4 reasons why working with an e-commerce translation agency is a great idea

The competition can be brutal in the ever-growing world of e-commerce, and expanding onto the international market is now a must for businesses. If a business has set itself the target of doubling (or even tripling) its turnover, this international growth is non-negotiable. In terms of which markets businesses need to win over, China is in the top position, representing $1.3 billion in 2023, according to a Statistica survey, firmly overtaking the United States, which has not broken the billion-dollar barrier. So, if you've got your sights set on this type of market, it's probably best not to leave things down to chance, given the huge opportunity that it represents.

In this article, we'll show you why using a professional translation agency that specializes in e-commerce could be the key to unlocking new levels of success for your business. Not only will it make sure that your business' communication with the target market is fluent and authentic, but it will also form the cornerstone for your brand strategy, optimizing your visibility on international search engines and developing a brand image that aligns with your company's values and aims. Investing in the services of a qualified translation agency for your e-commerce website means that you're putting all the chances on your business' side to overtake your competition and successfully win over new international customers.

I. Linguistic value for money

a. Automatic and non-professional translations: Savings that can cost your business more than just money

Whilst the automatic translation tools available to the general public can be helpful for translating short, simple bits of text, they don't meet the standard required in e-commerce. We've all been there before: reading return policies that just don't make sense, payment instructions that don't seem to have any relevance to your banking system, or product descriptions that sound plain old robotic (because they most likely have been written by a robot). This type of mistake can have a significant, negative impact on the user experience and can also create an amateur, unprofessional impression of your business. It goes without saying that your online sales volumes can take a major hit as a result. In the same way, an inaccurate translation of a size guide for clothes can see a huge hike in returns, impacting customer satisfaction and entailing additional costs for returns and exchanges. So, any savings you think you've made by scrimping on a professional translator can end be being a real false economy.

b. Professional translations built on expertise in the specifics of e-commerce

Translators who specialize in e-commerce have a thorough understanding of the importance of each term, and they guarantee that each product description, each call-to-action, and each bit of delivery information is not only translated with 100% accuracy but is also geared towards making a sale. They meticulously localize content, which means they adapt it to the target culture, making sure that it will engage and persuade local consumers. Here at Powerling, we believe that humans and technology work better together. This is why we also offer automatic translations generated by our artificial intelligence programs, which are based on a translation memory to provide you with professional translations at competitive prices. This option is particularly suited to large volumes of text that's needed within a short turnaround time. Depending on the standards you require, the machine-translated content can be proofread by our professional translators to make sure that it reads perfectly and naturally in the target language.

II. A multilingual SEO strategy that will boost your organic traffic

a. Translation agencies can incorporate SEO consideration into the translation process

Of course, it doesn't take a marketing genius to know that SEO plays a key role in generating traffic, and translation agencies specializing in e-commerce are certainly aware of this. Before a single word has been translated, we'll draw up an SEO strategy by carefully selecting keywords that will boost your brand's positioning in search engine results. Professional translators who have mastered the marketing art of SEO will produce optimized content that also respects both cultural and linguistic nuances. Multilingual SEO experts are also consulted to make sure that each product page, product description, and blog article is optimized to enhance your e-commerce website's organic ranking in search engines around the world.

b. How does it affect traffic and conversions?

There's no denying the positive impact of an effective multilingual SEO strategy on web traffic and conversions. With increased visibility in local search engines comes greater web traffic on your e-commerce website, along with a boost for your conversion rates.

III. A consistent brand image, adapted to each market

a. A strong toolkit to make sure your brand identity doesn't get lost in translation

Brand image is absolutely key to first impressions and growing a loyal clientele base, which is why it's so important to make sure that your brand image reflects your business' DNA and values in any market you branch into, from Los Angeles to Paris or Tokyo. E-commerce translation agencies are fully aware of the importance of branding in this sector, and they master the art of optimally transposing it into target markets. By creating glossaries and customized brand guidelines, our professional translators guarantee that no aspect of your branding is lost in translation, whether it's the tone of voice, terminology and vocabulary, or messaging. This expertise is a crucial factor in strengthening trust and loyalty among your international clientele, allowing you to stand out from the competitive crowds of the e-commerce sector.

b. Transcreation: More creativity, much more impact

When it comes to exporting your brand image to international markets, literal and robotic translations of your content are sure to fall flat. Your slogans, social media captions, and marketing messages need to be transcreated, undergoing a full linguist revamp in order to better adapt to your target market's culture and trends. By choosing a translation agency specialized in e-commerce, like Powerling, you'll get access to creative profiles who'll come up with high-impact slogans and captivating content that will seamlessly align with your brand identity while adapting to the cultural nuances of each target audience.

IV. Resource optimization to save valuable time and money

a. Shift the focus back to your core business

Working with a translation agency for your e-commerce website can prove to be an extremely beneficial move in the long term. The translation process goes beyond just flipping words between languages, and it's a fastidious process that requires expertise that only an experienced professional can offer. By delegating this task to our experts, you'll free up in-house resources that can be better invested in developing and marketing new products to win over your clientele. Plus, as we mentioned above, translation errors can be expensive to fix, not only incurring costs for corrections, but also costing you sales down to a compromised user experience. When you invest in professional translation services from the get-go, you minimize these risks and optimize your return on investment.

b. Get A-to-Z support from an expert multidisciplinary project team

We've covered the benefits of working with talented and experienced translators when you use an e-commerce translation agency, but the benefits don't end there. You'll also get access to a team dedicated to your account, who have exceptional expertise in the world of e-commerce and who'll take care of every part of your project… At least, that's what you get with Powerling! From project management and CMS integration to valuable consulting and advice from our SEO and branding specialists, not to mention our hand-selected professional translators, we don't leave anything down to chance. We're all working towards the same end goal: Making sure that you're satisfied and taking your e-commerce website to the next level.

c. Integration into your e-commerce website made simple

You won't need to worry about the technical specifics that have to be considered when deploying your online store in multiple languages. An e-commerce translation agency has all of the resources needed to easily plug into your website. For example, here at Powerling, we've already developed a Shopify application and our team of developers is available to handle connections with any other CMS.

By now, we're sure you're seeing how working with a professional translation agency is not a "luxury" expense for your e-commerce website, but rather a necessity if you want to stay ahead of the competition and branch out to new markets. Whether the aim is ensuring high-quality and accurate translations, optimizing your content for multilingual SEO, maintaining brand consistency, or saving time and money, the advantages are both countless and undeniable. An agency specializing in translating e-commerce websites is a solid partner to help boost your international sales and break into markets that are still being under-exploited. So, why not set your business on track for success and team up with Powerling? You're just a few clicks away from skyrocketing your sales! Get in touch with our team now.