Ecommerce localization: why multilingual product listings are key to success

Did you know? Seventy-six percent of online shoppers prefer buying products with information in their language. Moreover, 40% say they will never buy from websites in other languages, according to CSA Research. So, if you want to attract global customers, a multilingual website isn’t a nice to have but a necessity. And that requires localization.

Yet ecommerce localization presents its challenges, including the need to translate and update product descriptions in every available language. Manually localizing every listing is time-consuming, costly, and—depending on the size of your catalog—seemingly impossible. Fortunately, a continuous localization platform can automate the process, making it easy to keep your ecommerce website up-to-date.

What is ecommerce localization?

Before diving in, we must define what ecommerce localization is about. Simply put, it’s the process of adapting an ecommerce website or platform to meet a particular market’s specific cultural, linguistic, and regional needs. This includes translating content, changing payment methods and shipping options, and providing customer service support in the local language. The goal is to create an experience that feels natural and familiar to customers in that market, making them more likely to convert.

Localizing product descriptions

Accurate, scalable ecommerce translations are a must when accounting for changing product offerings, seasonality, and upgrades. To earn customers’ trust, product listings should match local sizes, units of measurement, and currencies. You also need to localize any accompanying graphics, product videos, and user reviews that will help customers make informed buying decisions.

5 Benefits of localized ecommerce product descriptions

Now that you know more about ecommerce localization, let’s take a look at five major benefits of localizing product descriptions.

Drive more organic web traffic

eCommerce localization allows you to create SEO-optimized product descriptions in multiple languages and optimize content for regional search engines. This is essential if you want to increase organic traffic. Why? Because product-related keywords vary by language, and different search engines use different algorithms to determine website rankings.

For example, say you want to drive more traffic to the Chinese version of your website. You’d need to optimize product descriptions for Baidu, the largest Chinese-language search engine.

Increase sales and reduce returns

Localized product descriptions inspire buyer confidence. Online shoppers who trust your product listings are accurate and more likely to buy. Plus, they’re less likely to return purchases because they choose the correct size, color, or other attribute so the product meets their expectations.

For example, the French version of an online clothing store would offer women’s sizes starting at 32, 34, or 36, which is equal to XXS, XS, and S in U.S. sizes.

Enhance brand image

eCommerce localization helps build a strong brand image in new markets by showing that you understand and respect local customs, values, and preferences.

For example, say you want to create an Arabic version of your website for business in Saudi Arabia. You can alter product images that include models who don’t adhere to modest dress codes. This demonstrates that you understand the importance of modesty in the Muslim world, and more customers will trust your brand because of that.

Enable personalized experiences in multiple languages

eCommerce personalization is now the norm. Case in point, 71% of shoppers expect companies to deliver personalized experiences, and 76% get frustrated when they don’t.

Localized product descriptions help you create those experiences by offering product recommendations in the customer’s preferred language. You can also send personalized push notifications, email offers, and rewards based on past purchases.

Increase customer loyalty

Localized product descriptions and personalized recommendations enhance the shopping experience by providing shoppers with relevant information in their language. This is essential for increasing customer loyalty. In fact, 73% of online shoppers say that a positive experience is a key factor influencing their decision to return to an ecommerce website.

How to automatically updated ecommerce product descriptions

As you can see, you’re losing revenue every hour a localized product listing isn’t live on your site. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution. Integrating a continuous localization platform with an eCommerce system such as Shopify, Magneto, or BigCommerce enables you to automatically keep product descriptions up-to-date.

Here is how it works:

• Content extraction. The localization platform scans your ecommerce system for text, images, and videos that require translation.
• Automatic translation. Then, the platform generates AI-powered translations in the target language(s).
• Content review. Once the translations are complete, the platform sends the content to professional translators who review the quality.
• Content integration. The approved translated content is then integrated back into the eCommerce system.
• Content updates. As content is added or updated, the localization platform repeats the process to ensure the localized content remains up-to-date.

Now that you know more about how localization platforms work, it’s time to choose one for your organization.

Scale your ecommerce localization

It’s easy to see why companies trust us with their ongoing translation needs. Our AI-powered localization platform automates the translation process—without sacrificing quality or brand integrity.

Want to learn more about how we can help you expand into new markets? Contact us today!