The short answer: most Italian exporters’ English websites lose foreign buyers on the same nine mistakes. None of them is about design. They are about language, trust and missing answers, and most can be fixed in weeks, not months.
I’m Mark Chambers, British and Italian, native in both languages. I read Italian companies’ English sites the way a British buyer reads them, and I see the same patterns every time. Here they are, with the fix for each.
1. Does your homepage start with “Who we are”?
An English buyer wants to know what you make, for whom and why it’s better, in one sentence. The founding year and the family history come second. Fix: lead with the buyer’s problem and your answer.
2. Is the English translated, not written?
“Leader in the sector”, “we realise customised solutions”, “our mission is the satisfaction of the client”. They are Italian sentences in English words. Fix: rewrite in native English with facts instead of claims. More in localisation vs translation.
3. Is the English site older than the Italian one?
New products appear in Italian only, news stops in 2019, and the English buyer notices. Fix: publish in both languages at the same time, or say less in both.
4. Are the specs in the wrong units or formats?
Dates in the wrong order, decimal commas, metric only for a US buyer, Italian sizes for a UK bed. Fix: adapt units, sizes and formats per market.
5. Can a foreign buyer actually contact you?
Forms that require an Italian phone format or a codice fiscale, a single info@ address and no named person. Fix: an international-friendly form, a named contact and a reply-time promise.
Counting yours?
Send me your English site. I’ll tell you which of the nine apply, honestly.
Send my site →6. Are there no proofs a foreigner recognises?
Italian certifications and Italian clients mean little to a buyer in Leeds or Toronto. Fix: add international clients, reviews, case studies and standards they know, with numbers.
7. Is the English site invisible in English searches?
Page titles still in Italian, no hreflang, keywords nobody types. Fix: research English search terms and set up the language structure properly. See hreflang explained.
8. Does AI search know you exist?
Ask ChatGPT for suppliers in your category in English. If you’re missing, buyers using it won’t find you either. Fix: run the 30-minute AI visibility test and act on the results.
9. Is there no next step?
Beautiful pages that end in nothing. No price guide, no sample request, no call booking. Fix: one clear, specific action on every page.
Where should you start?
With 2, 5 and 9. Native copy, a working contact route and a clear next step will move enquiries faster than any redesign. Then work through the full cross-border website checklist. If you’re aiming for Britain specifically, read how to market an Italian brand in the UK.
Frequently asked questions
Can machine translation be good enough for an export website?
It can be a useful first draft. A native English writer should rewrite it for the buyer, especially the homepage, product pages and calls to action.
Do I need a new website to fix these mistakes?
Usually not. Most fixes are copy, structure and settings on the existing site.
Talk to Mark
Want a native English read of your site?
Send me the link and your main export market. I’ll come back with the three changes that would bring in more English-speaking enquiries.