A few years ago, shopping was considered a time-consuming and tiring process by many people. Thankfully, we have come a long way since then. The global shift to online shopping, or eCommerce, in the past few years has been revolutionary and has changed the way people shop. In 2022, the retail e-commerce industry witnessed a rise in sales, reaching up to $5.7 trillion worldwide. In fact, the industry is estimated to reach $8.2 trillion by 2026.
However, as the industry continues to grow, eCommerce companies also have to keep evolving their eCommerce strategies to stay ahead of the curve. This is where eCommerce localisation shines. This transformative strategy can help eCommerce companies enhance their online presence and drive sales across new regions. This is especially true for businesses looking to expand into the local Indian markets.
eCommerce Landscape in India and Localisation
The Indian eCommerce market is expected to reach US $111.40 billion by 2025. However, to succeed in this dynamic market requires more than just a digital presence. Companies need to understand the local languages, cultures, and consumer behaviour of the Indian market.Â
The multilingual diversity of India presents a unique set of challenges for eCommerce companies. With effective localisation, however, your business can adapt to every aspect of the online shopping experience to resonate with your target audience. In this article, we’ll understand eCommerce localisation, its benefits, and how you can go about localising your eCommerce website.Â
What is eCommerce Localisation?
eCommerce localisation is a transformative strategy for businesses looking to expand their operations into new regions, particularly in a multifaceted market like India. This strategy involves adapting your online eCommerce website or stores to meet the preferences of your target audience. For example, if a European brand aims to scale to Indian markets, it will have to understand the local users’ preferences, habits, and the economic conditions of the Indian market.
It’s not just about translating the content, but also personalising the design and functionality. This helps in creating a seamless and personalised experience for your customers in the target region.
Benefits Associated with eCommerce Localisation
eCommerce localisation brings numerous benefits for businesses looking to expand their reach in local markets. Here are a few benefits:
Better Local Market Reach
One of the biggest advantages of eCommerce localisation is that it enables you to connect with customers in their native language. This significantly helps in expanding your market reach. According to CSA research, about 72% of consumers prefer buying products from websites in their native language. This highlights the importance of localisation in gaining marketing penetration.
Enhanced Customer Experience and Loyalty
Personalisation is one of the most important aspects of eCommerce localisation. By localising your content and design along with the user interface, you can provide your customers with a personalised experience. It allows you to make your users feel more connected with your brand, hence, enhancing customer satisfaction and fostering loyalty. This also involves understanding cultural nuances and local preferences, ensuring a better user experience.
Improved Online Visibility & SEO
By localising your website, you can improve its visibility in the local market. Adapting multilingual SEO (search engine optimisation) strategies can ensure that your target customers can find you online. The search engines give preferences to the results that provide more value to the user. This also includes matching their location, language, and more. Hence, with localisation, you increase your chances of improving your online visibility, thereby driving more organic traffic to your website.
Higher Conversion Rates & Revenues
Localisation can have a direct impact on your conversion rates. By tailoring your eCommerce site to meet local preferences, you can improve your chances of converting more customers. When you make customer experience more personalised, it can lead to 8 to 10% higher conversion rates. For example, offering local payment options, displaying prices in local currency, and ensuring fast and efficient local customer support can remove barriers to purchase and encourage more transactions.
Case Studies
Amazon India saw a threefold increase in new customers after launching Hindi in 2020, with over 5 million customers using Indian languages by the end of 2021. Since then, Amazon has added more Indian languages, increasing the tally of Indian languages supported on its platform to 8. In a similar way, Meesho, an eCommerce platform experienced a 20% adoption rate after they added Hindi in 2020.
eCommerce Localization: Key Elements
Customer Support
Providing quality customer service in local markets can be a challenge for many businesses. However, it is essential for a positive shopping experience. This requires more than just fluency in local languages. It also includes understanding local cultures and nuances along with the context related to customer queries. Effective communication in the customer’s preferred language can significantly improve satisfaction and customer loyalty. This makes it a key element of eCommerce localisation. Leveraging AI-powered conversational chatbots can help you make your customer support more personalised and efficient.
Regulatory Compliance
Compliance with local laws and regulations is non-negotiable for all businesses. Your business must adhere to data protection laws, consumer rights regulations, and taxation policies specific to India. This includes ensuring that all transactions comply with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regulations. In addition, the customer data should be handled according to the Information Technology Act.
Payment Methods
Offering local payment methods is crucial for increasing conversion rates. Indian consumers may prefer digital wallets, such as UPI, Paytm, or Cash on Delivery (COD) over international credit cards. Adapting your payment gateway to include these options can remove purchase barriers. In addition, displaying prices in local currency helps customers make quicker purchasing decisions.
Localising eCommerce Store: Best Practices
Prioritise Market Research
Thorough market research is crucial to understand your target audience and local market dynamics. This is the first step in eCommerce localisation. It gives you insight into your customers’ preferences, behaviours, and the competitive landscape. This research allows you to tailor your strategies effectively according to users’ spending habits and cultural nuances. Market research ensures your localisation efforts resonate with your target audience.
Content Translation and Localisation
While accurate translation is essential, you should focus on coupling it with localisation for better cultural adaptation. You can leverage tools like Reverie’s Anuvadak to facilitate seamless translation and content management. You can also consider including local idioms, references, and symbols that are culturally significant. Adapting marketing content to reflect local festivals, holidays, and traditions can further enhance relevance and engagement.
Investing in Multilingual SEO
Optimising content for local search engines is vital for improving your online visibility in different regions. Multilingual SEO includes optimising your website for local search engines. It uses localised keywords, meta descriptions, and content. Creating region-specific content incorporating local search terms and phrases can help you rank higher on search engines. Reverie’s Anuvadak can help you meet local SEO requirements by assisting in managing and translating content efficiently.
Continuous Improvement
eCommerce localisation is an ongoing process that requires regular updates and improvements. Gather feedback from local customers and stay abreast of cultural and regulatory changes. This can help you refine your localisation strategy. Regularly updating content, monitoring performance, and making necessary adjustments ensure that your eCommerce store or website remains relevant and competitive.
eCommerce Localisation for Seamless Expansion
Effective localisation is crucial for eCommerce expansion, especially in a diverse market like India. Tailoring your online store to meet linguistic and cultural preferences allows you to enhance user experience and drive engagement. Following the best practices for localisation can help you stay ahead of the competition. If you’re looking to expand your eCommerce presence in India, starting with a localised approach can pave the way for long-term success. Leveraging language tools provided by Reverie can help you boost your localisation efforts seamlessly. To learn more about Reverie and its language tools, book a free demo.
