What to keep in mind when translating an e-commerce website

Translating an e-commerce website is key to the internationalization and success of your product and is an essential factor in reaching the largest number of consumers in any part of the world.

Nevertheless, in order to correctly translate your e-commerce website, you need to take the following aspects into account:

 

MARKETING TRANSLATION

Remember that translation in the world of e-commerce is concerned with creating unique texts to attract the attention of your customers. That's why translators must be familiar with marketing techniques and vocabulary. This will allow them to effectively translate metadescriptions or calls to action.

 

PRIORITIZE CONTENT LOCALIZATION

A literal translation of your e-commerce website is not enough. All information needs to be tailored to the linguistic, cultural, and legal characteristics of the market you’re targeting.

 

COMBINE TRANSLATION AND SEO

When translating SEO elements, you need to consider the cultural and idiomatic characteristics of the target country. In addition to achieving harmony with the rest of the content, you can improve your positioning in the main search engines.

 

PROPERLY TRANSLATE THE CATALOG OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Thoughtfully translate each piece of information related to the products or services you are offering, including the accompanying audiovisual content. Remember, the more information the customer has, the more likely you are to make a sale. Keep in mind that you may have to change certain elements like sizes if you are targeting a market that uses a different measurement system.

 

TRANSLATE THE COMPANY'S ABOUT PAGE

It has been shown that, before shopping, customers always look for information on the company, its history, and its contact details. It is your cover letter and a critical element when it comes to a customer’s decision to make a purchase. This section has to be perfect — that means no translation errors.

 

SUPPORT CUSTOMERS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PURCHASE PROCESS

It is essential that the entire customer support service of your e-commerce website is fully adapted to the language, culture, and currency of the country. This way visitors won’t feel lost and won’t leave the website.

 

TRANSLATE ALL RESOURCES USED TO INTERACT WITH CUSTOMERS

Don’t forget to translate newsletters, automatic emails, and all channels put in place to communicate with customers.

 

DON’T FORGET TO TRANSLATE LEGAL TEXTS

Translate all rules and regulations that impact your e-commerce website into the languages of the countries where you operate. This includes the privacy policy, legal notice, cookies policies, and conditions of use of the website. It is of paramount importance that the translations are done by specialized translators who can guarantee clarity and understanding in the texts.

 

TAKE A LOOK AT ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSLATIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE

Before opting for machine or traditional translation, research their advantages, disadvantages, costs, and results. Sometimes it is worth investing a little more to get better results. Machine translation with human post-editing is a good option in this sense.

 

ADAPT THE DESIGN OF THE WEBSITE TO THE TRANSLATION

On some occasions, translating content on an e-commerce website affects the overall design. The best plan of action is to tailor the website design to the target language.

 

These are the most important considerations when translating an e-commerce website. Each one will ensure you can effectively approach and communicate with your customers.