The Shopify Localization Gap: Why Your Images Are Still in English

TL;DR: You paid for Shopify Markets and translation apps, but your store still looks half-English to international customers. That’s the localization gap, and it’s costing you conversions.
Here’s how to close it with Image Translate Easy.

The Frustrating Reality of Shopify Localization

You did everything Shopify recommended:

• Set up Shopify Markets for international selling
• Installed Translate & Adapt (or another translation app)
• Translated all your product content
• Configured local currencies and payment methods

You visit your German store. Menu is in German. Product titles in German. Checkout in German. Perfect.

Then you scroll down and see your size chart. In English. Your care label image. In English. Your product infographic. In English.

Welcome to the localization gap.

What Gets Translated vs What Doesn’t

Content Type	Translated?
Product titles	Yes
Product descriptions	Yes
Navigation menus	Yes
Checkout text	Yes
Meta descriptions	Yes
Product images with text	No
Size chart images	No
Care label images	No
Infographic images	No
Image alt text	No

See the pattern? Everything that’s text gets translated. Everything that’s an image stays in English.

Why This Gap Exists

It’s not a bug. It’s a fundamental limitation:

• Text is data: stored in database fields, easy to swap
• Images are files: static assets, not translatable content
• Translation tools focus on text: that’s their core function
• Image localization requires different tech: file management, not string replacement

Shopify built excellent text translation tools. They just didn’t build image translation tools.

The Cost of the Gap

This isn’t just an aesthetic issue. The localization gap costs you money:

• Higher bounce rates: Customers feel the store “isn’t really” in their language
• Lower conversion: Confusion about sizes, care instructions, product details
• More returns: Wrong sizes ordered, products used incorrectly
• Lost SEO traffic: Image alt text not ranking in local searches
• Damaged trust: Professional brands look amateur with half-translated stores

You’re paying for international traffic but not fully converting it.

How to Close the Gap

You need a solution that handles what Shopify doesn’t:

1. Image swapping by language: Show German images to German customers
2. Alt text translation: Translate image metadata for SEO
3. Bulk management: Handle hundreds of products efficiently
4. Theme compatibility: Work with any Shopify theme

That’s exactly what Image Translate Easy provides.

Before and After

Before: The Localization Gap

• German text everywhere
• English size chart image
• English care instructions
• English alt text (invisible but hurting SEO)
• Customer feels something is “off”

After: Fully Localized

• German text everywhere
• German size chart image
• German care instructions
• German alt text (ranking in German Google)
• Customer feels at home

Same store, same products, but now truly localized.

Quick Start Checklist

Close your localization gap in order of impact:

1. Install Image Translate Easy: Takes 30 seconds
2. Translate size charts first: Biggest impact on apparel stores
3. Add care label translations: Required in many markets
4. Bulk translate alt text: One click for entire catalog
5. Add other image translations: Infographics, packaging, etc.

You can do this progressively. Start with your top 10 products in your biggest international market.

Complete Your Localization

Don’t let the image gap undermine your localization investment. Close it today: