The reality is that both have an impact, but in different ways depending on the conversion funnel stage and the type of user.
Impact of design on conversion
Design continues to be a key factor in user experience. Studies show that visual elements, content layout and loading speed directly affect retention and purchase completion:
- Initial purchase and retention: a clean, responsive design increases the duration spent on the page, reduces bounce rates and improves the perception of professionalism.
- Checkout and micro-interactions: clear buttons, optimized forms and an intuitive purchase flow reduce the abandonment rate. A drop of 1 second in speed can reduce conversions by up to 7%.
- Post-purchase loyalty: the tracking and confirmation interface affects repeat purchases, despite being less important than the initial phases.
In short, design is crucial when the user needs to browse quickly, understand the interface and take specific actions without friction.
Impact of e-commerce translation on conversion
On the other hand, e-commerce translation, performed by a professional e-commerce translation service mainly affects user understanding and confidence:
- Product evaluation: descriptions, reviews and clear conditions in the user’s native language reduce uncertainty. Approximately 70% of purchasers prefer content in their mother tongue.
- Multilingual checkout: a payment process adapted to the user’s language can increase conversions by up to 70% in specific markets.
- Multilingual markets: a Catalan, Basque or Galician translator can offer localization that goes beyond a simple translation, adapting currency, measurements and cultural formality, for example.
- SEO and purchasing: well-translated versions improve visibility in local searches and attract qualified traffic, increasing the conversion rate without changing the design.
Implementing professional translation can increase conversions by around 13%, even when the design and website structure remain the same.
When one predominates over the other
When design is more relevant than translation:
- Websites with technical errors and websites that are slow, unresponsive or offer a confusing browser experience.
- With users who have already mastered the store’s language, the barrier is not language-based, but relates to usability.
When translation is more relevant than design:
- Multilingual markets or regions with a co-official language.
- Sectors where content accuracy is vital (e.g., legal, health and technology).
- Clients who place more trust in the clarity of the policies, reviews and microcopy than in minor visual elements.
In short, there is no one single rule about whether CRO depends more on design or e-commerce translation. Each factor has its own degree of importance, depending on the context:
- Design ensures fluid browsing, speed and clarity in interactions.
- Translation and localization, particularly with a Catalan translator, Basque translator or Galician translator, generates confidence, reduces friction when it comes to understanding and improves conversion in specific markets.
To maximize results, the recommendation is to assess both elements in parallel. On this point, Blarlo is positioned as a professional solution that combines experience in specialized translation and cultural adaptation to offer an e-commerce translation service, ensuring that each message, from the microcopy to the checkout, has the biggest possible impact on conversion and user loyalty.
With a focus that is balanced between design and translation, any online store can optimize its CRO and guarantee that users not only browse, but also buy and return.
