Category: Ecommerce

How to Grow Your eCommerce Company With Localization?

Posted on by Erica Sunarjo

The eCommerce market has become highly competitive. The idea of an online store has inspired many to become entrepreneurs.

However, this means that if you want to grow your company you need to stand out from the crowd. Besides uniqueness, devotion to marketing, and product quality, there is something else that can help you out – localization.

As the eCommerce market is growing, you can use the assistance of international customers to improve your company’s success.

This is your opportunity to reach a wider audience and spread awareness about your company. Not to mention that you’ll evoke trust in potential customers by providing them product descriptions in their own language.

So, if you are ready to take your eCommerce store to the next level, this is what you need to know.

What is Localization?

If this term seems somewhat familiar to you but you aren’t sure what it is really about, let’s clarify it.

First, you need to understand that localization is not the same as translation.

The translation is converting the text from one language to another.

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While localization does include translation in its process, it also demands that you use cultural context to convey the message. Meaning, that with localization you adapt the content to the culture it is intended for.

So, when you localize your website, you will translate the landing page, product description, image descriptions, and every other aspect of your website but you’ll also adapt it to the targeted culture.

The reason why localization is more valuable for sales growth is that you appeal to the new customers’ habits, traditions, and beliefs rather than just translating content word by word.

Common Sense Advisory did a study on 2,430 online consumers that spread across eight countries and the results showed that 72.4% of potential customers are more likely to buy a product if they can find the information in their native language.

Start by looking at your website’s analytics with the help of Google Analytics and find out where is your traffic coming from. This will help you define which languages and countries you should aim for.

Google AnalyticsImage Source: Google Analytics

Machine Translation or Human Translation?

While using machine translation can be faster and therefore, more tempting, you should be aware that it can never provide you with the quality that human translation can.

Localization is an especially tricky task because you need more than just transforming the content from source to target language. You also need to adapt the translation to the targeted culture. 

Instead of hiring a translator, you should think about working with a localization expert who has experience in this field. He or she can give you pointers on what you need to pay attention to on your website if you want to appeal to the target audience. 

If you feature some holiday discounts/sales on your website, keep in mind that countries celebrate different holidays. Talk with your localization expert about this aspect of localization and make sure to adapt it to the targeted country. 

Improve Customer Service

Responding to customers’ inquiries is a highly impact aspect of the eCommerce business. If you don’t deal with questions that your potential customers have about your products, you won’t be able to earn their trust.

For that reason, as a part of your localization process, you should provide customer service in multiple languages. 

There are several options depending on your plans and your budget:

  • Hire a customer service team that can address customers’ inquiries in their native language.
  • Hire a professional translator to translate FAQ to cover the most important questions.
  • Use machine translation just for the FAQ to cover the most important questions.

Adapt the Website’s Look 

Depending on target audience differences, you might need to think about adapting your website as well. 

There is more to localization than just translating the content based on the target culture. You should also think about the visuals that will be most effective.

Take Amazon as an example. While Amazon’s websites for the UK and Germany don’t differ, there is a clear difference between the European Amazon website and the Chinese Amazon website.

Adapt the Website's Look Image Source: Amazon UK

Amazon GermanyImage Source: Amazon Germany

Amazon ChinaImage Source: Amazon China

This global company is aware of differences between its target audiences so they adapted the visuals.

While the European audience has a similar taste, the Chinese audience prefers a more vivid, bright, and colorful visual effect which is evident in Amazon’s choice of design. 

Choose an Appropriate Platform

Before you start with localizing, you need to make sure that your current eCommerce platform is adequate for localization.

For example, it should offer order management integration, international shipping, multi-currency options, and be tailored for translation to different languages. 

To ensure the security is on point, check with your provider if the platform supports the rule of the global Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI).

Localized SEO

Optimizing an eCommerce website is very important for a company that aims at growth. If you don’t optimize the website, the customers won’t be able to find your products, and therefore you’ll fall short in organic traffic.

The thing with localization is that you need to adapt to the website’s SEO as well. 

Why?

Well, different countries have different preferences when it comes to online searches. For example, even though Google is the most popular search engine in the world, other search engines are used as well.

Users in China use Baidu (68.78%), users in Russia prefer Yandex (51.6%), and some Japanese users prefer Yahoo (23.09%). 

Depending on the search engine, you need to adapt the SEO efforts accordingly. 

I’ve worked with the team at Andolasoft on multiple websites. They are professional, responsive, & easy to work with. I’ve had great experiences & would recommend their services to anyone.

Ruthie Miller, Sr. Mktg. Specialist

Salesforce, Houston, Texas

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Also, pay close attention to keywords. They shouldn’t just be translated word for word. There might be some variations that will influence the keywords.

If you run a US website and you want to adapt it for the UK market, keeping the word “sweater” as a keyword will hurt your SEO because the UK audience will rather use the word “jumper” in their search. 

Even such simple changes can make a huge difference. 

Some Final Thoughts

Localization can be one of the key moves you need to expand your global reach.

Unless you explore international markets, you’ll never know how the global audience will respond to your products or services.

With localization, you can affect the purchase decisions, build trust, and personalize the shopping experience. 

The above-mentioned guidelines will give you all the information you need to execute the localization perfectly. Through the whole process, just keep in mind that user-friendliness is what you need to aim for.

Localization can provide the customers with a positive shopping experience and get them to fall in love with your eCommerce store.

How Technology is Empowering eCommerce Business?

Posted on by os_admin

eCommerce has been developing at the speed of light in the recent decade. Thousands of researchers, analysts, and marketers have been studying the holy grail of information – that’s a customer with a smartphone – and defining the strategies for more targeted and personalized marketing and products.

Today, many eCommerce businesses have tons of customer data needed to advance in the online marketplace. With data, as well as data analysis and intelligence tools and platforms, being readily available

They know exactly what their target customers need and want. For example, Amazon’s product recommendation engine generates 35 percent of the company’s net income of $10.07 billion.

In fact, those who have mastered customer research not only know your needs and preferences but also what you’ll need in the future.

This incredible opportunity, along with many other ones, was, of course, enabled by state-of-the-art eCommerce solutions that companies only dreamed about 10 years ago.

So what exactly drives eCommerce businesses’ obsession with data? What are the technologies that give them the competitive advantage they need to stand out in a multi-billion online marketplace?

  • Machine Learning Algorithms to Generate Personalized Product or Service Recommendations

The vast majority of online shoppers – 87 percent – start product searches online. Chances are you’re a part of this, too, if you rely on your smartphone to find new products. It makes perfect sense, as the experience of others can help to make a good choice.

Function of Beauty, an American fashion brand offering personalized hair-care, wants to take product research one step further. A customer looking for hair products such as shampoos and conditioners for their specific hair type doesn’t need to browse numerous websites and menu categories.

Instead, they can take a quiz on a brand’s website and receive a personalized recommendation.

Function of BeautySource: Screenshot, Functionofbeauty(.)com

This was made possible by a machine learning algorithm. A customer can choose their hair type, scent, size of a bottle, and provide other preferences.

The results provided by a quiz taker are fed into the algorithm that pulls from hundreds of ingredients to generate a truly unique set of hair care products. In fact, it’s able to offer up to 12 million custom combinations.

Inc. reports that the quiz has been already taken by more than 1.5 million times. This is truly a great example of how machine learning can help to increase the personalization and relevance of products as well as advanced customer relationships.

Algorithms like these can be used to generate custom products, services, and recommendations, and therefore, will continue to drive eCommerce businesses’ effort to maximize relevancy for customers.

  • Chatbots to Improve the Overall Online Shopping Experience

Chatbots are one of the hottest topics in eCommerce right now.

These apps can mimic human online behavior such as conversations with pre-written questions and answers, so they have a lot of applications in the area.

In fact, here’s what eCommerce businesses expect from using them, as described in the 2018 State of Chatbots report.

ChatBot ReportSource: The 2018 State of Chatbots report

Already, a countless number of businesses have developed their own chatbots to help customers.

The range of their applications, as you can see, is pretty impressive, so it’s safe to claim that any eCommerce business can benefit from using one.

Let’s consider an example of a chatbot making a difference. A well-known U.S. electronics retailer Best Buy, for example, has an impressive Messenger chatbot that helps customers with:

    • Finding products based on such criteria as price range, manufacturer, OS type, laptop type, and common applications (gaming, studying, etc.)
    • Connecting to a customer support operator from an appropriate service department (this is determined by the answers given by the customer to the chatbot)
    • Locating stores across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico
    • Getting support like in-home consultations and other service-related inquiries.

Impressive, right? And all of this is available in one place. But the best thing that a lot of customers really appreciate is that they can get almost instant replies to their requests thanks to the chatbot technology.

ChatBot

Chatbots like Best Buy’s can really improve the overall customer experience by increasing personalization and relevance of communication with brands.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, more and more people feel comfortable using them; in fact, one U.S. study found that 62 percent of online shoppers said they liked using a chatbot to communicate with a brand.

  • Hybrid eCommerce App Development

Apps continue to be a significant sales channel for eCommerce businesses around the world. In recent years, many companies have chosen to build hybrid apps, which combine the elements of web applications and native apps.

This means they’re built on CSS, HTML, or JavaScript, but use a device’s browser engine to render the HTML or JavaScript code locally.

This allows for more functions that aren’t accessible in native apps, such as local storage and accelerometer. Moreover, making an app hybrid also means that it:

    • Gets downloaded to a device
    • Functions regardless if the device is connected to the Internet
    • Integrates with the devices’ file system to allow local storage
    • Provides better access to dynamic online content
    • Integrates with web services.

The first obvious advantage of hybrid apps that many customers appreciate is offline availability. If made possible by the developers, all of their features can work without an Internet connection.

For businesses looking to build an app, these advantages of hybrid mobile app development should be considered:

    • Your app will work both online and offline
    • Launching updates and patches will be easier for your web development team
    • You’ll build the app faster, so if time to market is a priority, hybrid apps are a great choice
    • You’ll reduce the costs because there’s no need to build multiple versions of a native app for different platforms (Android and iOS, etc.)

  • Innovative Experiences with 3D Imaging, Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR)

Attracting customers to product pages is one of the biggest goals in eCommerce. Product imagery and video play a deciding role in conversions; in fact, the State of Video Marketing 2019 report found that up to 96 percent of online shoppers say they’ve watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service. 

No surprise a lot of eCommerce brands have been learning how to improve product imagery and product pages as a whole.

Technology is the answer here, too, as it can help to advance customer experience with product pages with innovative imagery and video delivered by AR and VR.

Yes, we as customers were once quite happy with conventional product images. We’re not anymore, so businesses have to use technology to win over us. 

Using the above-mentioned technologies is indeed a great way to create an immersive, 360-degree shopping experience for online shoppers.

For example, a U.S.-based travel bags and accessories seller Samsonite is one of the companies leading the revolution of product imagery with 3D visualizations to improve customer experience.

3D ProductSource: Samsonite 3D Product Viewer, Samsonite(.)com

“It is important for our customers to have the opportunity to examine the goods in detail, and 3D visualization allows us to bridge the gap between online shopping and brick-and-mortar stores,” Business Wire quoted Jay Nigreli, VP of eCommerce at Samsonite, as saying. 

Indeed, customers visiting eCommerce websites that offer this experience have a great chance to get a better sense of a product’s materials, shape, and dimensions.

The technologies could be especially relevant for companies selling small products like jewelry, so we expect them to adopt 3D, AR, and VR in the future. 

Exciting Times Ahead

Without a doubt, the next several years will be transformational for eCommerce technology. As technology continues to redefine the rules of customer engagement, many new approaches, as well as exciting possibilities, emerge to help businesses stand out from the ever-increasing competition.

The points you’ve just read are among the biggest technology trends impacting eCommerce at the moment, and it’s clear that they will become more widely adopted, as more and more businesses are looking for opportunities to gain competitive advantage.

E-commerce Statistics tips for Strategic Planning in 2019

Posted on by JAYDIP

Owning your own eCommerce business? Then this is a must-read article for you.

Whether you own your an online business or in-store one, you should be aware of the current e-commerce trend and where the market is going in-order to expand your business and get more sales.

The below-mentioned points will update your pre-existing knowledge on e-commerce and will remove the pre-existing notions that you have.

On the whole, it will help strengthen your strategies for e-commerce marketing and in expanding your business.

E-commerce Statistics Tips

In order to study the E-commerce trend and get your business going accordingly, you should have knowledge about the following points

  • General Facts
  • Online Shopping trend
  • Mobile-based e-commerce statistics review
  • Behavioral study of the shopper

General facts

Here are a few general facts that you should take into consideration while developing e-commerce strategies for your business.

  • The total value of global retail e-commerce sales
  • More than 10% of global retail sales will be covered by e-commerce
  • There are about 12-24 million global e-commerce sites
  • Credit cards are the most preferred form of payment

The total value of Global retail e-commerce sales

World wide E-commerce sales from 2014 to 2021 - Statista
Image source: Statista

E-commerce statistics report a steady rise in global e-commerce sales. And this rise is speculated to reach over $4878 billion in 2019. (Source: Statista)

More than 10% of global retail sales will be covered by e-commerce

There is constant and steady growth in the field of e-commerce retail sales.

While e-commerce accounted for only 7.4% of total retail sales in the year 2015, it has shown a remarkable increase and accounted for more than 10% of e-commerce sales in the year 2019.

More than 12-24 million global e-commerce sites

There are a huge number of e-commerce companies in the world. Actually, there is no particular definition of an e-commerce company.

There are companies which have a business online and sell their products on their website.

There are other e-commerce companies like Amazon, Flipkart, Alibaba, etc. and companies who have their site but do not really sell anything online.

All these companies altogether account for about 12-24 million global e-commerce sites.

Credit cards are the most preferred form of payment

According to a survey most of the online shoppers prefer credit cards as their mode of online payment.

This is followed by electronic payment with sites like PayTM and then follows payment with Debit cards and cash on delivery.

Online shopping trend

As per the notice, here are the few shopping trends that are observed in the shoppers throughout the world.

  • Men shop more from e-commerce sites than women
  • The most active online shoppers

Men shop more from e-commerce sites than women

Shopping n E-commerce Sites

Generally, it is observed that 65% of males shop more from e-commerce sites as compared to their female counterparts which are 58%.

The main reason behind this being the products preferred by men like luxury goods and electronic items are on high value and the goods preferred by women like cosmetics, jewelry and cooking items are listed as low-value items. (Source: Adglow)

The most active online shoppers

Opposite to the popular belief, it is observed that not the Millennial generation ( people born between 1982-2000) but Generation X (people born in between 1966-1981) are more frequent online shoppers.

The main reason behind this is that these people have become financially stable by now and are more stable in their income.

Mobile-based e-commerce statistics review

Nowadays the mobile versions of the e-commerce sites are also available. People download these apps on their mobile phones and then do shopping from them.

This is called m-commerce. Here are the m-commerce statistics that a businessman should consider.

  • Increase of mobile e-commerce
  • Global mobile shopping highest in the Asia-Pacific region
  • The rise in online shopping mobile

Increase in mobile e-commerce

Interestingly shopping on mobile has become the most important part of e-commerce. Do you know that by 2021 m-commerce will have a share of almost 73% in the e-commerce market?  This is a massive rise in itself. China being the major country behind this, India and other countries follow close behind. (Source: Statista)

Global mobile shopping highest in the Asia Pacific region.

The improved economics and infrastructure in mobile shopping have made Asia Pacific region for m-commerce. Big e-commerce brands are getting very good opportunities from the Asia-Pacific market.

The rise in online shopping from mobile

Between the years 2016 and 2017 the US market so a recorded rise in online shopping with the help of smartphones.

The increase ranged from 8% to 15%. While there was a drop in online shopping from desktops from 78% to 63%. Which shows that m-commerce is becoming an integral part of e-commerce share. (Source: Statista)

Behavioral study of the shopper

In order to expand your business through e-commerce and planning business strategies, you should also need to track the behavior patterns of the shopper. Here are a few pointers to follow

  • The percentage of conversions for potential customers
  • Global cart abandonment rate
  • The effect of a slow website

The percentage of conversions for potential customers

According to observed trends, only 2% to 3% of e-commerce website visit convert into a purchase. In order to improve your business, you need to have good content on your site and smooth check out process.

Global cart abandonment rate

Many times it is observed that people add the product to the shopping cart of an e-commerce site and then drop out at the end moment.

The statistical study shows that about 75% of shoppers drop out at the time of purchase. The main reason behind this is the added shipping cost, the unclear payment instructions, and unresponsive payment gateway sites.

The effect of a slow website

The loading time of your website pages plays an important role in retaining the potential customer on your site. If your site is slow you may lose the customer and he or she will drop out.

These are the e-commerce statistical analysis tips that help you in building your business strategies.

How You Can Reduce Shopping Cart Abandonment?

Posted on by Peter Page

While setting up an e-commerce website, one of the most predictable fears is the shopping cart abandonment.

The event where the customers move products into their cart and then leave it there is quite a possibility.

Most of the e-commerce sellers face this challenge.

According to research, the average shopping cart abandonment in 2018, was up to 69.2%.

Even though it may seem like a dead end, there are many ways you can overcome and reduce this phenomenon.

Below mentioned are some proven and practical techniques to help you out and beat all your cart abandonment blues.

What is cart abandonment all about?

It is extremely essential to understand what we are dealing with before we begin discussing the various techniques.

When a potential customer browses your e-commerce website, and keeps on adding products in the cart, but eventually leaves without making a purchase, this entire phenomenon is known as cart abandonment.

Now imagine when you go shopping in a brick and mortar store and select an item of particular clothing, then try it on, but eventually decide to come and buy it later or not at all.

Cart abandonment rate shows, that how many of the items that are finally added in a shopping cart are abandoned.

Cart abandonment determines the overall success of your purchase and, gives you an idea of the possible revenue that you can generate, by implementing the required optimization.

A study found out that, more than 65% of e-commerce stores have cart abandonment rates higher than 50%.

This is a revelatory phenomenon, wherein you have a chance to maximize the profits, but instead, you are left with depleting revenues and unachieved business goals.

By evaluating the final cart abandonment rate, you can implement the required changes in your website and can access your sales accordingly.

Reasons for cart abandonment

A recent study pointed out that almost 58.6% shopping cart abandonment is done by customers who are merely browsing and comparing the prices.

Below mentioned are the abandonment you have no control over, but the rest of them are due to some specific reason, which can be tackled.   

  • Delayed delivery
  • Confusing check-out process
  • Additional costs
  • Necessary account creation
  • Limited payment option

Techniques to reduce cart abandonment

  • Upfront display of all the cost

Including all the taxes and shipping fees in the displayed product cost on your website is a smart technique, and try to provide a discount on the same displayed cost during the check-out process.

Following this practice leaves a positive impact on the customer’s mind when compared to a greater value of the product during the check-out.

  • Simple check-out process

Once the user has added products to his cart, ensure that the road after that is free from any hurdles.

Asking the customers to fill in their shipping details and directly proceed to the payment gateway, without demanding any unnecessary detail, is another effective technique to avoid cart abandonment.

Demanding more information than required, kills the enthusiasm of the customers and forces them to leave the online shopping process midway. 

  • Including product image throughout the process

Ensuring that the image of the product, that the customer has finalized, is always visible throughout the check-out process.

The reason behind this technique is that an image stays in mind longer than text, and hence registers well with the customers.    

  • Provide them quick delivery

Customers are always attracted to an e-commerce portal that provides them quick delivery options.

One of the best e-commerce portals like WAKI, even provide the customers with 30 to 90 mins delivery facility, to generate a potential customer base and avoid cart abandonment by the users.

Following this technique to curb the cart abandonment rates is recommended.       

  • Focus on product images and descriptions

One of the most important technique to avoid cart abandonment is to keep the product description crisp and proper and try to stick with the most realistic product images.

Including all the critical details about handing and usage and any other essential product information, in the product description help you to overcome cart abandonment.

Such practices instill trust in potential customers and give them the required satisfaction about the product they are purchasing.

  • Intent pop-ups

Using a creative and attractive pop-up to connect with the user, right before he exits the page, captures his attention right then and there.

Cart abandonment pop-ups increase the chances of the sale of that product by up to 10%. You need to ensure that you keep the content of that pop-up, direct and concise.

The pop-up needs to stand out and must not look too compelling.   

Conclusion

Implementation of these methods can help you to minimize the cart abandonment rate of your e-commerce portal.

How Magento Ultimate B2B eCommerce Partner for Success?

Posted on by Meshur Ahir

A business of any kind nowadays needs to have a presence on online platforms. It can be a large scale production company or a small scale trading business; it will flourish in all directions only if it gets a popular place on digital media.

The B2B Commerce space has come up with exciting developments in both selling and buying products online.

From the seller’s end, they have arranged to keep an efficient online front, all the products and services are listed, and their bulk rates are mentioned on request by the buyers.

Likewise, from the buyer’s end, a list of genuine sellers is listed along with their products in a filtered manner selected by buyers. Both the purposes should get a satisfactory experience to continue trading without any errors.

When it comes to handling large orders and huge payouts, people tend to trust a Magento Development Company. They allow their users to have a well-defined order and payout structure.

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Their CRM and SEO related services are impeccable in the market. Magento comes with bearing hands of simplicity and healthy trust levels. Not sure in enlisting your name on the online portal? Are afraid of entering into a fraudulent scheme? Having any sorts of second thoughts?

Let me brief you with the benefits of using Magento:

  1. Everything in One Place

    From making a buyers profile to listing products of your choice, one has everything available at one place. You can buy from multiple businesses and compare their rates beforehand. You will rest assured for the quality of your products. Integrating it with ERP or CRM is very simple, and you can enjoy services like online tracking of bought goods, order history, and keep a track on your bills and credit options.

  2. Quick Responsive Outline

    Though B2B clients are buying products in bulk, they need a proper presentation for the entire product range, appropriate bucket list column, a secured payout panel, and much more. With Magento support providers, you will have access to various designs and outlines for your business portal from where buyers can order from any place and any device they want.

  3. Managing Order Pipeline

    Through Magento designing portal, buyers can have access to the entire range of products available online. They can put filters and price range constraints to find what they are looking for. They can buy them immediately or can save it for further purchase. They can create a bucket list of their own and order after deciding what’s best for them. The exit payment portal is entirely secure and straightforward to operate.

  4. Credit Facility

    Magento Support Providers have come up with a unique solution. Generally, buyers get credit from their sellers when they are in a B2B relationship over a long period. Trust has built up in their trading relationships and hence, buyers with bulk quantity pickup of several products from one seller get this added perk.

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    Now, what to do when you are buying online? Well, after establishing a good relationship in trading goods, sellers can give this ‘credit on account’ facility to their regular buyers. On buyers end, they will have a credit option, which they can check now and then to know their status.

  5. Inventory Management

    In building a business empire-wide and large, sellers introduce new products now and then to keep their feet high in the market. Magento Development Company allows you to alter your product list anytime you want. Sellers can deduct products that are not available and add new ones. Buyers can put a notification tab on their favorite sellers. By this, they will get notified every time the respective seller changes or adds anything to the product list.

  6. Buyer/Seller Profiling

    In business, one can sell everything. There can be a need for raw materials or aiding products or spare parts or anything that a seller might need to buy from someone else. This portal allows you to have the same profile for both of your needs. Under this profile, one gets the privilege to sell their products and buy their necessities from other sellers. This way you can build business relationships online and expand your empire.

Key Takeaways

Thus, with an end-to-end solution from sellers to buyers, B2B Commerce is developed. It has joined the bridges for sellers and buyers regionally as well as globally.

If you want to buy from a person sitting in London and get it delivered to someone operating in Japan, you can enjoy the commission of being a middle man and run the process on your goodwill even.

This way, without investing a penny, you might end up earning loads of money. Span your business worldwide and not limit it to a mere regional level. Magento Development Company is your one-stop solution for boosting your business in the online marketplace.