The way consumers buy and make purchasing decisions is changing. With millions of products and services available at a click of a button, customers are now in control of who, when, and where they engage with eCommerce brands and companies. Oftentimes, language is one of the biggest differentiators.
How eCommerce Brands Are Modernizing Their Global Strategies
Looking into the digital-first age, the most successful eCommerce brands and companies are those that have tapped into global markets and unlocked the power of language in their Global Experiences (GX).
In this blog post, we’ll go over four best practices to consider when building a seamless and personalized global customer journey for your eCommerce brand.
1. Build an eCommerce Localization Resource Hub
Since GX programs require cross-functional collaboration and high strategic alignment, a localization resource center can serve as a single source of truth among different teams and linguists. In turn, this minimizes room for error and misalignment, saving you significant amounts of time and money as you prepare to go to market.
And while a localization resource hub may vary from business to business, most programs use a mix of Translation Memories (TMs), glossaries, and style guides.
That said, a style guide is one of the most important assets for your GX center. A style guide is a living document that outlines specific expectations about your company’s brand and voice. When done correctly, a style guide not only improves translation speed and accuracy but also ensures that your company’s brand voice and messaging are aligned across every market.
2. Leverage Automation and AI
Oftentimes, a modern GX strategy means using modern technologies and localization tools. The most cost-effective and scalable GX management strategies utilize time-saving tools and innovative AI technologies.
Ideally, you and your teams should use GX technologies and platforms that help streamline workflows, and incorporate translator/linguist feedback into their learnings and translation memory to reduce error and any manual, repetitive tasks.
3. Maximize ROI from Localization Operations
One of the biggest challenges to scaling your GX strategy is doing so in a cost-effective way. While there are a number of ways to maximize ROI from your localization program, it’s important to perform a pulse check every now and then to identify opportunities and maximize efficiency.
Bringing localization early into the content or development process is one of the most effective ways to improve your processes and ensure brand consistency. Rebuild your workflows to include localization as a more strategic part of the process to minimize cultural, linguistic, and development mistakes in the long run.
Another approach is to reduce the number of vendors you use and manage. In general, the more vendors you have, the more time you spend managing them. Consolidating the number of vendors you work with can improve brand consistency and reduce the challenges that come with juggling multiple vendors.
4. Create an SEO Strategy
Lastly, you want to make sure that all eyes are on your brand. One of the best ways to amplify your brand awareness and presence in new markets is through a multilingual SEO strategy.
Since 93% of all digital customer experiences begin with search engines, it’s important to make sure that you are utilizing SEO best practices such as researching keywords your buyers are searching for, understanding online behaviors and regional differences in preferred search engines, content types, and searching devices, and crafting high-quality content.
Ready to elevate your eCommerce product or service with an engaging global experience strategy? Reach out to Lilt for a personalized consultation.
