Grow Your E-Commerce With Translation

Getting ahead of the competition with online sales for your e-commerce venture is always a moving target.  SEO tips, email lists, A/B testing, loyalty programs- the list goes on! But one frequently overlooked tool to help expand your target audience is e-commerce translation.  Sure, there’s numerous plug-ins that can help automatically translate your website into other languages, but the results are far from optimal, and sometimes laughable in their attempt.  The benefit of using an e-commerce translation agency like TSI is we have actual native speaking translators who understand the intricacies of online sales.

Here’s a short list of 5 tips on how to increase product sales internationally.

Find International Target Markets

There’s many great ways find a market beyond the United States. You can use government resources to help suss out overseas trends. Websites like www.export.gov are a wonderful resource. Using keyword searches like www.kwfinder.com and setting search parameters to other countries is also an excellent method of finding untapped buyers.

Translate Your Current Website

When clients come to us for translation help, very few think to offer multiple language options on their website for international customers, but after discussing the benefits, most opt-in for this service. A frequent question we get is “why not just use the google translate website option?” The problem is google translate is far from accurate.  Thousands of words have numerous definitions which can completely change the meaning of your sentences if not translated properly- this is the main issue with computer and machine translations.

When we are asked to translate an e-commerce website, we only use native language speakers who understand the target country’s terminology so that there is no confusion for potential consumers.  

Create Custom Websites and URLS for New Markets

In addition to translating your e-commerce website, you can give your online presence an extra international boost by creating standalone websites in other languages.  To take it even one step further, customize the website with your target country’s URL.

For example, if your company website is www.bestproduct.com, consider purchasing www.bestproduct.it if you plan on selling in Italy. This way, in addition to translating your website copy, you can also optimize your keywords and SEO for the italian market as well. 

In addition to custom websites, consider joining already established online marketplaces that have decent traffic. Amazon has recently made a large push into numerous countries across the globe through their Amazon Global Selling (AGS) program.  At TSI, we have experience translating for Amazon Fulfilment By Amazon (FBA) and AGS.

Add Additional International Payment Methods

Offering numerous currency options for payment can help entice international customers to purchase your product.  You can take it a step further and even add some of the more popular cryptocurrency options as payment as well.

When adding new currencies, it’s important to understand localization of these numbers as well as your payment portal- another portion of e-commerce website translation.  For example, the US and other countries list dates and times differently: month/day/year versus day/month/year. Little details like this left unfixed will give your potential buyer the impression that your company does not take them seriously.

Localize Your Marketing Materials

In addition to your website, there’s a plethora of additional platforms and methods of reaching consumers.  Social media is a huge one, as are banner ads. We love helping our customers with punching up their ad copy into other languages through the use of transcreation.  This form of localization can also be targeted to specific demographics or locations, therefore it’s essential to hire translators who know the lingo of your particular customer.

What are you waiting for? Contact us for a free quote on how we can help your business expand abroad and reach customers across the pond. With our extensive experience and deep portfolio, we are here to offer your business all the translation services you require.