Language is and always will be one of the key ways of breaking into a new market. Companies working in the eCommerce realm rightly have their eyes on global expansion, as they recognize there is great potential in tapping into new territories when seeking to grow a business.
Indeed, figures from eMarketer show that worldwide business-to-consumer eCommerce sales are expected to reach $26.074 trillion in 2020, which represents an increase of 4.13 per compared to the forecast of 2019. With the majority of the growth expected to come from online and mobile users in emerging markets, it’s clear firms need to consider localization if they want to maximize their chances of success.
As 60 per cent of consumers only buy from websites in their own language, strategies based around single language sites are simply no longer an option. We’ve covered some of the basics of making multilingual websites and what you should consider when it comes to website localization before, but what else can companies do to make sure they enjoy eCommerce success?
User-generated content
Online reviews have become an important platform for businesses looking to convince consumers to make a purchase. Research by Dimensional Research found that nine-in-ten online shoppers were influenced by a positive review, while 58 per cent were more likely to share reviews than five years previously.
Anything that increases buyer confidence should be welcomed, and so companies should make sure impressive reviews are translated into all of the languages of the markets they are targeting. But make sure this is done by an expert, as no one wants to see reviews accidentally mistranslated and end up with the wrong impression being created.
Consider how to use technology
There are plenty of technology options for building eCommerce sites. For example, Web 2.0 applications, dynamic ecommerce portals, HTML5, Flash and other rich media can all be used to make your company stand out.
At the heart of this process is choosing technology that allows your strategy to be scalable, as sites will often need to be updated as new products are added or branding is overhauled. This also means having access to high quality linguists. You should also be using a global-ready content management system that offers supports for all targeted languages.
Customer service best practice
Creating eCommerce websites in various languages will aid your global efforts, but good customer service will always be a bedrock for long-term success. If brands do not appear to be reachable, this will put some people off.
Order status updates, shipping notifications and feedback should all be translated into the purchaser’s language standard, or else customers could be left unmoved by their whole shopping experience. Loyalty campaigns can also be created that take into account local conditions. For example, the cost of upfront VIP memberships, such as those employed by Amazon Prime, can be altered depending on the wider economic circumstances of the country.
Want to find out more about eCommerce localization? Find out how we helped Agoda with its market expansion.
