For many brands ready to enter the global market eCommerce is one of the most logical places to start. However, despite the amazing potential cross-border eCommerce represents for brands of all sizes, there is one often-overlooked task which can impact your ability to succeed in a foreign market more than anything: localization.
While any market will have its shares of idiosyncrasies, Japan continues to prove a difficult market for non-Japanese companies to enter. Most brands understand that in order to reach Japanese consumers you have to speak their language. What many companies mistakenly interpret that to mean, however, is that straight-up translation of their existing eCommerce site into the Japanese language will be sufficient to do business in Japan.
Translation is only one element which needs to be undertaken when entering the Japanese market and reaching Japanese consumers. True eCommerce localization encompasses so much more than that.