Why having a multilingual online store makes total sense today?

“A special kind of beauty exists which is born in language, of language, and for language.”

– Gaston Bachelard, French philosopher

We cannot agree more with Gaston Bachelard here. There is a special beauty around languages. Ask any linguists; they would tell you how each language is unique and how they are deeply rooted in the cultural elements of a region or a country, and they bind people together. All these aspects bring a strong emotional pull for languages. We wonder, can online businesses take advantage of it?

Hola! Bonjour! Hello! Namaste! Hallo!

The internet has brought all of us closer than ever, at least virtually. Businesses are no longer restricted by physical location. We can promote our brand and products anywhere in the world now. The traditional brick-and-mortar stores are slowly losing relevance, and with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many small businesses have closed down their physical stores and moved online completely. However, this is a risky ploy because user experience becomes an integral factor that dictates success once you move digital.

One of the easiest and effective ways to deliver a positive user experience is by ensuring that your eCommerce store is multilingual. Your store should have features that welcome global customers to purchase your products from different parts of the world in this digital era. And going multilingual is the one strategy that helps empower them.

Still not convinced about having a multilingual eCommerce store? Let’s look at some of the key benefits that it will provide.

Provides a Competitive Edge

Success in eCommerce is all about staying ahead of your competition; Having a multilingual store before your competitors means that you have a competitive edge over them in terms of reaching out to a larger audience. Remember, about 75% of the world population are non-English speakers. So, there are many options for you to leverage out there by integrating other languages into your store.

Also, it becomes easy for you to expand globally by going multilingual. Suppose you already have a winning product that you think will be a hit in the global market. In that case, you can go ahead and introduce it to the international scene, and having a multilingual store will help beat your competition fairly easily.

Nike sets the benchmark when it comes to taking on the competition with a multilingual store. Even though it is one of the biggest sporting brands in the world, it has left no stones unturned when it comes to targeting different regions.

The above image is from the Nike UK store, and the below one is from the Nike Japan version. The differences are very evident. Even though the menu labels are in English, everything else, even the product models, are different from the Japanese version of the store.

Improves Customer Experience

By integrating other languages into your store, you are taking a customer-centric approach. And it vastly helps improve the purchase experience for the customers. The eCommerce domain is brimming with hundreds of small businesses backed by rigorous social media marketing and advertising. But one thing they miss out on is a bilingual store that simplifies the whole buying process, resulting in a positive experience for the customer and making them come back for more.

You should translate everything from product descriptions, banners, and even the checkout pages into other languages. Each customer is priceless, and as sellers, it is your job to make sure they have a seamless buying experience.

Dutch company Wheat Straws is standing up for a cause. It is trying to create a positive impact on the environment by reducing the usage of plastic with its products. As you can see below, it has integrated different languages like English, French, German, and Spanish. Reducing the usage of plastic is a global cause, and it is essential that the global audience understand how Wheat Straw's products can make a difference.

Enhances Online Visibility

In many countries, Google is not the default search engine. By translating your eCommerce store, you will be able to tap into other search engines and improve your search rankings in them. If your store is showing up in native search engines, there are huge chances that a wider global audience will be attracted by your product offerings, boosting your sales and revenue as a result.

You don't need to integrate numerous languages into your store as it will be cumbersome and difficult to handle. Do thorough research on the markets you are planning to target and gather details on the customer preferences. Sometimes a product might not have the same demand in different countries or regions for various reasons, and translating your store or targeting the search engine might just become a waste of time.

Also, don't forget that in some countries like Ireland, Belgium, or the United States, there are huge communities that speak a different language to the official one. For example, the Spanish speakers in the US or the Dutch and French communities in Belgium. If your target markets include these countries or if you are operating from these countries, it is vital to bring the bilingual option to your store as it will positively impact your business amongst these communities.

Boosts Sales and Revenues

Having a multilingual store is bound to increase your online traffic. Customers are more likely to complete an online purchase if the products and services are in their native language. One of the main reasons behind it is that they can navigate and interact better with your store owing to the translation. It will result in better conversion rates, thereby increasing your sales and revenues.

Also, by presenting your store in different languages, you are sending out a strong message to your customers that you care about their preferences and convenience. It will build loyalty and trust, and it is also a cost-effective marketing technique to boost your brand value, which is invaluable for the success of your business.

Wrapping Up

In strange times like this, we have to rethink our business strategies and look for new and cost-effective revenue streams to sustain our businesses. Having a multilingual store is one such strategy that will help you attain tremendous success in challenging periods like this. When customers are confined to their homes, they are bound to spend more time online, and this just might be the right time for you to try integrating a bilingual feature for your store.

Conduct a detailed analysis of your store, segment your customers, trace your online traffic and understand whether your store has scope for translated versions.

But in this mobile dominated world, along with a multi-lingual site, you also need a native app for your online store. Vajro helps in both departments. Vajro is an instant app builder that lets you build the perfect app for your business within hours. And Vajro's plugin Weglot helps translate your store into multiple languages instantly, without code. You can also manage and edit translations easily, and your store will be automatically indexed in the translated languages in the search engines.