E-commerce localization: People prefer to shop in their local language and along familiar themes

Olessia Skrla

Thanks to the pandemic, lockdowns, and the ensuing dread of crowded spaces (which means practically every mall), online shopping has reached an all-time high.

We were already ordering products online, but lockdowns have turned what was merely a convenience into a virtual necessity.

Why head over to the mall to buy that new hat when you can get it off eBay without leaving your home?

If you own an e-commerce store, this is the best time for you to make a killing… or so they said.

After all, you’ve done everything right: you’ve spent money on ads, you’ve optimized your e-commerce store for easy navigation, and you’ve found a wonderful copywriter to showcase your product in the best light.

Yet, nothing.

You stared at your account balance this morning and the millions you thought you’d be making just aren’t there.

I have a little idea for you.

At the core of human buying psychology is trust.

People buy from stores and businesses they trust, and that’s why Amazon and AliExpress are so big.

You’re not Amazon, of course, you’re probably just an e-commerce store owner trying to turn over a profit, yet you can still learn a thing or two from them.

They sell internationally.

If Amazon sold purely to the United States, they wouldn’t be so big.

You need to expand your e-commerce stores to cater to the international market outside your country.

The logic here is simple: the more people who see your store, the higher your chance of closing sales.

But there’s one snag most store owners don’t think about.

Remember that trust I told you about?

A large percentage of people (myself included) prefer to shop in their local language and along familiar themes.

In simple English, I want an online shopping experience that is no different from what is obtainable locally. The moment I start seeing languages, fonts, words, themes, colours I don’t recognize or I’m uncomfortable with, I’m out.

Money is important to me, I don’t want to lose it on a scam site, and your potential customers feel this way too.

“But, hey! I’m not a scammer!”

No, you’re not, but they don’t know that, and you must ensure they’re super comfortable while using your site.

That’s where e-commerce localization comes in.

E-commerce localization simply means fine-tuning every aspect of the user experience on your e-commerce store to suit what is obtainable in your target customer’s location.

Localization goes beyond simply translating text. As an online shopper, I can assure you there is nothing that drives me away from a site faster than randomly translated text that leaves me more confused with every passing second (AliExpress vendors, I’m looking at you).

By localizing, you make it easier for international shoppers to feel comfortable when buying from you.

The average American is used to buying from Amazon, and no matter how good your product is, if it doesn’t provide that same ease and familiarity that Amazon provides, you’ll be losing money.

From China to Germany, Japan to South Africa, and Moldavia to Argentina, if you intend making money as an e-commerce store owner from international buyers, always remember to localize your content, or else you risk losing potential customers.

Would you let a nurse perform major surgery on you?

If your answer is no, then you know you need only experts to carry out localization on your e-commerce store.

Here’s my recommendation to get that stress-free and seamless localization experience: use Janus Worldwide.