The importance of localization for cross border e-commerce

As the e-commerce market continues to grow and expand to all parts of the world, it has become increasingly important to consider the crucial role that technology plays in it. Whether it is by using computers, smartphones, or tablets, consumers now rely more than ever on technology for their shopping needs, since it allows them to access a whole world of foreign products that might not be available to them in their home country. In addition, consumers are looking to engage in cross border e-commerce because many authentic brands may be cheaper to buy from another country than domestically. For example, according to the 2016 Nielsen Global Connected Commerce survey, nearly two-thirds of its Western European respondents have made purchases online from another country. One of the most significant technologies used for online shopping is the mobile smartphone. In emerging markets such as India, the use of smartphones to make purchases is so high that some online retailers, such as Flipkart, are moving from mobile-first to mobile-only. Also, In the U.S., IBM reported that mobile devices accounted for about 57% of all online shopping traffic this past Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year in the country (up 15% over the same period in 2014). Retailers have quickly caught on to this mobile trend, with almost every major retailer now having a sleek and user-friendly interface. With a few easy taps, these apps allow for quick purchases to be made on the go, creating the idea of a shopping experience made simple by technology. In addition, digital analytics firm,eMarketer, projects that online retail sales will more than double between 2015 and 2019 and account for more than 12% of global sales by 2019. Therefore, it is clear that with the rapid growth of cross border e-commerce on mobile devices, it is important for a business to be able to reach as many global consumers as possible. Even though most retailers believe that English as the international language is sufficient to reach the global community, studies have shown that consumers have very specific language preferences. According to a survey by Common Sense Advisory, 72.4% of consumers said they would be more likely to buy a product with information in their own language. Moreover, 56.2% of consumers said that the ability to obtain information in their own language is more important than price. This is huge! It means that localization is indeed crucial for cross border e-commerce, since more than half of consumers would actually pay more for a product if the information about it were in their own language. Doing so makes the global consumers feel more connected to the foreign business on a personal level, and would reinforce a feeling of trust with the brand. It is important to make global consumers feel like your online business cares about their culture and language, which is why most companies are now quickly realizing that if they wish to increase their international revenue, their web presence must be multilingual. If you are considering localizing your business’ website, contact us at Consoltec to found out how we can customize our FlowFit Solution to fit your translation management needs!