Multilingual E-Commerce Website:
Case Study: Hardys Market

 

1. Client Overview

Client: Hardys Market
Industry: Grocery, Eastern European foods
Location: Canterbury, UK
Hardys Market is a bricks and mortar grocery store located in Canterbury, known for offering a wide selection of Eastern European foods and other groceries.

They approached us to create an online store that could extend their reach beyond Canterbury, allowing customers across the UK to access their products. The client specifically requested a multi-lingual website to cater to the diverse linguistic backgrounds of their customers, with support for languages such as Bulgarian, Latvian, Albanian, Polish, Lithuanian, Romanian, Hungarian, and Ukrainian.

Multilingual E-Commerce Website
Project Scope and Objectives

The primary objective was to build an e-commerce website that would make Hardys Market’s unique product offerings accessible to people throughout the UK.

The goal was to create a user-friendly platform that reflects the brand’s identity and facilitates easy navigation in multiple languages, thus catering to the varied customer base of the store. Additionally, the website needed robust e-commerce functionality, including payment gateways and shipping options that suited the needs of their diverse clientele.

Process and Development

Stage 1: Design and Conceptualisation

After an initial consultation, we created a visual concept for the site, reflecting the client’s desired colours and the overall look and feel they wanted.

We researched competitor websites to ensure we integrated features that would set Hardys Market apart while providing a familiar interface for customers.

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Stage 2: Development and Styling

Upon approval of the design, we proceeded with setting up the online store using WordPress and the Divi theme.

We integrated WooCommerce for e-commerce functionality and applied custom coding to align the design with the overall aesthetic and functional requirements.

Given the need for multi-language support, we implemented a translation plugin that enabled seamless language switching at the click of a button, accessible via flags in the header.

 

Multilingual E-Commerce Website

Technologies Used: WordPress with Divi, WooCommerce, multi-language translation plugins, and custom coding for additional aesthetic and functional features.

 

Stage 3: Client Training and Handover

We conducted an online training session via Zoom with the client, equipping them to populate, update, and manage the online store independently.We captured the session on video and sent this to them afterwards so that they could refer back to it if they forget anything.

This empowerment ensured that Hardys Market could easily handle day-to-day operations and adjustments to the online store.

Features and Functionality

Multi-Lingual Support

To accommodate Hardys Market’s international customer base, the website includes automatic translation of all text-based content into multiple Eastern European languages with just a mouse click on the flag of the country concerned in the website header.

This feature ensures that customers can navigate and shop comfortably in their native languages, enhancing the user experience and accessibility.

Payment Gateway Integration

Originally, the client planned to use PayPal and Stripe for payments which are standard gateways we use on most E-commerce websites.

However, after consultation, we discovered that they already had a Lloyds payment facility within their existing store that had a much lower per transaction charge. We therefore encouraged the client to contact Lloyds to enable the online merchant features of their account and then worked with Autify (who created the payment gateway integration plugin for Lloyds) to get this integrated into the site.

Realtime Shipping Calculations

Shipping options were configured to calculate costs in realtime based on the total weight of the order, with conditional logic to offer free shipping for orders over £80.

This dynamic system automatically adjusts the shipping cost as items are added to the cart, providing a transparent and user-friendly checkout process.

Responsive Design

The site is fully responsive, allowing customers to shop conveniently from any device. Mobile shoppers enjoy a streamlined browsing experience, with features like larger buttons and optimised navigation that contribute to higher conversion rates. 

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Results and Impact

The client was highly satisfied with the final product.

As reflected in their Google review, they appreciated our professionalism, communication, and ability to bring their vision to life. Though the website is newly launched, we are confident that the site’s multi-lingual accessibility and streamlined UX will drive significant customer engagement and online sales.

 

Multilingual E-Commerce Website

Future Plans and Ongoing Support

To further maximise the website’s potential, we recommend an SEO strategy targeting local traffic in Canterbury and Kent. Once the store is fully populated, we will initiate a Local SEO campaign, with plans to expand to a national scale to reach customers across the UK. This ongoing strategy will strengthen the online presence of Hardys Market, helping them connect with more customers looking for Eastern European groceries.

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