Cross-Channel Retailers Multiply Multi-Lingual Website Benefits

January 31, 2008

Many of MotionPoint's Website Language Management (WLM) retail clients are cross-channel experts -- they conduct business online, in "brick and mortar" stores, via print catalogs, with in-store Internet-capable kiosks, and more. Cross-channel success stories such as Build-A-Bear, Rooms to Go, Carter's, Lumber Liquidators, Papa John's and others wisely realized that connecting new markets with WLM-powered, translated websites can increase sales across channels.

You have probably seen the widely-publicized statistics regarding cross-channel retailer trends, such as:

• Nearly $400 billion of in-store sales -- 16 percent of total retail sales -- were influenced by online research last year (2006, Forrester Research)
• Sales of products that are researched online, but purchased in-store, have risen 50 percent in the past year (2007, ShopLocal)
• In-store sales influenced by online research will grow to $1 trillion by 2011, comprising half of all retail purchases (2006, Forrester)
• Nearly one-third of purchases made online are picked up in brick-and-mortar stores -- with more than a quarter of these consumers purchasing additional products while in-store (2006, Shop.org)

Additional market research confirms that the U.S. Hispanic market mirrors these trends -- and are more loyal to companies that provide a multi-lingual experiences. Nearly 80 percent of a recent survey's respondents indicated they would feel "valued as a customer" if a website provided information in Spanish. More than 76 percent would visit a Spanish-language website -- and revisit it more often -- than an English site.

What does this mean to the cross-channel retailer? More ways to connect with more customers. By deploying a WLM-powered site, retailers create up to four in-language opportunities to connect with multi-lingual shoppers:

• Research products and purchase them on the Web in their language of choice, for home delivery
• Research on the Web in-language, and buy in-store
• Research in-language with in-store kiosks and buy in-store
• The translated site reduces calls to call centers, thanks to the lower cost, higher-availability, multi-lingual Web channel

Progressive cross-channel retailers that debut WLM-powered multi-lingual sites harness not just the buying power and loyalty of new markets -- they also better leverage their existing cross-channel infrastructures. Since WLM technology requires no client-side IT integration, retailers can update their online product information and promotions without fear; the multi-lingual website will update automatically.

MotionPoint's WLM technology also allows retailers to "go live" much faster than legacy translation approaches, allowing retailers to launch their multi-lingual sites during the industry's tight February to September decision window.

This leaves cross-channel retailers empowered to concentrate on what they do best -- driving online and in-store sales.