LangShop is an application that allows Shopify users to translate their stores automatically. Since 2017 we’ve made thousands of stores multilingual. From time to time LangShop team faced problems and made small fixes in the app.
We are not going to stop in self-development. Therefore, our team decided that it’s time to move on and renew LangShop. For this, we asked the Shopify team for cooperation and they agreed. So, here is the story of the LangShop major update.
Beginning of the LangShop major update story
In December 2018, we started working with the Shopify team at the integration of the localization for clients. The main idea was to make a localized checkout. To do this we had to change our approach to translations. It became possible thanks to the Shopify API.
API integration improved the app significantly and gave many opportunities. For example, before we translated customer claimed content but not always could display it on the customer’s store. This caused the dissatisfaction of our clients.
API allowed us to increase the percent of the displayed content that was translated. Now, displaying the translated content performs faster and more qualitatively. Furthermore, all translations will be stored on the Shopify server and a client can check them any time.
Consequently, productivity has increased due to the fact that a lot of processes were transferred to the Shopify server side.
From our side, we’ve integrated the Shopify API, renewed interface, changed functionality. In other words, we have radically changed the application.
Painstaking work lasted 5 long months. Integration for release of the multilingual checkout was ready at the end of March 2019…
Pre-update stage of the app
At the beginning of April, we had two clients who were ready to test new LangShop functionality in their stores. For our joy, the first beta testing was great and promising.
After it, we were ready to release LangShop major update BUT a new idea raised. It was decided to localize the entire store (not only checkout) because the biggest part of the new functionality is a part of the checkout.
In order not to create new problems for clients and not to migrate them once again, we decided to finish the work and make it as one release. It includes the following features:
- The first thing that catches your eye it’s a renewed, more easy, convenient, and user-friendly interface.
- Now 241 languages and rare dialects are available for auto-translation. We’ve added rare languages that will allow you to reach the most target audience.
- Full checkout translation into multiple languages without additional scripts.
- Now we translate the text on images into target languages.
- New resources for translation: shop policy, shipping rates (price and weight-based), delivery methods.
- SMS and email templates translation functionality are radically changed.
- Asynchronous tasks: now you can work with the app while making various tasks in the background.
It’s only a brief list of the renewed functionality. On our website, you are able to read more on the Features page.
Release day and common benefits
So, the release day was assigned to December. And we did it! Renewed LangShop saw the world on 6th December 2019.
Now, looking back it’s difficult to imagine what a huge work was made – hundreds of hours of discussions and planning, months of work and bugs fixing. It was a great challenge for all of us.
Our teams integrated this functionality in order to make common clients happy. The LangShop team is sure that this release will bring many benefits for everyone:
- For Shopify
Thanks to this innovation Shopify finally enters the localization market. In this area, it becomes even better than BigCommerce and Wix.
- For LangShop
We get a more stable product and application of better quality. LangShop becomes stronger and more competitive.
- For clients
Our common clients get a powerful application, that translates Shopify stores better and displays multilingual content faster.
New functionality always raises many questions. In LangShop user guides and video tutorials, we’ve tried to describe it as detailed as we can. It would be great if you check it;) Also, our support team is always opened for your questions. Write to us if you need help.
Afterwords
Working with the Shopify team was a very interesting and extremely important experience for us. And we are happy that all our efforts were not in vain. We’ve got a wonderful application and really very pleased with the result.
So, we invite you to the multilingual world with a qualitatively new LangShop application:)
