Predictions for e-commerce in 2015 by Smartling VP of Marketing, Nataly Kelly

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Nataly Kelly, Vice-President of marketing at Smartling, shares her e-commerce predictions for 2015, below. 
 
Prediction No. 1: The number of languages required to reach the majority of the world’s online wallet will rapidly increase.
In the past, e-commerce vendors were able to reach a large majority of the world’s online wallet with a small number of languages. But, now that the middle class is changing and high-volumes of customers in Asia and emerging countries are coming online, e-commerce companies will need to target more countries with translated and localized content than ever before. In 2015, the number of languages required to reach the same global market share will greatly increase.
 
Prediction No. 2: E-Commerce companies will shift their focus from international traffic to conversion rates.
Companies have long-viewed website traffic as a major way of driving revenue. While conversion was still important then, more companies are now realizing that they can boost conversion rates significantly, simply by offering local, customized online experiences to existing customers from other countries. Even in countries where some English is spoken as a second language, properly translating and adapting content when it crosses borders can lead to more conversions. And, the technology is now in place to make this happen quickly and cost-effectively. In 2015, companies will begin to see translation and localization as methods to not only reach more people and gain more website traffic, but, more importantly, as a way to optimize conversions from existing international traffic.
 
Prediction No. 3: More e-commerce brands will launch mobile apps.
Mobile apps are playing a much greater role than ever before when it comes to e-commerce experiences, especially for global shoppers. In 2015, more e-commerce brands will launch translated and localized mobile apps that are not just “mobile first” but “global first." Today, thought-leading, cutting-edge companies are realizing that mobile apps are a perfect way to reach customers in new markets.  There usually isn’t a lot of text that must be translated, so it’s an affordable way to quickly gain a global presence and drive global customer engagement faster than through traditional marketing methods.

Nataly Kelly is the VP of Marketing for Smartling, a cloud-based translation management platform provider. Her latest book, “Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World,” was published by Perigee/Penguin(USA) in October 2012. She has formally studied seven languages, has traveled to 34 countries, and has obtained higher education on three continents. A former Fulbright scholar in sociolinguistics, Nataly has published articles on various aspects of Ecuadorian Spanish in academic journals from Colombia and Mexico.

Today's Retail News From Around The Web: December 23, 2014