Selling internationally with Shopify Markets
Published on
Pieter
Ready to expand your Shopify store across borders? Shopify Markets is your best friend. Let's take a proper look at the feature that helps you go international without the headache.
What is Shopify Markets, exactly?
Worth clearing up first, because this is where confusion usually starts. Shopify Markets is not the same thing as a language setting. A language setting simply translates the text on your site; Markets is a complete system for adapting your store to different countries and regions.
With Shopify Markets you can adjust prices per country (including currency), set shipping costs and methods per region, offer different products per market, calculate taxes automatically, and configure payment methods per country.
In short: an all-in-one way to adapt your store to local markets.
Why sell internationally at all?
You might be thinking: why on earth would I throw myself into an international adventure? There are good reasons. You reach a far larger audience and your brand becomes known beyond your home market. It also spreads risk: if sales soften in one market, another can compensate. And do not forget that seasonal products can sell year-round: when it is summer in the Netherlands, it is winter in Australia.
How does Shopify Markets work?
Markets works through a system of "markets" you define yourself. A market can be a single country, such as Germany, or a region covering several, such as DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland).
Per market you can adapt several things:
Language and translations
You can offer your store in several languages. You still need an app such as Translate & Adapt for the translations themselves. Markets only controls which language is tied to which market.
Currency and price adjustments
Prices are converted automatically, but you can also set prices per market. Is your product worth more in Sweden? Then you can price it accordingly.
Taxes
Markets can calculate the right taxes for each market automatically. No more wrestling with VAT rates by hand.
Payment methods
Germans favour SOFORT, the Dutch favour iDEAL. With Markets you can offer exactly the payment methods that are popular in a given region.
Shipping methods
Not shipping to certain countries? Want a different carrier for distant destinations? All possible with Shopify Markets.
The challenges of selling internationally
Going international brings challenges, but with the right approach they are manageable.
Do you speak your customers' language?
A German customer landing on your site and finding poor translations will leave faster than you can say "Guten Tag". Invest in good translations for your most important pages. Shopify works well with several apps that handle this automatically, but the quality of the translation remains your responsibility.
Shipping without borders
An Italian customer hit with an unexpected customs bill after purchase will not be pleased. Be transparent about all costs. Work out shipping and duties in advance and communicate them clearly. It is also worth considering local shipping partners.
Customer service in the right language
An email in Spanish, a phone call from France: international selling means international support. Be clear about which languages you offer support in. A multilingual chatbot can handle common questions; for complex issues, translation software helps.
Solving the legal puzzles
From the German "Impressum" to specific French warranty terms, every country has its own rules. Take the time to understand local regulation and adapt your terms per market. A one-off investment in legal advice can save you a great deal later. Shopify Markets already helps by calculating the correct taxes and duties automatically.
Does Shopify Markets fit your plans?
Selling internationally with Shopify Markets opens up a world of possibilities, and it comes with challenges. The good news is that Markets makes those challenges considerably easier to overcome.
Start small, perhaps with a neighbouring country where shipping is cheap and the language barrier is low. Use the data you gather to decide whether and where to expand next.
Want help setting up Shopify Markets for your store? We have helped dozens of merchants go international successfully. Get in touch for a no-obligation conversation about what is possible.
And multiple languages within one store?
A multilingual Shopify store used to require separate apps or even several stores; these days you handle it within Markets. Translate & Adapt lets you translate content per market (and adapt it where needed), and each language gets clean URLs of its own, which is good for visitors and for Google. For VA Imaging we built exactly that: one store in seven languages.
