How to Localise Your Website

You’ve completed the initial stages of data and market analysis and decided on your next market to launch. What’s the next step? Localisation.

Localisation involves much more than just translation. It’s about adapting your website to meet the cultural, linguistic, and legal expectations of your target audience. Here’s how to effectively localise your website for optimal customer engagement and conversion.

The Four Key Touchpoints

1. Homepage
2. Product Pages
3. Cart Page
4. Checkout

Homepage Localisation

Your homepage is the first impression customers have of your site. It should highlight key customer preferences and be tailored to the local market.

• Seasonal Adjustments: Ensure your banners and promotions reflect the local season. For instance, a UK summer sale banner should be a winter sale banner for Australia and New Zealand.
• Legal Compliance: In France, sales are legally regulated to occur 4 weeks in winter and summer. French customers will expect your site to participate in these sales periods.

Product Page Localisation

Product pages should provide comprehensive product information and accessible support options.

• Support Options: Different markets have varying preferences for support. US customers may prefer phone support, while Italian customers might lean towards email or contact forms.
• Language: FAQs and support channels should be available in the local language to enhance user experience.

Cart Page Localisation

The cart page is critical for conversion. It should clearly present:

• Delivery Options: Specify available shipping methods and estimated delivery dates.
• Return Policy: Highlight your return policy, especially in markets with high return rates like Germany, where 78% of customers might abandon their cart if they have to pay for returns.

Checkout Localisation

The checkout page is where you can win or lose a customer. It’s essential to offer localised payment options and security assurances.

• Payment Options: Different markets prefer different payment methods. For example, Germans favour Klarna, while French and American customers often prefer paying by card.
• Security Badges: Displaying local security badges can increase customer trust and improve conversion rates.

Beyond Translation: Cultural and Linguistic Nuances

For non-English speaking markets in Europe, full translation and appropriate tone of voice are crucial.

• German Market: Decide between formal or informal German based on your target audience. Mixing both can appear unprofessional to German users.
• Italian Market: Consider aligning your tone of voice with cultural themes such as elegance, politeness, confidence, and boldness.

Conclusion

Understanding your local customer and their preferences is vital when entering a new market. Customer journeys are complex, especially when combined with cultural differences. Ensure you’ve covered the basics of localisation before initiating any paid marketing activities. This will not only enhance user experience but also significantly boost your conversion rates.