Website translation 101: How to translate into Indonesian

Translating your website to Indonesian is a chance to tap into one of the most dynamic online markets in the world. With 249 million Indonesian speakers, it’s one of the most spoken languages in the world. Pair that with over 221 million Indonesian internet users, and Indonesia becomes a goldmine for global marketing and hiring, incentivizing businesses to translate from English to Indonesian.

When you translate your website from English to Indonesian, your business will enter the largest e-commerce market in Southeast Asia. This incredible economy has been fueled by a young population, a rising middle class, and increasing digital adoption.

To unlock Indonesia’s market potential, you need a translation strategy that’s right for your business. In this guide, we’ll show you how to make one.

The 3 best methods to translate your website into Indonesian

There are three primary ways to translate English to the Indonesian language online. Each has advantages and limitations, so consider your business’s needs when selecting one.

Traducción humana profesional

Professional human translation involves hiring local translators who understand the original language and the one you want your content translated to. In this case, you would be looking for Indonesian translators with English proficiency to help you translate into Indonesian.

• Best for: Businesses that prioritize accuracy and cultural nuance
• Advantages: Skilled translators keep your content authentic
• Limitations: Time-consuming and expensive compared to AI translation tools

Traducción automática

Machine translation uses sophisticated software to automatically translate text or speech input from the source language into the target language. Popular translation tools include Google Translate, DeepL, and Microsoft Translate. These translation tools rely on language databases and algorithms to deliver real-time translations, but they may lack cultural context and precision.

• Best for: Quick translations at a lower cost
• Advantages: Tools like Google Translate can handle large volumes of text quickly
• Limitations: Some engines are better equipped for certain language pairings than others, meaning accuracy can vary depending on your needs

Machine translation post-editing (MTPE)

Machine translation post-editing (MTPE) blends the precision of human translators with the efficiency of machine translation. Machine translation tools handle the preliminary translation of your content, and then human editors refine the content to ensure high-quality work.

• Best for: Combining speed and accuracy
• Advantages: Balances efficiency and quality
• Limitations: Requires access to professional editors

If you want to expand your company’s reach into the Indonesian market, MTPE presents the most efficient choice. This translation method offers adequate speed and accuracy for translating a large amount of web content while retaining accuracy and nuance.

How to translate your website to Indonesian with Google Translate

Google Translate is an appealing option for quick and straightforward English-to-Indonesian text translation. The tool is free and available on various devices.  Best of all, Google Translate has no limit to the amount of content you can translate.

The Google Translate extension can show you a translated version of your site, which is useful when creating an Indonesian version of a webpage. Here’s how to use it:

1. Install the extension: Add the Google Translate extension to your browser.
2. Navigate to your website: Open the webpage you wish to translate.
3. Activate the extension: Click the Google Translate icon in your browser toolbar.
4. Translate the page: Select “Translate this page” and choose Indonesian as the target language.

Google Translate is the most widely used machine translation (MT) engine, popular among the public and integrated into many professional translation solutions. It provides quick and cost-effective support for over 100 languages, making it a practical translation tool. With just a few clicks, you can easily translate the page you’re viewing, converting text from one language to another without interrupting the UI (although implementing this translation on your own site is less streamlined). The tool is most useful during market research; for example, if you’re an American brand looking to expand to Indonesian markets, it could help you translate websites to English as you browse content in your target locales.

However, Google Translate has its limitations. Reports show that Google Translate’s accuracy varies dramatically based on context and target language. It may be unsuitable for businesses that require reliable, high-quality website localization. A professional localization service provides access to additional tools to suit various needs. For example, Smartling Translate is a powerful solution for companies seeking to accurately localize their content at scale.

Google Translate is a convenient tool for users looking to translate their browsing experience from one language to another, but brands looking to provide localized web experiences for their users should look to more advanced solutions—like Smartling’s suite of translation tools—for  website translation.

Smartling offers various translation tools, such as its Centro de traducción automática neuronal (NMT). Rather than relying on a single MT engine, Smartling’s NMT Hub integrates multiple engines, including Google Translate, to achieve more accurate and contextually appropriate translations.

For example, Smartling’s NMT hub can prioritize Google Translate for simple, straightforward text, then switch to other engines better equipped for complex or idiomatic content. This multi-engine approach avoids the pitfalls of relying on one tool.

How to translate your website to Indonesian with localization software

You need the right translation solution to successfully enter the Indonesian market. Whether you want to translate high-traffic pages or large volumes of older content, Smartling offers powerful website translation tools to simplify the process.

Here are some of Smartling’s features and translation solutions:

• AI Translation: Perfect for translating high-volume, low-visibility content like old blog posts. It instantly delivers cost-effective translations, maximizing your budget and saving time.
• AI-powered human translation: For your homepage or other high-traffic pages, you need more than speed; you need precision. That’s where AI-powered human translation comes in. It combines AI’s efficiency with professional translators’ expertise to ensure your content speaks fluently in different languages and stays on brand.
• Global Delivery Network: Smartling's website translation proxy, the Global Delivery Network, simplifies website content translation by keeping your website up-to-date in any language—including Indonesian. Once configured on your site, the GDN automatically detects changes to website copy in your source language and instantly sends them for translation. This empowers you to deliver localized website to users across the globe with minimal effort. 
• Translation analytics: Smartling’s analytics make it easy to track translation quality, speed, and costs, giving you a clear picture of what’s working. Quality confidence scores and cost reporting let you fine-tune your process and make smarter decisions to improve your translation accuracy, which ultimately impacts your SEO.

Start localizing your website with Smartling

Connecting with an Indonesian-speaking audience goes beyond translating word-for-word—it’s about adapting your message to fit the language and cultural context. When your website is accurately localized, your audience feels understood, strengthening your brand’s international presence.

Trying to stretch your translation budget while enhancing localization results? Download our free eBook, “10 Strategies to Boost Translation Efficiency,” to help you achieve better outcomes from your translation efforts. You’ll get practical tips to speed up workflows and improve the quality of your translations while learning from real-world companies that optimized their translation processes to save time and money.