Many traditional businesses in the UK have now created websites with online payment gateways that enable them to expand their customer-base country-wide and, in some cases, worldwide.
Websites are accessible from all over the globe and internet payment gateways can be used by anyone in the world with a credit card, potentially enabling small businesses to tap into global markets.
According to a recent Telegraph report, however, one important barrier still remains - language. The report cited recent data provided by Eurobarometer which indicated approximately 18 percent of internet users in European countries buy products or services online in a language other than their own "frequently or all the time." Approximately 42 percent of respondents indicated that they never do so at all.
The Telegraph reported that English is the most commonly used second language in Europe, according to the data. Even people who access websites in a second or third language are less likely to use ecommerce sites in that language. Approximately 81 percent of users "at least occasionally" use foreign-language websites, according to the report, while just 57 percent buy products online in a language not their own.
The report may have implications for UK ecommerce businesses. According to experts, offering translated versions of a website in additional language can help drive business in new regions.
Subscribe