Case Study: Automated translation of a full website
After noticing some international interest, a Norwegian client decided it was time to offer an English version of their site. With a large and constantly growing website, we all agreed that a translation plugin would be the most efficient way to get the ball rolling.
At first glance, everything looked pretty good.
But once we started reading through the content, things began to feel… off.
Because AI doesn’t speak human. It doesn’t pick up on context, brand personality, or the nuances of tone that shape how you come across online.
And it definitely doesn’t get the quirks of language that, if left unchecked, can turn a professional site into something unintentionally hilarious.
Lost in translation
Without proper review, we would’ve ended up with lines like this:
“Do you need professional design? Our designers will help you get the most out of your project, whether it’s business cards, templates for picture choirs, or a drunk visual profile.”
Yes… picture choirs, and a drunk visual profile.
For context, picture choir came from the Norwegian combination word bildekor. Bil-dekor translates to vehicle wraps; one of the company’s main products. Bilde-kor, however, would translate to picture-choir. And apparently, that made more sense.
And, the Norwegian word full can mean two things: drunk or complete.
Well… You’d almost think the actual author were drunk while writing, had we published that.
We’re still using the plugin for most of the site. But every time new content goes live, we run manual checks to ensure everything remains clear, natural, and true to the original message.
Why full automation isn’t ideal
Even if you’re not dealing with awkward translations, automated content tools shouldn’t replace human input entirely. They’re helpful, they save time—but they’re not foolproof.
Someone still needs to step in and ask:
- Is this still us?
- Does this sound right?
- Are we sending the right message?
When you skip that human layer, you’re giving up control of your voice to a tool that doesn’t know your business, audience, or tone. It might be fast, but fast doesn’t always mean effective. And when it comes to building trust, getting it right matters far more than shaving off a few minutes.
A quick human check is more than just proofreading: It is quality control and brand consistency. It’s the difference between sounding polished and real, or sounding like you let a bot take the wheel.
Get help with your website content
If you’re struggling to write your website content—or just want a fresh pair of eyes on what you already have—please get in touch.
Having paid close attention to AI in content writing for the last two years, I can spot AI content within seconds and know how to change certain words, sentence structure and punctuation to make it sound and feel more human.
Even if you’re confident in your content, having a partner like Healthy Pixels can help you catch what doesn’t sound quite right, or what might confuse someone unfamiliar with your business.
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