How ecommerce Benefits with Translation Services
Consumer Mindset Shift to Online Shopping
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital retail is skyrocketing. Citizens from every corner of the globe continue to be cautioned by both healthcare and government authorities to remain at home during the ongoing spread of the virus – and this heightened sense of concern has naturally led to a more value-conscious consumer mindset. In fact, in the United States alone, when COVID-19 first hit, there was an immediate panic. Stores were virtually wiped out of all essential – and even non-essential – items as consumers began to stockpile. But it wasn’t just about panicked shopping. As the shift to remote working environments increased so did the need for homecare products, adding to the stress on supply chains. And, although the hoarding has begun to stabilize, discretionary spending (along with online shopping) has certainly settled in.
State governments throughout the nation are gradually beginning to give the green light, allowing retail stores to reopen for in-store shopping, but consumers are not so quick to return to their old shopping behaviors. According to the results of its mid-May 2020 survey of over 3,500 consumers, Salesforce found that “62% of U.S. respondents…claimed to be conducting less in-store shopping than before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic…”1 The following results of the survey show the overwhelming need of reassurance that U.S. consumers require before they will feel comfortable enough to return to in-store shopping behaviors.
Consumer Required Reassurances
And while retailers reliant on in-store shopping remain hopeful that these new shopping trends will taper off once the virus is under control, some economists predict the uptick in online shopping might very well become part of the “new normal.” In response to this shift in shopping behavior, retailers are having to reposition their products and services. They are quickly adopting new business strategies, reinventing themselves, and investing in technology in order to stay afloat. According to Phil Wahba, a senior writer at Forbes, “Retailers that have invested in technology… are the ones that will be the best equipped to recover quickly.”2 But it isn’t just about technology. Companies that wish to connect with consumers who speak languages other than English (LOTE) are also investing in professional translation services.
As a continuation of their ongoing research into consumer language preference, Common Sense Advisory (CSA), in collaboration with survey specialist Kantar World Panel, surveyed over 8,700 consumers in 29 countries. What did they find? “In spite of globalization and the growing use of English as a global language… people in 2020 still prefer consuming information in their own language”3 – a reality that is certainly not lost to retailers wishing to engage an estimated 54 million Spanish-speaking United States residents.
U.S. Spanish-speaking Consumer Behavior
As of 2015, the United States is now the world’s second-largest Spanish-speaking country, trailing only to Mexico. In fact, according to a published study by the Instituto Cervantes, there are more Spanish speakers in the United States than there are in Spain. And, data gathered from Google reveals that more than “30% of media on the U.S. internet is consumed by browsers who use Spanish and English interchangeably…”3
Another survey commissioned by Facebook IQ and conducted by the Latinum Network attempted to better understand the “US Hispanics’ language preferences and how these shape their buying decisions.”4 The following graph depicts how the survey respondents feel about brands that advertise in Spanish.
Digital retail is skyrocketing and the US Spanish-speaking population continues to be actively engaged in online shopping. With this in mind, retailers greatly limit their target reach by not investing in professional Spanish ecommerce translation. Language Services Providers (LSPs) will not only help you to connect with the Spanish-speaking U.S. consumer market but will also help to ensure that your content and service offerings are culturally relevant and appropriate.
Responding and Adapting to Change
Since the onset of COVID-19, digital retail is skyrocketing and LSPs have witnessed an increase in requests for specialized language services. Whether retailers have recently invested in ecommerce platforms or have had an online presence for some time, all are seeing a significant increase in their online operations. In fact, translation and post-editing requests are on the rise for shipments and logistics, product descriptions, financial terms, legal disclaimers, and more. In short, by investing in ecommerce platforms, retailers are greatly improving business growth opportunities.
But LSPs are also witnessing an upswing in requests for a variety of other language-related services including helping companies improve their user interface, effectively communicating user-generated content (UGC), and identifying multilingual keywords to help improve search engine optimization (SEO). Retail companies are also investing in the continued training of their artificial intelligence (AI) engines to improve the customer journey, and, as a result, LSPs have been actively addressing their clients’ needs in data collection with photos, audio, fill-in forms, and handwritten texts that help to train AI engines.
delsurtranslations – the Retail Translation Experts
Over the years, delsurtranslations has worked with a great number of multinational retailers, including Amazon and Alibaba, and when it comes to processes, we too have learned to adapt. We have evaluated our own processes to determine which ones could be automated, which ones needed to remain as is, and which were no longer necessary. We have also redefined our hours of operation with our teams in order to position skeleton crews for weekend and holiday availability. For some accounts, we have even provided dedicated teams of linguists to cover urgent requests, thereby avoiding a learning curve that only works to slow down production.
We know the retail industry and will help connect you with your target audience.
All signs point to digital retail continuing to skyrocket. By partnering with our experienced linguists specialized in retail translation, you’ll not only better engage with your multilingual consumers but in so doing, you’ll open up opportunities for future business growth. deslurtranslations will see you through the current economic crisis and get you safely to the other side. Reach out to delsurtranslations today.
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REFERENCES 1 “A Survey of 3,500+ Consumers Shows How COVID-19 Will Transform Shopping For the Long Haul.” Salesforce.com, www.salesforce.com/company/news-press/stories/2020/5/salesforce-research-results/. 2 Wahba, Phil. “The Retailers That Are Smartest about Shopping Tech Will Finish on Top after the Coronavirus.” Fortune, Fortune, 20 Apr. 2020, fortune.com/2020/04/20/coronavirus-retail-industry-ecommerce-online-shopping-brick-and-mortar-covid-19/. 3 “Does Language Matter? The Impact of Language on the Customer Journey.” CSA Research, csa-research.com/Insights/ArticleID/650/customer-online-buying-experience. 4 “How to Target the US Spanish-English Bilingual Ecommerce Market.” Weglot Blog, 1 Oct. 2019, blog.weglot.com/targeting-us-bilingual-spanish-english-market-ecommerce-retailers/. 5 “Gains in Translation: What Your Language Choices Say to US Hispanics.” Facebook IQ, www.facebook.com/business/news/insights/gains-in-translation-what-your-language-choices-say-to-us-hispanics.