Expanding into new markets can seem like an overwhelming task. In the past, it was often associated with high costs, time-consuming processes, and the risk of costly mistakes. However, with the right tools and a strategic approach, international expansion can become both manageable and efficient—without compromising on quality.
Why choose Shopify for international expansion?
Expanding your e-commerce business into new markets can seem like a complex and risky task. There are many factors to consider—ranging from content localization and payment solutions to pricing adjustments and shipping logistics. Fortunately, Shopify makes it possible to navigate this complexity with a platform designed for growth and scalability.
Shopify stands out as one of the most user-friendly and flexible solutions on the market, especially when it comes to international expansion. With Shopify Markets, you gain access to a range of features specifically designed to make expansion faster, cheaper, and more efficient. From automated translations and local payment methods to dynamic pricing adjustments and seamless multi-language setup—everything can be managed directly from a single dashboard.
One of Shopify's greatest advantages is its ability to let you start small and scale quickly. This means you don’t need to invest in complex, custom solutions right away—you can instead build on a solid foundation as your needs grow. The platform also offers a robust ecosystem of apps and integrations, allowing you to tailor your store to the specific markets you want to enter.
Note: Requires Shopify Plus
To access all the features of Shopify Markets, including advanced localization, automated tax calculations, and dynamic pricing adjustments, your store must be on Shopify Plus. Shopify Plus is specifically designed for businesses looking to grow internationally with scalable solutions and a high level of control over their platform.
Shopify Markets: An overview of key features
Shopify Markets is built with one clear goal in mind: to make it easy and efficient for e-commerce businesses to expand into international markets. It provides access to a range of features that allow you to manage everything from localization and translations to payments and shipping—all directly from your Shopify dashboard.
Local payment Mmethods and currencies
One of the biggest challenges in international trade is offering customers their preferred payment methods and the ability to pay in their own currency. Shopify Markets enables you to configure local payment solutions like Adyen and automatically display prices in the customer’s currency based on their location.
Automated translations
Shopify Markets also makes it easy to adapt your store to different languages by offering an integrated translation engine. This ensures that your product descriptions, CTAs, and terms of service can quickly be tailored to new markets.
Simplified shipping and duty management
Shopify Markets helps you handle the often complex regulations around shipping and duties, allowing you to offer transparent and competitive shipping rates to customers worldwide.
How to adapt your store for new markets
Expanding into new markets is about more than just launching a new version of your store. To ensure success, you need to create an experience that feels locally tailored and trustworthy to customers. Shopify Markets provides the tools—but what does it take in practice?
Conduct a market analysis before launch
Start by researching what customers on the new market expect. Which payment methods are most popular? How do local competitors handle shipping and delivery? And what cultural differences could impact the buying experience? These insights will help you prioritize your adjustments.
Use translations strategically
Don’t just automatically translate your entire store—focus on the pages and products most relevant to the new market. Shopify Markets’ translation tool can help you set up quickly, but consider having key texts professionally reviewed for a polished appearance.
Optimize your checkout process
A smooth checkout is crucial. Ensure that your store supports local payment solutions and displays prices in the local currency so customers feel confident in their purchase.
Start with a limited product range
To minimize complexity, consider launching with a curated selection of products that are highly relevant to the new market. This makes it easier to test the market and refine your strategy.
Test your store as a local customer
Before launching, it’s essential to test your store from the customer’s perspective. Check everything from navigation and translations to shipping options and payment methods—and get feedback from local partners or testers.
From idea to new market in just a few days
Taking your idea to launch in a new market might sound like an overwhelming task—especially if you’ve previously struggled with complex processes and high costs. But with Shopify Markets as your platform, we’ve seen how rapid, efficient expansion can be achieved while maintaining control over the entire process.
Netlingeri’s fast internationalization and outstanding performance with Shopify
Netlingeri, a Danish webshop specializing in exclusive lingerie, has successfully expanded to 11 international markets by consolidating all domains onto a single central Shopify platform. This consolidation has optimized both the user experience and internal administration.
A significant factor in Netlingeri’s expansion is the integration of an advanced payment solution through Adyen. The system enables payments in local currencies without conversion fees and supports local payment methods across the EU. This approach creates a seamless payment experience, increasing customer trust in the webshop.
Shopify also includes an advanced translation engine that quickly translates new products from Danish into multiple languages. Using a dictionary function, specific terms and fixed expressions are translated consistently, ensuring precise and brand-aligned product descriptions across all markets. This functionality allows Netlingeri to launch new products globally without delays.
Netlingeri has also implemented a structured SEO strategy with their launch on Shopify. This included creating several new collections targeting niche keywords with low search volumes but high overall search potential. This strategy has ensured strong visibility across the markets.
To reduce customer uncertainty, Netlingeri has developed an advanced step-based bra size guide. The guide makes it easy for customers to find the right size, which is especially important in the lingerie industry, where sizing uncertainty often leads to lost sales. The guide has become one of the most visited pages on the shop and helps match customer measurements with relevant products, reducing returns and increasing conversion rates.
Netlingeri’s experience demonstrates how Shopify Markets can be used to create a scalable international business. The combination of automated solutions, localization, and optimized customer journeys is essential for ensuring efficient expansion while delivering a strong customer experience across markets.
Read the full case here.
How to ensure SEO and local visibility in new markets
One of the biggest concerns with international expansion is the risk of losing SEO rankings when adapting your webshop to new markets. Ensuring that your shop not only maintains but also strengthens its visibility in new countries requires a well-thought-out strategy. Shopify Markets offers a range of tools to help navigate this process and optimize your shop for local search engines.
Localized URL structures
To rank well in local search engines, it’s essential to have correctly configured URLs for each market. Shopify Markets allows you to create country-specific domains or subdirectories (e.g., .dk, .de, or /en), helping your webshop appear as a local business. This is crucial for both SEO and customer trust.
Optimized metadata and keywords
When adapting your shop to new languages and markets, it’s important to optimize your metadata—such as titles and descriptions—with local keywords. Shopify Markets makes it easy to edit metadata for each language and market, allowing you to target specific search intents effectively.
Content that meets local needs
To stand out in new markets, tailor your content to reflect local needs and trends. Consider expanding your blog section or creating guides relevant to customers’ culture or preferences. Localized content increases your credibility and builds a stronger connection with your customers.
Error-free technical SEO
A common issue during expansion is technical errors, such as duplicate content or missing hreflang tags, which tell search engines which language and market each page is intended for. Shopify Markets automatically handles these technical aspects, helping you avoid typical pitfalls and keeping your SEO structure strong.
The future with Shopify: Scalable growth and next steps
When your webshop is established in new markets, the real strategic work begins. The future is about continuous optimization, expansion, and efficiency, and Shopify Markets provides the solid foundation needed to support growth.
Scale your markets with the same structure
One of Shopify's biggest advantages is that you can replicate the same process when expanding to additional markets. Shopify Markets makes it easy to copy your existing setups and adapt them to new countries with minimal adjustments. This reduces time consumption and enables rapid growth.
Data as a growth driver
Shopify also gives you access to extensive data about your webshop and customers, which can be used to identify strengths and weaknesses across markets. By analyzing your results, you can uncover new opportunities, adjust prices, optimize product selections, and improve the customer experience in individual countries.
Focus on new technologies and trends
E-commerce evolves rapidly, and the future brings new trends such as personalization, sustainability, and advanced AI tools. Shopify is known for staying ahead of these developments and continuously offers updates and new features to help you remain competitive.
