Start a webshop in Belgium (Flemish and French)

For a successful introduction of your existing Dutch-language webshop in Belgium (Flemish and French languages), we recommend a step-by-step approach based on the available options and criteria. Below you will find complete advice including a practical roadmap.

Background

For extending a Dutch-language webshop with additional languages (whether or not under the same URL or with a language code addition in the existing url), Magento is ideally suited. For each of the paths mentioned below (do it yourself, AI and Clonable) Vicus has worklists available where the one for 'do it yourself' has been used for over twelve years. For the most part, these also have the same components.

It is good to briefly highlight the non-language components (assuming adding languages to the existing shop on the same domain).

Software

For each new language, the language-specific language-pack will be installed. Depending on the translation route to be used (do it yourself, AI and Clonable) the plug-ins required for it.

Of existing plug-ins, it is wise to check whether they have their own translation for the new languages and to add, supplement and improve them where necessary.

Configuration

For each of the new languages, a new storeview is created in the web shop. For each storeview, the configuration is adjusted as needed for the new language/target group. For example, certain shipping methods and payment methods can be added or removed.

When unlocking new countries, it may be necessary to check VAT settings for ICP and/or distance sales.

Assortment management

Usually the entire assortment is published 1-to-1 on new languages. If this is not the case, it will have to be set by category and/or product.

Integrations

For connected systems (ERP/accounting, logistics service providers etc) it may be necessary to include translations. For example, if an invoice from ERP/accounting or a packing slip from the logistics service provider is sent, these themselves must be translated and the product description, among other things, must also be in the correct language.

For linguistic adaptations, a few points of interest:

Emails

Email templates are always translated separately (unless content with the default translation provided in the language template); this is not handled by AI or Clonable.

Images

Images are a separate concern. On the one hand, the image is culture bound and a Belgian will see that it is a Dutch photo (depending on what is on it). This can lead to sensitivities. On the other hand, there may be text on the image. If that is the case, a new image with different text will have to be created; this is not (yet) picked up by AI or Clonable

Exclusion list

There are texts on the webshop that should not be translated. For example, the page https://www.haarpro.nl/american-crew-classic-gray-shampoo the product should not suddenly be called "Shampooing quotidien à l'argent d'American Crew". These are usually brand names, trade names, product names, proprietary names. These will be added in the exclusion list.

Translation ambigu

Is (e.g.) English 'orange' in Dutch 'orange' or 'orange' ? Where AI or Clonable get it wrong, words can be included in a dictionary to guide translation.

What is the effect of deploying each of the options ?

The effect is largely determined by how texts to be translated are recognized and where/how translations are captured.

The Web visitor comes to a Web page and looks at the screen. That which is on the screen is (technically) constructed by texts in

• webshop's database;
• The language files of the shop (usually several up to 100 different ones);
• the configuration.

Below (not exhaustive) is how each of the methods deals with that particular component.

Subject	Manual	Clonable	Automatically via AI
General
What is?	Everything	All text displayed on the web screen	What is offered for translation through the AI configuration
What doesn't?	What is not considered	Any text that does not show up on the web screen	What is not offered for translation through the AI configuration
Where is the translation fixed ?	In the shop	At Clonable	In the shop
Exclusion list ?	Discipline	Yes	Yes
Translation steerable ?	Discipline	Yes	Yes
Timeliness / up-2-date ?	Discipline	Dependent subscription	Yes
Ongoing ?	Discipline	Yes	Yes
Language coverage FR and Flemish	??	Yes	FR yes, Flemish no
Language files
Magento2 language pack	With each update	As visible on screen	No
Module translations	Depending on module and language	As visible on screen	No
Customer-specific translations	Yes	As visible on screen	No
Database
Configuration e.g. payment methods, shipping methods, order statuses	Yes	As visible on screen	No
Catalog Categories	Yes	As visible on screen	Yes
Catalog Product Information	Yes	As visible on screen	Yes
Catalog product characteristics	Yes	As visible on screen	No
Other content (flat pages, menu, faq, blog, product labels etc)	Yes	As visible on screen	No Nb there is a new plug-in in testing phase that translates cms blocks and pages and can easily connect other modules
Emails	Yes	No	The product information
pdf prints	Yes	No	The product information
Sitemap	Yes	No	The product/category information
Integrations
ERP - order info	Yes	No	The product information
ERP - product info	Yes	No	The product information
Logistics services	Yes	No	The product information
Marketplaces	Yes	No	The product information
Text in images	Yes	No	No

Objective

• Fast and cost-effective testing of the Flemish and Walloon markets with a focus on quality and a good user experience.

Recommended approach

A hybrid approach is usually best suited. Here you combine machine translation for speed and low cost, with manual quality control for better localization and SEO.

1. Start automatic translation (via Clonable or AI)
   • Use tools such as Clonable or an AI solution (such as DeepL or ChatGPT API) to quickly translate content into both Flemish and French.
   • Make sure the output is clear, understandable and complete.
2. Quality control by a native speaker or professional
   • Have the automatically translated content checked and updated by a native speaker. This can be done through a freelancer or a translation agency.
   • Focus on localization: check not only language, but also cultural nuances, such as style, currency, and units of measurement.
3. Use a new store-view for each language area
   • Create a separate store-view for both Flemish and French in Magento.
   • Provide SEO-friendly URLs, meta descriptions and keyword optimization in both languages.
4. Focus on key pages and products
   • Start by translating the most important pages, categories and products relevant to the Belgian market.
   • Expand the content if the experiment proves successful.
5. Monitoring and optimization
   • Use Google Analytics and Search Console to monitor the traffic and performance of the new language versions.
   • Gather feedback from Belgian customers and adjust content as needed.

Practical Steps

1. Preparation
   • Select the products and pages that are important to the Belgian market.
   • Set up a new store-view for Dutch (Flanders) and French (Wallonia).
2. Automatic translation
   • Translate content with Clonable or AI solutions.
3. Quality control
   • Have a native speaker check and optimize key pages and products.
4. Published
   • Publish translated content and monitor performance.
5. Optimization
   • Adjust translations based on customer feedback and data.

This approach allows you to get started quickly while ensuring quality. Want help choosing the right tools? We are happy to think with you!