Japanese eCommerce translation

How to get a thriving e-commerce business through quality Japanese translation.

Overview.

Let’s begin with a small piece of information. We know that Japan has cultural and ethnic homogeneity. But do you know - almost 99% of Japan has Japanese as their mother tongue - making it linguistically homogeneous too? Before we elaborate on why this is important, let’s understand the importance of localization and Japanese translation for your e-commerce business.

When you adapt to a certain local audience, your business automatically molds itself to facilitate culturally different expectations. The local audience then starts relating to your business, thereby helping you create a positive brand image in the target country. 

Japan is the third-largest economy in the world and with over $150 billion invested in its e-commerce market, there is a lot of potential to bank upon. What’s more? It is expected to grow tremendously until the year 2021 with the annual growth rate of approximately 6%.

The only problem? The Japanese language has varied characters and levels of politeness, making it difficult for amateurs to navigate through their culture.

Simplifying the nuances of the Japanese language.

The language is known for its complexity. With three different groups of Kanji, Hiragana and Katakana characters and each with its own meaning and application, it becomes difficult for businesses to set the tone and style for their brand image.

Hence, Japanese e-commerce translation and localization requires a certain level of skill and expertise. To ensure that your business sounds exactly like you want it to, we recommend you look for translation agencies that understand how to produce intelligent, witty and culturally appropriate content. 

Use Japanese e-commerce app translation to grow your digital presence.

One thing everyone knows about Japan - technology is their fortè. Mobiles and tablets account for 50% of all transactions, making their online browsing preferences clear. 

What should you do? Localize your mobile app and strengthen your mobile marketing strategy. Also make sure the mobile shopping experience of your users remains the same, regardless of the language they’re viewing it in. 

Impress users with translated reviews and feedback.

Word of mouth is the most effective promotion there is. Especially if that word of mouth comes in a person’s mother tongue, simple, relatable and easy to understand. 

In Japan (like in most other countries) user-generated content like reviews, feedback and product blogs have immense importance. It persuades consumers to buy the products in case the review is positive and informative. 

Not only will this influence buyers’ preference, but will also help you procure consumer engagement and product insights. 

Translate your marketing and customer support.

Whenever a customer buys a new product, they realize there is an off-chance that it might not be suitable for their needs or it may come in a damaged/broken condition. In such a case, it becomes mandatory for them to communicate with the company’s customer service.

When this service comes in the form of local, linguistically similar group of people – the interaction becomes easier. A lot of customers prefer going for companies with excellent customer service as it ensures that the customer’s needs and requirements will be taken care of.

Optimizing your website to facilitate the algorithm of more than one search engine is a great localization strategy. In Japan, 19% of the population uses yahoo as their prime search engine. Hence, in order to fully capitalize on Japan’s e-commerce industry, opt for various SEO strategies.

Here are some examples – Make a list of keywords in the ’targeted language’ before your content creators work on the promotional articles, make sure your global website is not identical to your original website and optimize your global website to improve the quality of user experiences

Wrapping up.

Translation has always been a medium of social and cultural transmission. It facilitates global interaction and sympathetic communication. Going for Japanese e-commerce translation not only signifies the effort of your business to blend in with their culture and community but also implies that you wish to connect with their ideas.

Your business also appears more native and empathetic, adding to your brand image and sales revenue.

To conclude, we recommend you strictly scrutinize the translation needs of your e-commerce business, choose a creative and efficient translation agency and calculate the impact of such localization to create a thriving e-commerce business in Japan.