Benefits of a Multilingual eCommerce Website

Thursday, July 9, 2015
The main aim of eCommerce websites is to reach out to your customers and keep them engaged. It also facilitates customer convenience to a very large extent. So, given that eCommerce websites are open to the global audience, making it accessible to that vast array of audience is the key to tap into the open, global marketplace. While it would be easier for you to just create a website with English as its language, it will be beneficial for your website to be multilingual.
It doesn't take much effort to let your users choose the language they want to see the site in, and it multiplies the possibilities of conversion. There is definitely a huge marketplace frequented by non-English speakers and targeting them will only make your business more profitable.
Globalization has made it possible for shoppers from around the globe to buy whatever they want, from wherever they want it. Given the multitude of options available to shoppers, unless they find everything they want in your website, in the way they want it, they may choose at any time to go to your competitor. Ensuring that they're comfortable using your website is the key to the assurance that they stay on your website, shop from your website, and keep coming back for more.
Here are some more reasons why your website should be multilingual:
Cost efficient
Rather than hiring multilingual sales staff to interact with your prospective customers, the website speaks to your target audience in the language they know and like. It creates a global awareness about your business and brand, and thereby sells itself with just this one small effort from you.
Stay ahead of your competitor
Thanks to the rapid rate at which globalization is catching up in all industries, it won't be too far in the future when your website will need to be multilingual. Perhaps search engines might make it a requirement. Or it might become the parameter to determine your website's ranking. So why not jump onto the bandwagon early and get a head start from your competitors?
Customer engagement
Keeping your website accessible to everyone shoes how customer-centric your business is. Offering your services in the language your customers speak is the first step to let them know that you care about their ease and comfort.
Wider reach
A multilingual websites ensures that you show up in search engines you probably haven't even heard about! It also improves your website's search engines ranking and visibility, given its ease of usability. It also shows your global presence and reach.
More conversion
It is safe to assume that the number of languages added to your website, increases the chance of conversion by that many times. This said, it is also sufficient to add just the most widely spoken languages like Spanish, German, French, etc.
Having a multilingual eCommerce website will help your business in many ways, so it is also important to get it done the right way. Ensure that a good translating tool is used and if possible, get your content checked by someone who is adept in the languages you choose for your website.