In less than two years, Riskified went from having zero localized content to a fully translated, 396-page multilingual website, all without blowing the budget. Leading the charge was Kim Tran, Director of Digital Experience, who turned a complex global project into a masterclass in efficiency, collaboration, and smart technology adoption.
In a recent episode of The Agile Localization Podcast, hosted by Stefan Huyghe, Kim shared how her team at Riskified navigated everything from vendor selection and executive buy-in to cross-departmental collaboration and AI-assisted translation, achieving global reach with measurable ROI.
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From Zero to Global
Riskified’s digital experience team faced a challenging task: launch a multilingual website that could scale quickly, integrate with existing systems, and maintain brand quality across multiple markets.
Until recently, Riskified’s web presence existed only in English. But regional sales teams across Japan, France, Germany, and Latin America were pushing for localized content to better serve their markets. The demand was clear, but the execution would require careful planning, technical expertise, and leadership alignment.
Picking the Right Partner
When it came to choosing a translation management system (TMS), Kim had a clear list of must-have criteria:
- Cost efficiency, staying within a strict budget.
- Easy CMS integration, particularly with WordPress.
- Integration to translate marketing materials (HubSpot Marketing Hub).
- User-friendly interface for scalability and customization.
- Reliable customer support that could respond quickly to issues.
After testing several leading TMS platforms, Riskified selected Crowdin, which checked all the boxes, and at a fraction of the cost of competitors.
"Really important to me that we get the support that we need in the timely manner that we need. And you know we’re very happy with Сrowdin and they have literally checked all our boxes have been a fantastic partner.
The integration was also surprisingly smooth. The development team was able to connect Crowdin to WordPress with minimal friction. This allowed content to sync automatically for translation and deployment, a key win for scalability.
Crowdin is valued by Riskified because the platform provides assistance at every stage, covering the entire process: translation of the main page, the integrated HubSpot form, and the follow-up emails sent afterward. The complete workflow is fully supported.
"So even if you translate the page, you still need to translate the form, and then of course, the form sends an automated email. So all that whole entire chain of workflow like also need to be taken into account.
The Power of Collaboration
Executing a project of this scale required coordination across multiple departments. Kim’s digital experience team led the effort, supported by:
- Regional sales teams, who validated translations and provided local insights.
- Design and marketing operations, ensuring brand consistency across forms, emails, and automation workflows.
- External translation partners, handling AI-assisted and human-reviewed translation cycles.
To manage complexity, Kim treated each language as a separate project with its own schedule and reviewers. This allowed the team to maintain control, set firm deadlines, and keep the project moving even when some regional teams fell behind.
"I think about the translation now going forward, is that each language I think of them like a separate project. The reason is they are they each of them has their… unique requests that’s different.
Regular communication was key. Riskified set up dedicated Slack channels for each language, weekly check-ins, and clear status updates to align everyone from developers to marketers.
Winning Over the Sharks
Getting buy-in from executives wasn’t automatic. Riskified’s marketing team had to pitch the project in a company-wide Shark Tank, competing for budget approval in front of leaders from sales, finance, and partnerships.
To make their case, Kim’s team presented data-driven ROI metrics: projected increases in web traffic, impressions, and contact-sales requests from localized markets.
The pitch worked. The project secured funding, and with clear KPIs in place, the marketing and digital teams had the mandate to deliver.
Overcoming Technical and Cultural Hurdles
No large-scale localization effort comes without surprises. Riskified’s first big challenge came from its Japanese site, which had been translated manually before Crowdin was implemented. When the new system went live, the team had to migrate and reconcile those translations, a task solved through close collaboration between Crowdin’s technical team and Riskified’s developers.
Language-specific quirks also tested the team’s agility:
- Japanese required direct human translation because AI models couldn’t capture cultural nuance.
- French needed extra review to ensure product terminology fit local expectations.
- German, notorious for longer word lengths, broke several design components, forcing the dev team to adjust layouts for better text wrapping.
Results: 396 Pages and Counting
Riskified launched its first batch of localized pages, roughly 25 per language, in phase one. Within two months, they began seeing organic traffic and lead generation from international markets.
Today, the company has scaled to 396 localized pages, with plans for more as new digital reports and SEO-optimized content roll out in HTML format. Japanese continues to lead in engagement and conversion rates, validating the investment in full human translation.
Final Thoughts From Kim
Riskified continues to refine its hybrid translation model, using AI for speed and human reviewers for accuracy. The approach balances cost savings with quality control, an essential combination for a publicly traded company where every published word reflects on the brand.
The next phase includes AI-powered search functionality across all localized sites. Users can now type questions in their native language, and the system automatically translates and retrieves relevant answers.
Kim’s Background
Kim Tran is the Director of Digital Experience at Riskified, bringing over 15 years of expertise in web management and development across SaaS and insurance companies. As the project lead for Riskified’s multilingual website initiative, she successfully orchestrated a complex localization effort involving multiple departments, external vendors, and regional teams. Her strategic approach to implementing Crowdin as their translation management system, while managing a strict budget and timeline, has resulted in significant growth in international markets, particularly in Japan.
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