eCommerce Website Translation

eCommerce Website Translation: the Key to International Growth

Is your business bumping up against a glass ceiling?  Are you looking for a bigger pool of potential customers?  Wishing there was an easier way to meet ambitious growth targets?

Well, the way to do it may come as a surprise:  translate your eCommerce store.

Why translate your site?

Whatever business you’re in, eCommerce website translation is the single most efficient way to expand your site’s revenue.

Localization goes beyond the fact that only 26% of internet users speak English.  In survey after survey, – internet users say they prefer browsing in their own language even if they speak English.  And over 50% say they won’t buy unless you speak their language.

If you’re considering eCommerce store localization, you’re in good company.  Last year, retail giant Amazon finally added Hindi language support to its site in India.  It just made sense: while there will be 199 million English speakers in India by 2021, Hindi speakers will have grown to 536 million.  

What’s fascinating about this is that many people in India speak English well – but still prefer their own language.  In fact, a study by KPMG and Google proved that 70% of people in India consider content in their own language to be more reliable than English.  That’s just one reason having native-language content on the site will help boost your conversion rate.

Is Ecommerce website localization right for you?

While revenue is a clear priority for every business, some people have trouble seeing their eCommerce store as a truly global prospect.

But remember: localization can also offer incredible benefits when it comes to SEO.  By translating your site, you’ll cast a wider net and rank better no matter where users are searching from.  Given that over 50% of website traffic comes from organic searches, that’s a pretty important net.

A few simple questions can help you decide whether localization could help your store grow:

  • Do you make or sell a digital product?
  • Do you offer a problem-solving product or service that’s not available everywhere?
  • Do you have a service related to travel or tourism?
  • Is your company located in more than one country?
  • Do analytics show users coming from one region more than others?

Localization can also help you expand into areas with high spending patterns.  Or cater to languages like Spanish, spoken by millions all over the world.  

And don’t forget regions where your unique product or service will sell best.  A company making Muslim women’s swimwear should offer both English and Arabic-language versions of their site for shoppers in the US, UK, and throughout the Arab world.  Adding more languages would help this same company reach buyers in other countries with large Muslim populations, such as Indonesia and Turkey.

One factor that doesn’t have to stop you is what service you use to build, maintain, or host your site.  There are out-of-the-box and simple solutions for every service out there. Whether you’re looking for Shopify store translation, BigCommerce store translation, WordPress store translation… it’s probably easier than you think.

How can you get started with eCommerce website translation?

Obviously, your needs when it comes to language translation services for eCommerce will be different from Amazon’s – and every other company’s.

But the core idea is the same:  selling in only a single language means you’re losing customers.  When you make an effort to speak the users’ language, you win their trust in a way that goes beyond ROI.

When you’re starting out, remember that localization goes far beyond just translation.  A hotel website may not only allow users to browse the site in their own language, but also show images tailored to guests from that region.  

Models in bikinis might be a great way to sell a resort to visitors from one culture, while visitors from another might prefer images that show the resort as a wholesome family destination, or highlight the resort’s unique and delicious culinary offerings.  Beyond site images, colors, emojis, symbols and layout are all important cultural considerations.  

Essentially, localizing means recreating your site for a brand-new audience.  But it doesn’t have to cost a fortune, take forever, or steal team members away from their usual jobs.  There are a number of products out there that claim they can help you localize your site, but Bablic is one tool that makes the whole process simple from beginning to end.  In our experience, Bablic’s simple-to-use Visual Editor, one-click integration, and compatibility with every eCommerce host out there, all mean you’ll be up and running in your new market before you know it.

And the payoff can be huge when it comes to site ROI.  You’ll break that glass ceiling, tapping into vast global markets.  Your next customers are out there waiting to hear from you. You just have to learn how to say “Hi” in their own language.