Going Global: Expanding Your Reach with Multilingual Shopify Stores

“65% of consumers prefer content in their language, even if it’s poorly written.”

Let us start with a simple question: When multilingual functionality is needed in Shopify website design and development services?

When you want to penetrate a new market or geographic location, the demographics of your target audience will be different. It means you have to consider the shift in behavior, language, culture, and purchase preferences of the local audience. Trust me, this is not the end. You will need to consider a lot of factors before being hellbent on making the most of your new endeavor.

This is exactly the point where localization comes into the frame. Multilingual Shopify store development is a solution for eCommerce localization. Let us quickly learn what it is!

What is eCommerce Localization?

As the old saying goes, “When you are in Rome, do as the Romans do.”, it is a thoughtful process to transform your eCommerce website for a new targeted geographical location. This involves eCommerce website adaptation, translation, and execution that perfectly aligns with the local audience’s expectations. 

For example, eCommerce localization includes translation of the text content to break the language barrier, visual changes to enhance local users’ experience, and accommodating region-specific coding elements like currency symbols and dates. Understanding the culture and preferences to buy a product online are also crucial areas to consider.

Four Key Benefits of eCommerce Localization

1. Global Market Expansion: Opens up new markets boosting opportunities for increased sales and growth.
2. Increased Outreach: A multilingual Shopify development store is a great way to retain local audiences who do not prefer English, hence broadening the outreach.
3. Competitive Advantage: Going global with multilingual Shopify store development will showcase your unwavering commitment to providing a better shopping experience.
4. Boost Brand Engagement: A multilingual website will eventually connect the local audience with your brand and drive them to engage more.

Of course, there will be challenges in custom Shopify development services for you like every other brand to enter a new geography. Overcoming the language barrier, various cultural nuances and differences, currency and payments issues, and legal advisory are potential blockers for an easygoing ride.

Creating a Multilingual Shopify Store: Key Points

Multilingual Shopify store development involves a strategic combination of language support, cultural understanding, and personalized content. The goal is to make your online store feel like a local shopping destination, irrespective of where your customers are located. This approach not only attracts a diverse audience but also lays the foundation for long-term success in global markets.

Shopify Functionalities for Multilingual Store Development

Shopify’s Built-in Language Tools:

Shopify platform offers built-in language tools for easily translating your store’s text content into the preferred languages. 

Many language tools are available on the platform. I have taken a leaf out of the expert Shopify developers’ book and found that they are mainly using the tools shown below:

Language Editor: As the name suggests, this tool helps to edit and translate the text that appears on your store’s website. Example: Complete textual content including menus, buttons, policies, and product descriptions.

Language Detection: Helps to detect the browsers of your audiences and translate the store into the right language. T-Tab is recommended by the Shopify development experts for translations.

Multiple Domains: Create individual yet separate versions of your store and present them as individual domains with a specific language. Shopify platform elevates this business operation with a centralized dashboard that unifies multiple domain management. Recommended for larger businesses with huge global reach.

Multi-currency Support: Display prices, currency, and language based on the location of your Shopify website or store. 

Language-based URLs: With Shopify development service, you have the liberty to create URLs based on the chosen language for your stores. For example: If your main eCommerce website domain is store.com and you decide to translate it into French, the domain URL will be shop.com/fr.

Shopify’s Language Translation Apps

Any of the following easy-to-use language translation apps available in the Shopify App Store will help you with high-quality translations.

• Langify
• GTranslate
• Weglot
• Translate.com
• Bablic

It is also possible to use a third-party language translation app in multilingual Shopify store development services. Some of the top ones are:

• Blend
• TextMaster
• Translated
• Smartling
• Gengo

Multilingual Store Presentation

Some of the language selectors you can use include:

1. Dropdown menu: Dropdown menus are the most common language selectors that allow users to select their preferred language by simply clicking on their language.
2. Flags: Using flag images can be particularly useful for international websites, as it allows users to quickly identify the language they are looking for.
3. Text links: With text links, users can click on a link representing their preferred language to switch the website content to that language.

Pre-designed Themes for Language Translation

Shopify theme marketplace is a library of pre-made themes for translating language. You can use these themes having in-built language support and translation-ready elements to minimize coding work to build a customized storefront to market in other geographic locations.

Tips for Creating Multilingual Shopify Stores

• Research and choose the right language to translate.
• Proofread to ensure precise translations as machine translations can be culturally misfit.
• Language after translation must be conveyed with tone consistency.
• Optimize your website’s SEO for new languages integrated.
• Use imagery that resonates with the lifestyle and values of diverse global customers.
• Adjust pricing based on local economic conditions and offer region-specific promotions to make your products more appealing to diverse markets.
• Contact the best Shopify app development company to hire Shopify web developers to accelerate your plans.

Conclusion

The flexibility and customization options provided by these language apps, combined with Shopify’s inherent eCommerce capabilities, make it easier than ever to connect with customers around the world. Whether you are just starting your global expansion or looking to enhance an existing multilingual strategy, incorporating these Shopify multilingual features empowers businesses to create a truly global online shopping experience.

⇒ You May Also Like To See: Top 15 eCommerce Development Companies for Businesses