How to Change Store Language on Shopify: A Comprehensive Guide

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Importance of Language in E-Commerce
3. Steps to Change Your Store Language on Shopify
4. Best Practices for Offering Multiple Languages
5. Case Study: Expanding Through Language Adaptation
6. Conclusion

Introduction

Did you know that over 70% of consumers prefer to purchase products in their native language? As the e-commerce landscape continues to grow at a staggering rate, it’s becoming increasingly clear that language plays a pivotal role in customer engagement and retention. If you’re operating a Shopify store and looking to optimize your user experience, understanding how to change your store's language is essential. Whether you're expanding into international markets, catering to a bilingual audience, or simply wanting to personalize user experience, this guide will have you covered.

Here, we will delve into the intricacies of changing store language on Shopify, exploring its relevance and practical steps. With Tevello’s powerful, all-in-one platform for course creation and community building, we’ll demonstrate how you can seamlessly integrate multiple languages into your product offerings. Let’s discuss how adapting language not only enhances your store’s appeal but can also unlock new revenue opportunities.

If you’re wondering how you can alter your store's language and enhance customer satisfaction, you’re in the right place.

The Importance of Language in E-Commerce

1. Consumer Preferences

As we mentioned earlier, a significant percentage of consumers are more inclined to complete their purchases when the information is presented in their preferred language. Adapting the store language can directly influence sales, as customers feel more comfortable navigating and making purchases.

2. Global Reach

As the internet continues to connect consumers across borders, your Shopify store can reach a global audience. Offering multiple languages allows you to tap into new markets, increasing your potential customer base and driving revenue growth.

3. Improved User Experience

Localization enhances the user experience, making it easier for customers to relate to your brand. Stores that incorporate local languages often see lower bounce rates and higher engagement, translating to better sales figures.

At Tevello, we recognize the power of language in strengthening merchant-customer relationships. By enabling Shopify merchants to create tailored, multilingual courses and engage communities in their preferred languages, we enhance user satisfaction, helping merchants like you unlock new revenue streams.

Let's explore how to change the language of your Shopify store effectively.

Steps to Change Your Store Language on Shopify

Changing your Shopify store language is a straightforward process, but it involves multiple steps depending on what language you aim to set as default. Here, we will walk you through the different scenarios and steps.

Step 1: Changing the Theme Language

If you want to change the display language of your Shopify store, you’ll primarily do this through your theme settings. Follow these steps:

1. Log into your Shopify Admin Panel: Go to your Shopify store and log in.
2. Navigate to Online Store: On the left sidebar, click on Online Store and then select Themes.
3. Edit Theme Languages:
   • Find your currently published theme and click on Actions.
   • From the dropdown menu, select Edit languages.
4. Change the Language:
   • Scroll down to find the Change theme language section.
   • Click the Language drop-down menu to see all supported languages.
   • Select your desired language from the list.
5. Save Changes: After making your selection, click Save to update your theme's language settings.

This process changes the language for the front end of the store where customers interact. However, it does not automatically translate any of your custom content or product descriptions.

Step 2: Changing Account Language Settings

If you prefer to change the language of the Shopify admin interface for yourself or your staff, follow these steps:

1. Manage Account: From your Shopify admin, go to Manage account.
2. Preferred Language:
   • Locate the Preferred language setting.
   • Change it to your desired language and click Save.

This setting will only impact the language in which admin panels are displayed, and will not affect the language customers see when they visit your site.

Step 3: Setting Up Multilingual Content

To cater to customers in different languages, you have two approaches: manual translations or using translation apps.

Manual Translations

This method involves creating new product descriptions, titles, and any other content in the desired language. Keep in mind that this requires effort and ongoing management but allows for full control over your translations.

Translation Apps

For an easier, automated solution, consider using translation apps available in the Shopify App Store. Some popular options include:

• Langify: Provides automatic translations and allows manual adjustment as needed.
• Translation Lab: A user-friendly app that supports multiple languages and ensures coherent translations.
• Multi Lingo: Offers an easy way to manage multiple languages directly from your Shopify store.

At Tevello, we believe in simplifying processes through efficient solutions—our app allows you to manage multilingual course offerings and community interactions effortlessly.

Step 4: Using Shopify Markets for Geolocation

As part of expanding your global reach, it’s beneficial to set up Shopify Markets, which helps you manage different markets and locales from a single Shopify store.

1. Activate Shopify Markets: From your Shopify admin, go to Settings, then select Markets.
2. Configure Primary Market:
   • Set up your target market where you’ll define the currencies and languages.
   • This can help create more personalized experiences for your customers based on their geolocation.

Step 5: Importing and Exporting Translations

If you find yourself needing to switch languages often or manage extensive content, consider exploring Shopify's translation CSV file to backup and restore your translations.

1. Export Translations: You can export all existing translations as a CSV file. Navigate to Settings, then Translators to find the export option.
2. Edit and Change Language: Make the desired adjustments to the translations in the CSV, and when you’re ready to switch, import the updated file back into your Shopify admin panel.
3. Reimport Your Translations: Check for the format consistency to ensure that all languages match the right content fields. You'll be able to upload this file under the same translation settings.

By effectively managing your translations, you can maintain continuity regardless of how often the language changes in your store.

Best Practices for Offering Multiple Languages

Adapting your Shopify store to a multilingual framework requires more than just adjusting settings. Here are some best practices to follow:

1. Consistency Across Languages

Ensure that the branding, tone, and messaging remain consistent across all language versions. Customers will appreciate familiarity regardless of the language they engage with.

2. Use Native Translators

For accuracy, especially in nuanced translations, consider working with native speakers or professional translation services. Automated translations can sometimes misrepresent your brand’s message.

3. Contextual Language Use

Be mindful of regional variations of the language. Spanish and French-speaking audiences may differ significantly from one another, both in vocabulary and cultural context, so tailor your content accordingly.

4. Test User Experience

After making changes, always test how users from different demographic groups engage with your store. Collect feedback to ensure that the language implementation is enhancing their shopping experience.

5. Incorporate Language Switchers

Make it easy for visitors to switch between languages. Implement a visible language switcher on your site that allows users to select their preferred language instantly without navigating away from the current page.

Case Study: Expanding Through Language Adaptation

Let’s look at a hypothetical Shopify merchant, Emily, who sells artisan craft supplies. Initially, her store is set to English, which captures a meaningful portion of traffic. However, she wishes to expand into Spanish-speaking markets.

Implementation Steps

1. Changing Theme Language: Emily updates her store language to include Spanish, allowing her to showcase product descriptions that cater to audiences in Spain and Latin America.
2. Creating Multilingual Content: Utilizing translation apps, she swiftly translates all product descriptions while refining certain phrases through manual input to reflect cultural nuances.
3. Using Shopify Markets: She sets up Shopify Markets to reach customers in new regions, optimizing for local currency, shipping options, and marketing campaigns tailored to each locale.
4. Feedback Loop: After launch, Emily actively seeks feedback from Spanish-speaking customers, making additional adjustments to enhance user experience continually.

Results

Emily’s efforts pay off; she sees a 40% increase in engagement from Spanish-speaking customers and a subsequent increase in sales within those demographics. By implementing multilingual capabilities seamlessly, she has unlocked a thriving revenue stream.

By leveraging Tevello's features, merchants like Emily can create engaging online courses and communities that cater to diverse audiences, enhancing both user experience and revenue opportunities.

Conclusion

Changing the store language on Shopify is an essential element in cultivating an engaging, user-friendly environment for your customers. As we've explored, it’s crucial not just for customer satisfaction but also as a strategic move to enhance brand reach and revenue.

By implementing the strategies discussed in this guide and leveraging Tevello's community-building capabilities, we can help Shopify merchants like you navigate the complexities of multilingual commerce. With our user-friendly features and robust support, your journey of expanding language offerings is just beginning.

If you're ready to improve your Shopify store and reach new markets, start your 14-day free trial of Tevello today and watch your e-commerce potential soar!

FAQ

1. Can I change my Shopify store language without losing my existing content?

Yes! Changing the store language in your theme settings will not erase your existing content. However, if you are translating it into a different language, you might need to manage the translated versions separately.

2. What happens if I change the default language of my Shopify store?

Changing your default language will alter how the content is handled in your Shopify admin; however, previously existing translations may not automatically convert. Always back up any translations before making changes.

3. Are there apps that can help with multiple language setups in Shopify?

Indeed, there are numerous translation apps in the Shopify App Store that facilitate multilingual setups, including options like Langify and Translation Lab, which can greatly streamline the process.

4. Can I change the language of specific pages only?

Yes, many translation apps allow you to customize the language settings on specific pages, letting you localize content for different audiences without a complete overhaul of your store.

5. How can I ensure that my translations are culturally appropriate?

It’s best to work with native translators who understand the nuances of their respective languages to avoid misrepresenting your brand and to ensure that local expressions resonate with the target audience.

By implementing these practices and understanding the steps required, we can help ensure that your Shopify store speaks the language of its customers—literally and figuratively. Together, let’s make your e-commerce vision a multilingual success!