In 2022 alone, 268 million people shopped online through applications and online stores in the United States. However, reaching 2025, the number is likely to increase to 285 million. These numbers we are talking about are studies that were made only in America, yet, if we want to take a wider look at the globe as a whole, we should double the numbers 10 times.
Markets are evolving, and customers have the power. It is an easy equation; if companies want to stay in the game, they need to be competitive as much as possible. Achieving that can be through global existence and pleasing customers everywhere. This is where ecommerce importance comes in.
However, having an online presence and online store is not enough to say that your business is global. One important thing is that it has to be appealing to customers from different places and countries. In other words, you need to apply ecommerce localization in terms of language and culture.
What is ecommerce localization?
Ecommerce localization is a process of adapting different online shopping experiences to specific cultural preferences of users in various markets, including ecommerce websites, apps, customer support and marketing campaigns.
In clear words, it is what enables you to grow in different markets and regions smoothly without any cultural difficulties. When your ecommerce platform is easy to use and understand, you are more likely to attract your target market to make a purchase, come back for more, and recommend your products or services. It is also true that users will choose a competitor who understands their needs if you do not.
Ecommerce localization includes:
- Content translating
- UI & UX localization (adapting payment methods, shopping options and functionalities to the target audience)
- Customer service localization
- Marketing localization
To understand the concept a little bit better, let’s take a closer look at Amazon – the most successful ecommerce company in the world, with over than 300 million buyers worldwide. Amazon was simply able to expand to every country from all regions, from the north to the south. However, the process was well-studied and planned, and one of the most important aspects that made it achievable was adapting its marketing strategy to all markets, each one in its own way and culture.
How did Amazon apply ecommerce localization?
First, it started by localizing its app, adding multi-language opinions, modifying its payment options and finally, changing its marketing strategy.
The benefits of localization in ecommerce
After understanding the definition of ecommerce localization, here comes the big question: why would amazon spend hundreds of millions on its localization process? How can companies benefit from it?
– Delivering the product to merchants
Giving the buyer the ability to see your product is the first step. What comes after is making the customer feels like this is the one, this is the product -or service- that he’s been looking for. In order to meet your customers’ needs and make them trust you enough to make the purchase decision, it is important to show them your product in the most appealing way possible that matches their culture, language and intellectual status.
The needs of ecommerce merchandising teams in different markets, for example, may differ in terms of the preparation of local product assets or specific landing pages. Ecommerce businesses can benefit from effective and efficient global merchandising planning when they have a centralized ecommerce localization platform that allows their teams to localize, edit, and publish ecommerce product information within hours or days.
– Consist of global brand messaging
The key to successful localization is ensuring that your brand message is consistent across markets. Because consistency conveys a sense of trustworthiness and reliability, it boosts sales. In contrast, inconsistencies in branding can cause ecommerce customers to lose credibility because they are confusing and frustrating.
– Improving customer satisfaction
How does the purchase decision is made? Simply by feeling that the company’s products meet the customer’s needs. This will increase their satisfaction, and they will return again to get more.
As you expand your business into new markets, ecommerce localization becomes a vital part of achieving the same level of customer satisfaction that your domestic customers are experiencing. According to research, customers are more likely to repurchase if they receive immediate customer care in their native language.
How localization technology can power ecommerce expansion
With localization technology, businesses can simplify the complex ecommerce content management process, providing all the tools they need to consistently and quickly localize ecommerce content.
However, if you are looking for an ecommerce localization solution, make sure it provides translation memory- which is a database that includes the approved content and translations, which will save you time and effort. Furthermore, you need to look for a solution that ensures content is synchronized automatically throughout the localization process, reducing disruption and errors.
It is not only a matter of applying solutions, but also knowing which solution is better for your business and can drive you the most results. Thanks to AI, the process got much faster and easier than ever before. You can speed up content delivery by leveraging the power of AI-powered machine translation for ecommerce content.
Best practices for localizing your online shop
Now that we have a clear understanding of the importance of ecommerce localization, it is helpful to know how to apply it in the most functional way.
– Conduct market research
Conducting market research in target markets is vital before localizing your ecommerce content. So you can adapt your ecommerce strategy accordingly, and you will be able to understand these new audiences’ language and cultural preferences.
– Prioritize content
If you’re planning to expand your ecommerce business, take a strategic approach and focus on content that will generate the biggest return on investment. Content that needs to rank well in search engine results, product descriptions, marketing copy, or SEO copy could be included in this category. Machine translation can be used for less critical content, and you can decide whether to use the raw output or edit it manually.
– Increase multilingual SEO
Investing in multilingual SEO will ensure that you are reaching as many potential customers as possible regardless of how great your catalog, prices, or product descriptions are.
– Format dates and times
Local standards are an essential part of the localization process, and according to the conventions of the particular country or region, dates and times should be properly formatted to match the culture of the target region.
Conclusion
Think about the last time you physically went to the supermarket to get a bottle of milk, then think about it in bigger cases. Now you know the importance of ecommerce localization. However, the case is neither about a bottle of milk nor about the new Gucci eyeliner. Huge businesses rely on localizing their ecommerce content and platforms so they reach their goals in terms of sales and awareness.
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