Are you looking to expand beyond your current market or diversify your revenue streams? To truly succeed internationally, it’s essential to understand the value of e-commerce localization.
Localization ensures that every aspect of your business—from product descriptions to marketing campaigns—is tailored to resonate with new audiences. By providing a shopping experience that feels familiar and relevant, you’re more likely to drive conversions and build trust with global customers. Curious about where to start? Read on to explore the benefits of e-commerce localization, practical strategies for implementing it, and the tools that can help you succeed.
If you’re looking to grow your business, investing in e-commerce should be a priority. While it can be an expensive endeavor, the benefits of localization in e-commerce far outweigh the cost. Below, we’ll shine the spotlight on some of the most obvious advantages.
Is your business stagnating in your home country? Have you already established market dominance, but haven’t hit the revenue targets you were hoping for? Localizing for new markets is an obvious next step. The Internet age makes it possible for even small businesses to become international enterprises. When handled correctly, e-commerce localization can significantly increase your customer base, especially when you strike the right note with native singers.
Expanding into new markets is a surefire way of safeguarding your business. The impact of falling sales in one country can be negated by healthy outlooks elsewhere in the world. This is particularly vital during times of economic uncertainty. Even during a global recession, some countries fare better than others. By tapping into as many consumers as possible, you’re helping ensure your business weathers the storm.
Auto-translated websites can serve a purpose, but some user groups are going to be better provided for than others. Only with a fully localized website will you be able to cater to native speakers in their own language. This avoids potential confusion with product copy, buying guides, and other customer-facing content. Investing in multilingual support can enhance the customer experience further, fostering loyalty and boosting your recognition as a reputable retailer.
According to a study by CSA Research:
76% of online shoppers prefer to purchase products with information available in their native language. Moreover, 40% of consumers stated they would never buy from websites in other languages.
If you want to increase sales, localizing your e-commerce platform is a must. It established familiarity with potential customers, creating a more native-feeling environment that’s likely to generate more sales.
Customers love it when you go above and beyond to offer them the support and information they need. A localized shopping experience is easy to illustrate to consumers, whether that’s in the form of helpful support channels or exhaustive product information. An impressed first-time buyer can very easily become a lifelong brand supporter, with brand loyalty generating priceless word-of-mouth marketing that will increase revenues further.
Want to stay afloat in a crowded market and remain one step ahead of the competition? Invest in e-commerce localization. The more native your user experience feels to the customer, the more likely it is they’ll choose you over rivals who’ve put less of a priority on localization.
Not sure where to start localizing your e-commerce platform for a new market? Below are just a few key strategies you’ll want to consider when eyeing up a new territory for expansion.
If you want your e-commerce operation to succeed in a new market, there’s no room for misunderstanding. By localizing your product descriptions, you can help avoid this common issue. As well as giving your customers as much information as they need from your descriptions, you can enhance shopping experiences further by translating existing product reviews into local languages. By providing these, you can turn indecisive shoppers into paying customers.
Just because a payment method is the preferred option in one part of the world, doesn’t mean it will be widely used elsewhere. During the market research stage, your localization planning should have identified which payment methods are preferred in any given target market. Make sure you’re adapting these methods accordingly when localizing your site for a new audience.
As well as investing in multilingual SEO, you’ll want to ensure your website and its content is optimized for local search engines. Google might be the preferred search engine in some parts of the world, but elsewhere the likes of Baidu and Yandex are the go-to search solutions.
Great customer service should be at the heart of every e-commerce business. Your customers need to feel as though they’re being heard whenever they reach out with a problem. Ultimately, you’re going to need to bring in the help of native speakers to serve as live chat and phone customer support agents, but there’s a lot you can localize before then.
Take stock of your customer support materials and decide which elements you’ll be localizing. Shipping and returns information is a good starting point, while your privacy notice will also need a rethink. You’ll also need to update content relating to payment information, useful contacts, and any help center information. This can all take time, so draw up a list of priorities and decide which customer support content is going to bring you the biggest return on investment.
E-commerce localization involves far more than converting website content from one language to another. You’ll also need to think about user interfaces, multilingual SEO, and more nuanced adaptions to make your platform and shopping experience more native and familiar. You can make quick work of the process by arming yourself with the right tools. Below are some of the most common ones you’ll want to be adding to your repertoire.
If you’re working to a tight timeframe and want to meet impending deadlines, computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools are a must. Essential for streamlining the localization process, technologies like machine translation use previously translated words and phrases to save considerable time. New content can also be automatically translated, significantly reducing inconsistencies across published content.
You might think you have robust QA processes in place, but without QA tools, there’s always a compromise when it comes to quality. Today, QA tools are incredibly reliable, ensuring maximum consistency across every piece of content. The majority of CAT tools will already come with some QA functionality, but for maximum confidence in the quality of your content, you’ll want to integrate standalone tools with better functionality.
Worried about interdepartmental communication and ensuring everyone involved is on the right page? You’ll need a translation management system (TMS). Perfect for ensuring remote teams spread across the globe are working together as desired, they’re ideal for localization projects, especially if you’re working in multiple languages. Project managers can use them for reporting purposes, as well as everyday localization tasks like terminology management.
Do you use WordPress? If so, you can make quick gains by using WordPress plugins. There are many WordPress plugins that can be used to assist the localization process, including many free options. Some even support integrations with translation management systems and other essential localization tools.
Optimizing your new websites for different languages is one of the most important aspects of localization. Simply translating content from one language to another isn’t sufficient to succeed at search. Instead, you’ll need to carry out exhaustive keyword research to see what’s working locally and tailor your content accordingly. Chances are, the SEO tools you’re currently using can probably be used for location-based keyword research. If not, seek out a reliable alternative that lets you work in the languages you’re looking to target.
Countless e-commerce businesses have attempted to make a success of localization. However, only a fraction have actually excelled. Fashion retailer ASOS is one company that falls into the latter camp, establishing itself as a frontrunner in international e-commerce. Today, it pulls in more than 60% of its business from foreign markets.
In order to provide a truly tailored shopping experience to every user, ASOS has adjusted just about every aspect of its website, including size guides, currencies, and language itself. Additionally, the website goes to great lengths to match regional preferences when it comes to fashion trends, offering unique product offerings in individual territories. Combined, this creates a far more familiar experience that feels relevant to specific markets, increasing engagement and raising revenues.
ASOS has also fine-turned its marketing campaigns for users in new territories. Partnerships with local influencers have helped drive engagement with the brand, while email marketing has been adapted with regional holidays in mind. All of this serves to create more authentic messaging that truly resonates with users. Multilingual support has also been upscaled to meet the needs of a more diverse range of customers. What’s more, ASOS accepts payments in more than 19 currencies, with support for around 20 currencies.
Localization is essential for success in e-commerce, especially when expanding into new markets. It not only helps you improve the customer experience and increase conversion rates, but it also ensures your brand stays competitive in crowded global markets. E-commerce localization allows you to create content and marketing messages that resonate with local users, helping boost brand recognition and loyalty.
Read our E-commerce localization guide here
But localization goes beyond simply translating your website content. To truly connect with new audiences, you’ll need to localize multiple aspects of your e-commerce platform. Start by adapting product descriptions, reviews, and sizing or buying guides to ensure they make sense for your new market. It’s also important to enable local currencies and preferred payment methods, and consider partnering with local logistics providers to enhance the customer experience.
Optimizing your content for local search engines is another key step. Remember, Google isn’t the top search engine everywhere, so make sure you’re focusing on the right platforms. Don’t forget to prioritize multilingual SEO—it’s crucial if you’re targeting multiple languages. Lastly, ensure your customer support, including resources like FAQs, terms and conditions, and privacy policies, is localized to provide consistent support for all users.
While tools like CAT systems, translation management systems, and plugins can streamline the process, partnering with an experienced localization expert can make a big difference.
At BLEND, we specialize in helping e-commerce brands succeed in new markets. With a global team of professional linguists across 120+ languages, we can support your business expansion in virtually any country. Our e-commerce localization services also integrate seamlessly with most e-commerce and CMS platforms like Shopify, Wix, WordPress, Drupal, and more, allowing for easy updates. Ready to take the next step? Get in touch with BLEND today to learn how we can help you thrive globally.
With over 10 years of experience in the localization industry, Adria is an expert in designing localization and translation solutions for global businesses in every industry. Adria is BLEND’s Solutions Architect and the Chapter Manager of Women in Localization Romania.
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