Roundup of the Best Multilingual Ecommerce Sites

Creating an ecommerce store — especially a multilingual ecommerce store that needs to speak different languages to sell to international customers — is a daunting process.

But some businesses have got this just right.

Before we look at a few great examples of multilingual ecommerce websites, let’s take a quick look at the content management systems that power them. Then, we’ll go into how you can choose a good one.

An online store’s ability to offer multiple languages and help you reach new markets is directly tied to its CMS or ecommerce solution, so it’s crucial to know your options and make an informed decision.

Here are a few questions you’ll want to ask yourself when choosing a CMS platform to build your multilingual ecommerce store:

1. Will it grow with you? Most CMS platforms will generally work well for the first year of your business when you’re still small. But you tend to feel boxed in them once you start scaling. For example, if you start catering to a customer base that uses a right-to-left script, would your CMS support RTL? In line with this, will you be able to introduce multi-currency support? What about other general localization tactics? Your CMS should offer plugins to extend your functionalities as needed.
2. How usable is it? How intuitive is the interface? Can you easily add products without needing a developer? Are the templates clean?
3. Is it compatible with other platforms? Your store is one part of your business mix. So you need it to work seamlessly with the rest of your business tech stack. Think native (or API-based) integrations with your email marketing solution, translation solution, payment solution, etc.
4. Is it SEO-friendly? Is your CMS optimized for search engines? Can your potential customers find your online store via search engines like Google or Bing? Does your CMS offer tools for search engine optimization?
5. Does it support multiple payment gateways? If you’re selling internationally, you’ll need a platform that supports all the popular payment gateways offering your global audience all their preferred payment options and user-friendly checkout experiences. Doing this will also boost your conversion rates.

Website Translation

Talking about selling internationally, the number one selection criteria when considering a CMS will be being able to set up a multilingual ecommerce website, so you can actually communicate with your new target markets in their native languages.

By setting up a multilingual ecommerce site, you can instantly offer your online shoppers a more personalized shopping experience where they can read your product pages in their preferred language.

You shouldn’t need your users to use their browser’s translation app — Google Translate for Chrome, for instance — to understand what you’re saying, as this will provide an awkward user experience while failing to capture cultural nuances. Your online storefront should look welcoming and speak the same language(s) as your target audience.Now, the idea of translating your store into a new language (or into several different languages) might seem intimidating. It is.

But you’re in luck, because you’ve got translation solutions like Weglot that come with automatic translation functionalities that let you create a multi-language ecommerce website in a few easy steps, without writing a line of code.

Then, you can edit the translations as you see fit with translation tools like the Visual Editor and Glossary, ensuring you get to localize everything for users in different countries. From translating your product descriptions to the customer notification emails, you’ll provide the best customer experience possible.

Your original store can be in English (which might be your online business’s default language). But you can offer it in a host of different target languages like Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese — you name it.

The best part is that Weglot is compatible with all the leading ecommerce CMS platforms.

In fact, Weglot is an official WooCommerce partner, which means you can add the Weglot extension to your online store directly from the WooCommerce marketplace.

So, no matter what ecommerce technology you create your store on, it will be 100% translatable with Weglot!

So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at some of our ecommerce customers using Weglot to create multilingual ecommerce stores.

We’ll give you a sense of what you can achieve with our translation solution on each of the top ecommerce platforms – with WordPress/WooCommerce, Shopify, Squarespace, BigCommerce, and Wix.

Best Multilingual Ecommerce Sites

Polaar

French skincare brand Polaar uses Shopify to host its products sourced from the Arctic Circle. Focusing on natural, cruelty-free care, each formula was made to emphasize natural beauty without harming the environment.

Polaar features a rich history behind the brand: it began as an adventure in 1976 off the shores of Iceland, where the founder Daniel Kurbiel’s parents began their exploration.

After one voyage led to another, Daniel realized that these glacial lands hosted something special. It was filled with unknown flora containing active ingredients that would make an excellent fit for cosmetics and skincare.

Polaar used Weglot to overcome language barriers and hit international markets by translating its site into English and German.

The Polaar team set translation rules to always translate certain product terms and to never translate some others, ensuring brand consistency and clarity for their customers.

Raw

This premium artisan honey company, Raw, brings to the fore high-end honey products with beautifully designed packaging and a website to match. Raw runs on WooCommerce.

Born in the south of Lebanon to a small family into beekeeping, Raw’s creator is passionate about producing honey based on decades of experience and with proper scientific know-how.

What’s not to love about this minimalist website available in Arabic and English.  

When it comes to its multilingual ecommerce capabilities, Raw showcases Weglot’s ability to support the translation and display of right to left languages. Such localization is key to giving audiences the native experiences they’re used to.

Edelband

Edelband is a German leather shop specializing in leather Apple Watch bands. Hosted on Shopify, it translated its site into Dutch, English, and French from German.

The store was founded nearly 60 decades ago, initially focusing on the wholesale of watch and jewelry spare parts. Since then, its production facilities expanded to France, Spain, Italy, and Greece.

Coupled with the international traffic it was receiving, it’s no wonder they saw the need to translate its website with Weglot!

Its multilingual site is notable as it detects your location and language, but asks for your preference anyway. It also shows prices in the currency of your chosen location, providing an even smoother shopping experience.

Even better, you can choose the language of the newsletter you’ll receive between German and English.

Creating a Multilingual Ecommerce Store

You just saw some of the best multilingual ecommerce stores selling internationally on a number of different platforms.

Weglot powers the automatic translation for each of these stores.

If you, too, are looking to create a multilingual ecommerce store, try Weglot. Sign up for a free 10-day trial and see how easy it is to create an online store that speaks as many languages as your users do!