Date of publication:
19 Apr. 25Localization of an Online Store for the International Market: Tips and Mistakes
So, suppose: you visit an online store website, and everything there is in Chinese. Even the “buy” button is in hieroglyphs. You click randomly, get lost in the categories, sigh nervously… and then close the tab. No sale.
Now imagine another situation: you open a site, and there’s a convenient Ukrainian version. Hryvnia, familiar payment methods, delivery by “Nova Poshta.” Everything looks like the store already knows who you are and what you want.
That’s the power of localization. Not a dry translation of the text, but immersion in the client’s life context. And if your online store targets the international market, you can’t do without this. Because translation is just the tip of the iceberg, beneath which are UX, mental codes, trust, and money.
At 6Weeks, we’ve worked on projects launched in Europe, the USA, Canada, and every time we were convinced that adapting a website for a specific country is not a “nice to have,” it’s survival in the market. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be long or expensive. In this article, I will show how to avoid fatal mistakes, tell about successful cases, and share a step-by-step plan of where to start.
An online store is not just a website. It’s a seller who must speak the client’s language. And if it stays silent or speaks incomprehensibly, no one listens. Let’s dive into how to make it so people listen, buy, and return.
Why Localization is More Than Just Translation
Imagine visiting another culture with a gift… but not knowing what is considered impolite there. You smile, greet them — and are met with silence. That’s how a website functions when it’s simply translated but not adapted.
Localization is not about language, but about understanding. About how people think, what annoys them, what they expect. And if your online store truly wants to sell in other countries — there’s no way around it. Because language is not just words. It’s experience. And that’s where conversion begins.
Consumer Psychology in Another Country
Business is a dialogue. But if you speak English to a French person, or German to a Mexican, even the best offer hangs in the air. In different countries, people have different logic for making decisions. Language adaptation is only one part of the equation.
Americans respond to directness. Germans want structure. And the Japanese value politeness and context. If you haven’t taken this into account in your online store, your ‘universal’ site is more likely to repel than attract. Even colors work differently. In Western Europe, green means ‘Go!’, while in some Asian cultures, it’s the color of death. Such a nuance, and the loss is real.
Language, Currency, and User Comfort Zones
Your website is an environment in which a client feels either “at home” or like they’ve entered a strange apartment where nothing makes sense. Localization involves more than just working with texts. It’s important to adapt:
- Currency. In the UK, they want to see pounds, in the Czech Republic — crowns. And preferably not “approximately,” but with accurate arithmetic.
- Payment methods. In Ukraine, it’s cards and “Monobank,” in Germany — SEPA, in the USA — PayPal and Apple Pay.
- Formats. Dates, units of measurement, address fields — everything should feel “familiar” to the user.
As soon as you force the client to “adapt,” you’re already one step closer to losing the cart.
What to localize first
Makes sense: if you want to adapt a site, start with the main things. But how do you know what’s really important? Where to begin to avoid wasting resources? Localization is like a major renovation: it’s important not only to put up wallpaper in a different language but also to check if the doors open in the right direction. So here’s a look at the parts of the site that should be adapted first, so you don’t lose customers before they even read your offer.
Content: texts, CTAs, blogs, product descriptions
Content is not just words; it’s a way of thinking. If your original store had a catchy slogan like “Capture style every day,” in translation it might turn into something like “Engage with fashion every day” — and just doesn’t sound the same. This is where you should focus primarily:
- Headlines and CTAs. Calls to action should resonate with the local audience. Americans will click “Get it now,” the French “J’en profite,” and the Germans “Jetzt bestellen”.
- Product descriptions. Dry technical specifications without emotion are even worse than a bad translation. You need to adapt the text considering local realities and values.
- Blogs and guides. If you run content marketing, it’s important to adapt examples, jokes, brand mentions.
Localized text means the client doesn’t feel the text has been translated. They read it — and recognize themselves.
Design and UX: colors, elements, navigation
You can translate a website as much as you want, but if buttons aren’t where they’re expected, and colors are jarring — the user will leave.
Design should work like an invisible guide — directing, not distracting. And here are important details:
- Color palette. In Turkey, blue is the official color of trust, while in China, it is white. It’s associated with mourning. Oops.
- Element order. Where is the ‘Buy’ button expected? To the right or below the photo? It really varies from country to country.
- Navigation. In Arabic-speaking countries, reading is from right to left — this changes everything: the structure, icons, and even UX animations.
When Walmart entered the Canadian online market, the company didn’t just translate the site into French and English. They conducted extensive user behavior research in Canada and noticed: habits differ from those in the United States.
For example, Canadian users expected a more ‘clean’ design, with larger spacing between elements, simplified navigation, and less intrusive banners. In the USA, the Walmart site appears bright and dynamic with a strong promotional focus. In Canada, this caused fatigue — people struggled to quickly find basic product categories.
After the redesign for Canada:
- simplified site structure — removed secondary blocks from the main page;
- reduced visual load — fewer colored blocks, more white space;
- adapted CTA button placement — positioned them lower in the structure, according to local UX habits.
Result? Within three months of implementing updates, the completed order rate increased by 24%, while the number of refusals decreased by 15%. This case shows: even if the brand is a giant and the products are the same, UX must be localized. Because a universal design is usually a compromise. But good eCommerce is about hitting the mark precisely.
TOP-5 Fatal Mistakes in Localization
Localization is not just translation. It is a full adaptation of a business to the culture, language, habits, and expectations of a new market. And this is where those “little things” often arise, which later cost the company tens of thousands of dollars. Just like with home repairs: did it “in a hurry” and got problems that have to be fixed at double the cost.
Unfortunately, many companies — startups and even international giants — regularly make the same mistakes. Why? Because they underestimate the importance of details. They think, “the main thing is to launch, and then we’ll figure it out.” But today’s markets are too competitive, and users are too sensitive to mistakes to give a second chance.
Worst of all, these mistakes do not just “slightly spoil” the user experience. They consume your marketing budget, reduce conversions, scare away investors, and create the impression that the brand is foreign, unthought-through, or temporary. Thus, unreliable.
Below, we will look at five of the most painful mistakes that can nullify even the best idea, highest quality product, and most ambitious expansion plans. Let’s start with the obvious, which, however, is still regularly ignored.
Error 1. Cheap automatic translation without editing
Google Translate is a great assistant when you need to understand what your friend from Budapest is writing about. But not when it comes to website conversion. Machine translation does not understand context, cannot work with brand emotions, and often ruthlessly kills your tone of voice.
Automatic translation often:
- breaks the meaning of phrases;
- loses the emotional component;
- distorts idioms;
- does not take into account cultural or slang peculiarities.
Now imagine that the first impression of your brand is a funny or even offensive translation. This is exactly how quick disqualification from the market looks.
Error 2. Using one currency for all markets
Another classic mistake is leaving euros for all EU countries or dollars for the whole world. From a company’s convenience standpoint, it’s simple: one price, one system, minimal technical settings. But from a buyer’s perspective, it’s a warning signal that raises doubts even before the checkout stage.
A user from Poland, Czech Republic, or Romania, seeing prices in euros, might wonder:
- will the delivery definitely be to my country?
- won’t the bank charge a commission for a foreign currency payment?
- why should I pay in a foreign currency if I’m buying ‘at home’?
All these are microsecond thoughts that can end with a click on the tab’s cross. For local users, currency is not just numbers. It is a symbol of being respected, understood, and considered. Without it, the site is perceived as “foreign,” even if everything else looks appealing.
Error 3. Ignoring the legal nuances of the local market
Localization is not just about language; it’s also about laws. What is permissible in the USA may be a violation in Europe. For example, German law requires the complete legal information of a company on the site — at the bottom, in the footer. The absence of the so-called Impressum is grounds for a complaint.
Also, consider:
- GDPR in the EU: subscribing without consent is a direct path to a fine.
- Taxation and delivery specifics: in some countries, all taxes must be included in the final price.
Advice: before entering the market, go through a checklist of local requirements. It’s not legal formalism — it’s business protection.
Error 4. Disregarding local trends and seasonality
Content that works perfectly in Sweden may completely fail in Portugal. And not because it is bad. It’s just that there’s a different climate, different habits, and a different context language. Localization without adaptation is like wearing a ski suit in Barcelona in December. It may seem fashionable, but it’s inappropriate.
Seasonality is one of the most frequent oversights when launching in new markets. And it’s not just about the weather. Every country has its own buying rhythms, festive periods, and promo seasons. If you launch a campaign for Black Friday in a country where the main discount season is before Easter or Christmas, don’t expect conversions. The same goes for cosmetics, clothing, even household chemicals — everything should match the current moment in that specific part of the world.
Conclusion: before launching, conduct in-depth research not only of the language but also of behavioral, climatic, and cultural factors. These are the factors that determine whether your offer will be relevant or will hang in the air — beautiful, but not current.
Error 5. Lack of testing before launch
It’s like speaking at an international conference without checking the microphone. You confidently talk, show slides, present about the product… and then it turns out that the audience hasn’t heard you the whole time. It’s the same story with localized websites. Many companies focus on translation, technical implementation, design—and miss one critically important step: testing with real people in a specific country.
As a result:
- the translation might be literal but sound unnatural or even funny;
- the ‘place order’ button is unreadable on mobile due to the font being too small;
- important information is hidden under a pop-up that can’t be closed;
- navigation is confusing for those unfamiliar with your UX logic.
Tip: conduct a test session with native speakers—not translators, not marketers, but ordinary potential users from your target market. Let them go through the entire journey—from the homepage to placing an order. You’ll gain invaluable insights: which phrases confuse, where logic gets lost, what looks odd or non-intuitive.
Examples of Successful Localization: Cases of Famous Companies
We can talk about theory for a long time, but examples always speak louder. Below are brands that not only adapted to local markets but did so successfully that they became local heroes.
Their experience is not just inspiration, but concrete tips.
ASOS: flexible platform and region-specific delivery
ASOS is one of the most well-known online clothing stores in the world. Their localization is not just a multilingual site. It includes separate domains for different countries, individual prices, currency, local promotions, and regional warehouses.
In the UK, next-day delivery is standard. In Germany, there is a ‘deferred payment’ option because it’s a usual model there. In France, there are special mailings with local content. All this increases loyalty and sales.
McDonald’s: localization at the cultural level
McDonald’s is a mastodon of localization. Yes, it’s not about e-commerce, but their approach is incredibly indicative. In every country, there’s a unique menu. In Japan – shrimp burgers, in India – without beef, in Ukraine – countryside potatoes.
But more importantly, their website, design, communication – it’s always a local dialogue, not a broadcast from the ‘main office.’ And that’s why, wherever you are, McDonald’s looks familiar yet ‘local.’
How to prepare your site for localization: step-by-step guide
To avoid the saying ‘started strong but ended with a Google Translate translation,’ it’s important to establish a clear localization process from the start. Without chaos, guesses, and corrections like ‘let’s quickly overhaul the template.’
Localization is a strategy. And here’s how it looks step by step:
- Target market analysis. Start not with translation, but with research. What are the buying habits in this country? What is important to them—price, speed, quality, or service? Who are your competitors and how do they communicate with the audience?
- Creation of an adapted content structure. Adapting texts into another language is half the battle. Pages often need to be reformatted, layouts changed, blocks expanded or shortened to adapt the site to local user expectations.
- Connecting localization tools. If you are working with WordPress, these might be WPML, Polylang, Weglot. They allow you to create multilingual versions without unnecessary coding.
- Configuration of technical elements. Including: hreflang attributes for SEO, correct URL structures, meta tags, sitemaps for each language.
- UX/UI adaptation. Not only texts change, but also: buttons, font sizes (for example, words are longer in German), order of elements, navigation.
- Engagement of local specialists. No one can grasp nuances better than a native speaker. Sometimes, a single phrase, formulated with the right intonation, boosts CTR by 20%.
- Pre-launch testing. Ask local users to “play around” with the site. They will tell you more than any UX audit.
This checklist is not just a formality. It’s like a seatbelt. You may not be in an accident, but if something goes wrong, it will save your conversion.
Why WordPress is the perfect platform for localized eCommerce projects
Want a quick launch, flexibility, visual appeal, and full control over your site? Congratulations, we’re talking about WordPress. Not because it’s trendy, but because it’s truly geared towards localization—especially when it comes to online stores looking to operate in multiple markets. And now I’ll show you why.
Plugins that make multilingualism easy
One of the biggest advantages of WordPress is the availability of ready-made, reliable solutions. For example:
- WPML. Allows you to create a site in dozens of languages, manage translations, SEO, and even display different content depending on the user’s country.
- Weglot. Very quick to set up, works via API connection, suitable for those who want maximum automation.
And most importantly—they don’t break site structure or conflict with themes or builders.
Templates ready for localization
The company 6Weeks, for example, offers ready-made template solutions on WordPress that already include multilingual capability, currency support, various payment, and delivery methods. It’s like buying a move-in-ready apartment — just step in and start working.
Template does not mean ‘identical for everyone.’ We adapt them to the niche, product, and brand style. But thanks to the WordPress structure, this is done without coding from scratch.
Scalability potential
Initially, you work with two languages — Ukrainian and English. Then you add German. Next — Polish. And all this can be implemented without overturning the site’s architecture. WordPress allows for growth without losing stability.
And what is also important: WordPress is SEO-friendly. You can optimize each language version of the site without fear of duplicates or losing indexing.
And although at 6Weeks we focus on template WordPress solutions for eCommerce — simple, convenient, and efficient — it’s important to know: if you need something more flexible or custom, we also work with PHP, Vue, and React. But that’s a story for another conversation.
Conclusion: Localization is a strategy, not a technical task
Entering the international market is not about translation and flags in the header. It’s about attention to detail, understanding another culture, and the desire to be closer to the client, even if they are thousands of kilometers away.
Localization is a strategy that gives an advantage over those who just ‘translated and launched.’ And it is precisely what distinguishes brands that sell from those that are simply ‘on Google.’
Remember:
- people buy not where something is sold to them, but where their language is spoken;
- even the coolest product may not take off if the website feels unfamiliar;
- the details are not just details, but decision triggers.
The 6Weeks team creates ready-made WordPress templates tailored for localization. We work quickly, without unnecessary fuss, and help businesses become familiar to clients anywhere in the world.
And if you need custom development on Laravel, PHP, Vue, or React — we have experience in that too. Your idea is worth being heard. The main thing is to convey it clearly. Ready to speak your clients’ language? Write to us. We’ll advise, guide, and help launch a website that will sell — both in Ukraine and beyond.
