Localizing for international Localized Ecommerce markets as an e-commerce retailer helps you enter new markets without needing physical stores. It also facilitates greater brand engagement and trust with new audiences, which is key to sustained growth amid fierce competition.
But what does it take to localize your website and online store in each location? And how can you achieve the sales results you’re looking for? In this article, we’ll walk you through everything from getting started with localization to best practices for ensuring international success.
What is it ecommerce localization ?
First, let’s talk about what it means eCommerce localization . In short, eCommerce localization is the process of adapting your website and online store to new markets around the world. Fundamentally, it is more than just eCommerce website translation . — that is, translating your website copy from one language to another.
Instead, it’s about tailoring all of your ecommerce content to a new target market , from your product descriptions and even names to the images you use to advertise them, your product reviews, your checkout experience , and more. The ultimate goal is to create a natural, seamless shopping experience for multilingual audiences and make each target market feel like your brand is local to them.
Benefits of localized ecommerce sites
Moving from a standardized experience to a localized one can bode well for you and your business. Here are some of the benefits you can expect in the long run:
Build customer loyalty through personalization: A CSA report found that 65% of consumers prefer content in their own language , even if it’s low-quality. By personalizing their experience and offering content in their native language , you show them that you care. In turn, this builds trust and loyalty in your brand.
Increase your market share and revenue: By tailoring language , content, and products to a specific local market , you can establish strong ties with your international customers and increase your purchase rates. By entering your competitors’ markets, you also increase your revenue.
Expand your business in a shorter period of time:
Traditional brick-and-mortar stores take years, if not decades, to grow and expand into different markets. But with a multilingual eCommerce website , you can increase your reach and achieve this in months.
Tap into a wealth of consumer behavior data: Once you localize your ecommerce store , you’ll attract more potential customers Localized Ecommerce from your bahrain whatsapp number data 5 million target region. You can collect vast amounts of region-specific data like purchasing behavior, demographics, and preferences . This will allow you to make data-driven decisions about marketing campaigns , product offerings, and more, which will ultimately attract more customers from that region.
How to Implement a Successful Ecommerce Localization Strategy in 4 Steps
Your ecommerce website localization strategy should include four simple steps:
1. RESEARCH THE TARGET MARKET
First, you need to understand the market, the digital marketer’s guide – 9 simple ways to stay relevant and up to date your competitors, and your unique competitive advantage — a crucial part of your overall global strategy — and ensure that there is actually a demand for your product or service in your target market . If there isn’t, localization will only waste time and resources.
If there is demand, you need to understand what that demand looks like: what are consumers in your target market looking for and how do they prefer to buy your product or service? Market research is therefore crucial. Conducting surveys and studying existing customer feedback, market trends, and industry and region-specific trends will help you gain insights that will guide your localization strategy .
Additionally, it’s important to be aware of different regulations and legal requirements. Daniel Chabert, CEO and co-founder of Purple Fire , says: “Companies try to replicate a successful model from one country to another without Localized Ecommerce taking into account any of the legal stipulations that come with it. This can lead to big problems down the road, so it’s important to thoroughly research each market before launching your product.”
2. LOCALIZE YOUR DIGITAL PRESENCE
Partner with a A language service provider specializing in e-commerce localization services, such as Smartling, can localize all of your digital channels — such as your e-commerce website , social media accounts,email marketing campaigns japan data help center, and other customer support materials. These channels act as touchpoints and play an important role in conversion and retention. It also ensures that your messaging is consistent regardless of language or channel, which increases trust and brand recognition.
It’s important to note that it’s not enough to simply translate your text. You need to consider the linguistic conventions, cultural differences , and regional nuances of your customer groups to deliver an optimal customer experience . This includes adapting naming conventions, date formats, currency formats , and payment methods .
This may also mean choosing to have some Localized Ecommerce content go through a transcreation workflow to enable a more creative form of translation , where your style, tone, and intent are more fully incorporated. Transcreation is particularly useful for creative writing and marketing materials where a strict translation wouldn’t have the same emotional impact. ( Smartling’s transcreation tool was built specifically to facilitate this type of translation at scale.)
Finally, investing in multilingual search engine optimization ( SEO ) efforts can improve your search presence globally. Since customers tend to search using phrases in their native language , incorporating translated and localized search terms into your web pages increases your visibility in search engines . This, in turn, makes it easier for customers to find your products online.
3. LOCALIZE THE ENTIRE USER EXPERIENCE
Once you’ve localized your marketing materials and website copy , be sure to also optimize the user experience on your ecommerce store .
Shipping and import taxes: Shipping costs and taxes vary depending on the location of the sender and recipient. For example, countries like India have GST tax requirements. Make sure this is displayed separately so that the customer is not surprised.
Checkout experience : Localize the currency and ensure region-specific payment methods are available. For example, countries like Germany prefer Sofort.
Product Personalization: Translate product descriptions and information , reviews, measurements, etc. Plus, offer regionally popular products for a better experience.
Optimizing local inventory: Many consumers have become accustomed to fast delivery times, so ensure your delivery window is accurate and based on real-time inventory levels.
User interface (UI) elements: Optimize elements like call-to-action (CTA) buttons, navigation bar, drop-down lists, menu options, and error messages. Consider expanding and contracting text based on the translation language .
Integrations between your ecommerce software and your translation management system can help you do this seamlessly. For example, those using Shopify as their ecommerce platform can leverage Smartling’s Shopify connector to quickly send content from Shopify directly to Smartling fortranslation. And because Smartling provides visual context , your translators can see exactly where text will appear on your page and adjust their translations to best resonate with yourtarget audience.
4. TEST, ITERATE AND FINALIZE
Test the Localizing your website and ecommerce store ensures that everything is in order. You can A/B test each element and make adjustments as needed to maximize conversions . Here’s what you can check:
Translation
Spellings
Links
Payment and payout process
Product customization
Cultural resonance
Page Engagement
Positioning of user interface elements
Don’t forget about your mobile users, either. Consumers use their phones to research products, check prices and deals, try out augmented reality experiences, and purchase products. Additionally, retail m-commerce (mobile commerce) sales are expected to account for 59% of retail e-commerce sales by 2025. So consider making sure the mobile experience for your target markets is localized and optimized to reduce friction and maximize conversions .
Note that this is a process, not a one-time project. You should periodically review your analytics and iterate to ensure nothing is getting in the way of conversions.
How to Localize Your Ecommerce Website with Smartling
You are missing out on a great opportunity if e-commerce localization is not an element of your market entry strategy. Ecommerce localization allows you to expand your reach into new markets, which can lead to increased sales and revenue.
When done well, it also provides a seamless experience for online shoppers in international markets , which can lead to customer loyalty and brand loyalty.
Not sure where to start? Smartling can help. With Smartling ’s ecommerce localization solutions and translation management system , ecommerce businesses can centralize all translations, maintain brand consistency , and streamline marketing processes, product descriptions , and support content.
Smartling also offers several
integrations with customer support platforms such as Zendesk , ServiceNow , and Salesforce Knowledge , which can help a brand meet the needs of global audiences, provide solutions to product-related issues, and build brand trust.
Learn more and take your ecommerce localization efforts to the next level. Download the Top 5 Insights to Improve Your Localization Strategy.