What Useful Tips For German Website Localization You Should Know?

German website localization and translation are essential for communicating with German clients worldwide, driving more website traffic. 

Germany is one of the world’s most powerful economies and the strongest economy in Europe and is a crucial online market for businesses looking to expand internationally that is spoken in 38 different nations such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, etc, by over 120 million people.  

Moreover, Germany has Europe’s second-largest Internet and broadband market. German internet users now account for more than $20 billion in annual e-commerce purchases. German website localization is crucial for every business to get more traffic, customers, leads, and sales in this market.  

Our today’s post will guide you on German website localization tips that you should know and apply for your upcoming German website.

Essential things for German website localization

As Germany is your target market, you must not only translate but also localize all of your material into German. Your success in Germany depends on localization, so make sure every detail is tailored to the needs of German online customers.

What you should pay attention to is listed below:

• Currencies – Euro
• Measurements – centimeters and meter
• Garment sizes- use European sizes if you sell clothes or shoes
• Colors schemes
• Icons and symbols
• Privacy policies, terms, and conditions, etc – regulations in Germany may differ so make sure you adapt such content accordingly

Moreover, make sure that the contact forms feature German territories and codes and that your text entry fields follow German special characters.

When you officially choose a certain translation service, check out if they offer any warranty policy for your translation project. You can find any error or inaccuracy through German website localization and make the necessary improvements with your translation partner.

Be mobile

Germany is one of the European eCommerce leaders, and its mobile eCommerce sales share is close to 40%.  Furthermore, mobile shopping is a major factor in the success of eCommerce in Germany, which is expanding steadily.

Avoid any media content that requires a lot of data to load, including films or 360-degree pictures, as mobile data plans are relatively pricey in Germany. Instead, give a summary localization of the product, the price, and client testimonials. Make sure that the app and your mobile e-commerce website are both translated and localized into German. This will guarantee a smooth consumer experience across all devices. Besides, German consumers mostly use search engines for their research, thus one of your top considerations should be to optimize your SEO approach for mobile devices in the German market.

Flexible delivery

The following are some of the German customers’ preferred shipping choices:

• Free standard delivery
• Fast or express delivery
• Home delivery
• Delivery to pickup-up points  
• Click-and-collect services
• Pre-booked delivery times

Remember that German customers want to track their goods and select a delivery date carefully.

Given that Germany has one of the greatest return rates in Europe, it is also a good idea to consider these regulations. For example, Zalando provides a 100-day free return period. Customers then expect the same return policies from other businesses, giving this company a competitive edge.  

German customer values

German customers typically prefer to purchase from German online merchants. A website’s presence in the German online market can be greatly influenced by a German domain, such as “website.de.”

According to a Postbank survey, the busiest month for German female online shoppers is September whereas the busiest month for German male online shoppers is February.

Regarding payment options, electronic direct debit is the preferred method of payment for German online consumers over credit cards, accounting for 60% of all purchases made in the German online market. 

Following these suggestions is essential to get a perfect German website localization.

German client purchase decisions

Germans often have a strong feeling of urgency and work in a time and energy-saving mode. German internet buyers are most active between twelve and two in the afternoon when approximately a quarter of all purchases are made.  

Make sure to come up with some vital campaigns to get more sales through the German purchase decisions.

German cultural correctness and web customization

You need to know the color patterns and graphics for localizing websites in German. As a result of the complicated and long history of the German-speaking communities, German culture is centuries old and highly diverse. Cultural sensitivity awareness is crucial for avoiding mistakes and unintentional use of offending symbols. Aspects of German culture are represented by specific hues throughout Germany.

• Blue: Typically associated with dedication and formality. For instance, blue envelopes are typically used for government communication from Germany.
• Black: A formal color that evokes images of mourning, death, and hopelessness.
• Green: The color of conservation and hope. Die Grünen, the name of the German political party, is a good illustration of the use of green.

By creating websites with symmetry, website colors, and design that is simple, concise, and logical, you can further improve your German website localization efforts. German online shoppers overwhelmingly favor this look.

You need to make a clear goal including color and graphic requirements for your translation partner to make sure that your translation provider notice about them, and then get the best German localization results.

Internet and Search Engine in Germany

You may immediately reach new clients in Germany by starting a pay-per-click campaign. Advertisers can easily and effectively target clients in another country using pay-per-click.

The top Pay Per Click (PPC) Search Engines in German, according to Markus Hoenever of Bloofusion Group, are:

• Google AdWords
• Overture Germany
• Espotting
• Colligo
• Morango Deutschland

According to Markus Hoenever from Bloofusion Group, the top search engines in the German language are:

• Acoon
• AltaVista
• Fireball
• Freenet.de
• Google
• Lycos
• MSN
• Witch
• Yahoo! Deutschland

Note and include these types of popular SEO and SEM for your German localization and marketing strategy to get the most German customers possible. 

Online payment flexibility in Germany

Customers from Germany are renowned for being hesitant to disclose personal information online. They are also less prone to utilize credit cards because of this.

Customers can test out the goods using this payment method before making a purchase. Additionally, it allows clients to pay in installments. Because of their security, additional online payment options including Paypal, ELV, GiroPay, Sofortüberweisung, RatePay, and other online wallets are becoming more and more popular. Be notice and set these popular payment options for your German website localization. 

Other tips

Here are some other essential tips for your German localization project:

• A focus on German ideals of self-reliance, achievement, independence, and individual freedom is an essential component of localizing German websites. In the German culture, autonomy, rivalry, and nonconformity are also valued.
• German websites can be made to emphasize the organization’s mission, vision, and corporate principles to promote respect.
• When masculine ideals are stressed, German website localization is more effective. Use text and design elements to showcase success, fortitude, material prosperity, and success, or draw attention to your product’s strength and standout or special characteristics.
• You should have simple navigational aids and secure sites for online transactions. Websites that have undergone effective German website localization display German text together with phrases like “Buy without Risk,” “Many payment methods,” “Free returns,” and “Data protection.”

Get trustworthy German website translation & localization services

You may enter the German eCommerce market with ease if you invest in German eCommerce translation and localization services, mobile-optimized websites, on-time delivery, flexible payment methods, and last but not least, customer support in German.

As the best website translation and localization service provider on GoodFirms, GTE Localize can assist you in translating and adapting your German website effectively and accurately.

From a landing page, page, menu, footer, website policy, and user guide, to a whole website, you will get budget-effective and quality German website localization from 100% native translator and subject-matter experts at a lifetime warranty. We support all types of website platforms including Magento, Weebly, Wix, Shopify, Squarespace, etc, and all file formats for your German website localization.

Get in touch with us if you want to take advantage of all the online opportunities the German internet market has to offer.

To get a more in-depth guide for website localization projects, you can download our white paper today.