As soon as you have nailed down your niche, it’s time to think about the next step. And that is eCommerce localization. By ‘localization,’ I mean creating a site for your e-commerce store that reflects the culture and language of the country in which it will be sold and used. Keep in mind that this doesn’t necessarily mean redesigning your whole website; there are other ways you can adapt it to suit local audiences while keeping its brand identity intact.
In this blog, we will be discussing 7 proven ways of eCommerce localization that you can follow to increase your online sales.
What is an eCommerce Localization?
In eCommerce, localization is a process that allows you to tailor your website content to each country.
This means having a separate domain, a separate set of keywords, and product descriptions in each localized version of your site. While this may seem like much effort, it’s worth it for many reasons:
- Localized domains have better rankings in local search engines.
- It allows you to get more relevant traffic from your local market.
- It helps you get more conversions from relevant traffic by using relevant content.
An example of localization strategy is the translation of your online profile, online store, products, and images into the local language. This is the country’s language into which you intend to expand, taking into account the population’s cultural and local habits.
The purpose of localization is to give international buyers an online shopping experience in your store that is identical to what they may get in their own country.
In fact, 40 percent of online users will never purchase anything from those websites, which are not in their native language.
Therefore, it is vital to start localizing your eCommerce store if you have not already.
- Advantages of E-commerce localization
E-commerce localization offers quite a kot of benefits to the retailers in different forms, some of the benefits have been listen down below for you:
-Competitve Advantage
Localization of your e-commerce stores helps you in gaining a competitive advantage, it makes it easier for the consumers to make a decision. It has been proven that about 47% of the consumers made a purchase decision regarding a brand due to it availability in the local market.
-Market Share
Word of mouth helps a lot in increasing your market share. The availability of your brand in the local market helps in creating brand awareness and due to this reason more and more people know about your products and it is easier to grab new consumers hence increasing your market share.
-Increase conversion
It has been proven that e-commerce localization helps you to increase your engagement and also to convert those consumers. E-commerce localization is said to increase your conversions by 70%as localizing your e-commerce creates a good experience for your consumers making them happy and loyal customers.
-Fast Delivery
Consumers demand their products to be delivered faster. In order to make your consumers happy it is important to make faster deliveries, and this is possible through localization of your e-commerce stores. This way, you can easily deliver your products from your warehouse to the customers location in no time.
-Less cart abandonment
Localization and physical presence reduce the risk of cart abandonment. Dynamic pricing is a part of localization strategy e-commerce. This allows the customers to know the price of your product and purchase it without abandoning it. This localization strategy is quite helpful as it increases your sales and also reduces the risks associated with abandonment of your cart.
7 Ways to Localize Your E-Commerce Store
Now when you may have a better understanding of the term ‘localization and its importance, we can move on to the ways that you can follow to increase your eCommerce sales:
Translate Your Store’s Description and Content
First and foremost, you need to translate the description and content of your store into the targeted country’s language.
Since the English-speaking world dominates the internet, it’s no surprise that most of your traffic will come from there. However, not everyone knows English. Therefore, if you’re not catering to this market, your business is missing out on a vast group of potential customers! So how do you go about translating your store and its content?
Well, it’s simple. If you want to go smooth, you might consider using a translator tool that can seamlessly translate all the content into their native language.
Luckily, Apimio solves this problem for you as well. It’s a product information management solution that allows user to localize all their content into the target language. Furthermore, it also allows you to manage multiple products and syndicate product attributes across multiple channels.
Think Creative and Think Local
If you’re a business owner who’s ready to expand your eCommerce business, there are two things that you should do: think local and think creatively. Both of these strategies can help you to grow your brand internationally.
Think local when it comes to understanding the culture of a particular market. If a business decides to open a new office in a different country, they need to make sure that they hire employees who understand the culture and ways of living in that country. This means that businesses need to employ translators for their websites and sales materials because not all languages are the same.
Even if you have a Shopify store in just a single language, you need to make sure that it is in multiple languages.
Use the Native Currency
Localization is vital for any company interested in entering new markets. While translation services are crucial to reaching consumers abroad, it is essential to consider your target audience’s local payment methods, currencies, and shopping habits.
The global eCommerce market is stretching at an unprecedented rate. However, many businesses cannot reap the benefits of the international market due to payment barriers.
The country you are selling to has its laws that govern how you can accept payments from customers. You also should be informed of different payment methods that are popular in that market. When selling products internationally, you need to know everything from their exchange rates to their payment laws.
Speak to Customers in their Native Language on Social Media
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat are all available in multiple languages. More than 50% of global internet users live outside of the United States. However, most businesses don’t localize their social media for international markets. This is because it can be challenging to create content that meets expectations in different cultures. Or because businesses think they need to translate all of their content into other languages.
As a business, you should always try to meet customer expectations on every platform. Customers expect companies to speak to them in their native language. However, it can be difficult for companies to find the time and resources.
Social media is an excellent way to reach customers in their native language. It is handy for eCommerce localization because it allows your company to communicate with customers personally.
Your social media team should be a build-up of individuals who speak the languages of your target markets. This will better allow them to understand your target customer’s needs and respond in a way that resonates with them.
Offer Free Shipping to Their Country or Region
Shipping fees are one of the most significant sources of frustration for eCommerce shoppers. In fact, research shows that over half of all shoppers will abandon their shopping cart if the shipping fees are too high.
According to a study from Walker Sands, free or low-cost shipping is the number one factor when choosing an e-retailer. Plus, it’s a great way to increase conversion rates and sales volume. With higher volume, you can potentially negotiate better profit margins with suppliers and vendors.
Offering free shipping to a specific region is a great way to boost sales from that particular part of the world.
E.g., If you are selling products from the USA, marketing those products to those living in the UK could be a huge way to increase sales. Likewise, if you sell products from China, marketing those products to those living in Japan could also be a good idea.
For example, eBay has local marketplaces for different countries around the world — and their users can take advantage of free shipping by using their local marketplaces and paying with PayPal.
Add a Blog to Your Site for More Content and Credibility
It is now known that an online store is more likely to attract potential buyers if it has a blog. Blogs can help your prospects and customers learn about your products, understand your needs and needs, and feel more comfortable with you.
With the help of blogs, eCommerce sites can boost their business in many ways. A blog is an essential tool for eCommerce localization, which helps to boost the site’s SEO ranking and localize content for international users.
Blogs are mainly used to share information about products and services, but they are also suitable for sharing content not directly related to its business. This kind of content is typically more personal in nature, like tips or advice on using the product or service better.
Create a Google Place Page for your Business!
In the last few years, Google has built up a significant shift from local search to local discovery. In this new world of local search, businesses that want to be found need to register their business on Google Places.
Google local search results are very often the first results page that people see, so it is important to ensure that businesses don’t go missing. Google Place Pages are a great way for business owners to give consumers an easy way to find their business online.
Place pages are another way for businesses to advertise their location to consumers. It also gives them the opportunity to collect reviews from customers, which can help improve the SEO of your store in Google because it shows that they have positive reviews on Yelp, TripAdvisor, Facebook, etc.
Conclusion
In order to maximize the potential of your e-commerce business, you should consider localizing it. The ways listed in this article can help you do so effectively and without much hassle. Follow them today and see how your sales increase! If you have any questions or would like to talk more about content localization, please feel free to contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
E-commerce localization is tailoring your website content to each country if you want to succeed in global e-commerce. By understanding the needs of your target market, you can create a website that resonates with them and leads to conversions.
Here are a few reasons why localization is essential for e-commerce stores:
1. Localization builds trust.
When customers see that you’ve taken the time to localize your website for their country, they’ll be more likely to trust your brand.
2. Localized websites improve SEO.
Localization is essential if your e-commerce store ranks well in search engines in foreign markets. Search engines consider factors like language and location when determining where to rank websites.
To improve your localization strategy, you should focus on tailoring your website content to each individual country. This way, you can ensure that your message is communicated effectively and efficiently to your target audience.
Which is the primary benefit of a localization strategy?
The primary benefit is increased sales.
Localization allows you to speak directly to your target market in their language, which builds trust and confidence in your brand. In addition, localization ensures that your website content is relevant and appropriate for each market, which can lead to more conversions and expand your e-commerce business to new countries.
No matter what you’re selling, localization is key if you want to succeed in international e-commerce.
There are a few things to keep in mind when localizing your content:
1. Know your audience: What language do they speak? What are their customs and beliefs? What type of tone do they prefer?
2. Keep it simple: Use short, easy-to-understand sentences.
