PrestaShop modules to help you rock international sales

It has happened! Your business is growing and you are thinking about overseas expansion. However, international sales are quite a challenge for any entrepreneur and his store. New foreign-language customers mean configuring new languages, assigning them to individual domains, handling different currencies, redirects....

The list of tasks is really long, and you will get a good migraine from thinking what else you need to prepare. Relax! We have prepared several solutions that will make your international sales run smoothly and efficiently. You will be able to focus on further scaling;)

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First of all - configuration!

Running a store is quite a challenge! You need to have eyes around your head and keep an eye on literally everything, at any time of day or night. And we're talking about just one market! Operating internationally, you could spend all day checking that everything works... and you'd probably run out of time anyway ;)

The default solution is PrestaShop Multistore. Multistore would work well if we wanted to run many different stores from one admin panel. We, however, want to use the store on which we already run sales.

Let's get started: incorporate the new currencies and languages you'll need in your store for the markets you want to sell in. If you don't know how to go about it, we refer you to the official, well-described Polish PrestaShop documentation.

Local and global domains will help you position yourself

PrestaShop Multistore - the minimum that PrestaShop offers as standard

In the PrestaShop configuration you will find the PrestaShop Multistore feature. Multistore is multiple online stores managed in one common admin panel. Each store in Multistore is configured independently: from domain and template, to product set, to module settings. If you install a new module in PrestaShop Multistore, you need to configure it for each store independently. The analogy is to work with products, store configuration, work on SEO, blog, etc.

This is great for running multiple stores from one place, however, when you have 1 online store that you want to start promoting overseas, then Multistore is rather an unnecessary burden.

PrestaShop Domain Manager

PrestaShop Domain Manager to the rescue! Everything in one place, working automatically, conveniently and intuitively. Our module will allow you to use multiple domains in one PrestaShop store without having to enable Multistore. You embrace the basics, and our module will take care of the rest:

  • It will take care of redirecting old links to new domains;
  • It will connect and detect domains and link domains to languages and currencies available in your store;
  • It will take care of links and SEO for foreign search results.

How does the setup work? Cepa construction it may not be, but it can be done quickly, easily and pleasantly :) Let's assume that your PrestaShop store should run on domain.cz for Czech customers and domain.pl for Polish customers. It only takes 5 simple steps to make everything work!

  1. Install the module in your store
  2. Redirect additional domains to your server/store
  3. Add redirected domains in the module
  4. Assign languages and currencies to the domains
  5. Use multilingual store under multiple domains :-)

Isn't that great? Bottom line: everything your international business could dream of, you have in one place! And it's automatic! You can assign the languages available in your store to a domain - the module will switch the language automatically for the domain the customer enters. Similarly, it will deal with currencies and redirections to new domains!

The module will check the language of the browser of the viewer and on this basis will quickly load the appropriate domain. The module will handle even the most intricate situations. If your services, e.g. electronic payments, are configured with a specific original domain of your store, the module will move what you need where, so as not to make unnecessary mess. Everything works as it should and you can boldly move on!

Server location

The location of the server is crucial for international sales, as Google takes it into account in search results. If your online store is hosted in Poland, this may limit its visibility in other countries.

To prevent this, it's a good idea to use Cloudflare and other Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), which allow content to be served from servers closer to users in different markets. This reduces page load times and positively impacts SEO in local search results.

Additionally, it's a good idea to configure Google Search Console, setting a preferred country for each language version of the site. It will also be effective to use country domains (e.g., .de, .fr) or sub-directories with valid hreflang tags, which help Google assign the right versions of the site to the right markets.

Local backlinks also play an invaluable role - acquiring backlinks from reputable sites in a given country increases the domain's authority and improves its search engine ranking. Thanks to these solutions, even if your store's server is located in Poland, you can effectively compete in foreign markets.

PrestaShop store translation

PrestaShop standard will allow you to enable any languages and translate every field or description in the store in the target languages. It can be English, French, Spanish, Ukrainian or any other language. In a small store, this is a small problem - if you hire someone to translate or copy translations from online translators by hand. With a huge database of products, blog posts and regular SOE content work, translations can start to generate large costs for the store owner.

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Automatic translation of PrestaShop store

A proven solution is automatic translation. A perfect solution is automatic translation at the highest technologically possible level. We have conducted tests of many translators. In terms of quality and performance, DeepL wins.

"The DeepL service was founded by Jaroslaw Kutylowski. Since its international launch in August 2017, Translator DeepL has been breaking quality records in the field of machine translation and allows you to use the full power of neural network technology DeepL."

The translator can be used to cover all elements of the store. From content in the template and modules to descriptions, links and SEO tags of products and categories.

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If you want to automatically translate your store check out our PrestaShop Translator module, which will translate your entire store in up to 27 languages in just a few clicks, and make it easy to translate the ongoing changes you make in your daily work with the store.

Products available for selected countries only

Long-distance logistics and the nature of international markets may require you to limit the availability of certain products in selected countries your store reaches.

To set the visibility of products in your store by buyer's domain/language, you can use our module

Blog posts that translate themselves

To make your store appear in foreign and local search results, it is worth taking care of interesting SEO-oriented content. With good content, the traffic statistics and SEO value of your store increase. You can mix blog posts with products and post directly in any areas of your store. In running a good eCommerce blog, our blog module will help you.

We created the blog post you are reading now using the PrestaShop SEO Blog module:

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Product pricing in multiple currencies

The PrestaShop standard allows you to enable additional currencies in your store, such as EUR, USD, GBP, PLN, etc. Currency rates can update automatically, or you can enter rates manually.

prestashop price exchange

Variables such as foreign customer service, currency conversion losses, product customization and logistics for another region may require you to provide completely different prices for products you sell in your home country. What if the prices of your products in foreign markets should have their own prices, not derived from currency conversion?

prestashop product prices in currencies

To give product prices in currencies excluding exchange rates, use the PriceMaster module. After installing the module, new fields will appear in the PrestaShop product edition, where you will be able to enter the price of products and combinations for each of the currencies enabled in your store.

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Taxes and VAT rates for foreign buyers and verification of tax number in VIES / GUS

Ok, the configuration of the store is done. All domains work correctly, currencies display as they should, everyone can see your store and products in the language of their choice. Simply a fairy tale! It's time to do a little shopping!

Receipts and invoices should be issued for orders . The basis for posting an invoice is the tax number (TIN, VAT). Its correctness is insanely important: an incorrect or unverified tax number can generate additional costs if, for example, you sell your goods without VAT for a "fictitious trader", accounting problems or wasted time spent on correcting the data or contacting the buyer. And after all, this is not the point ;)

Fortunately, we have prepared a solution for this too! We have in our arsenal a tax number validator for B2B customers. Our module is so clever that it will automatically detect address forms in your PrestaShop store after installation and will check the correctness of the entered tax number: TIN, VAT, VAT-EU, VAT-UK, or Company Number, which foreign B2B customers complete when placing an order.

Above that, the module integrates with the Central Statistical Office and can auto-complete company data after entering only the VAT number.

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What does this mean for you? First of all, it automates the buyer verification process and eliminates errors. The module will block the invoice data form with a wrong or inactive tax number. The customer is informed about the errors found.

Remember that VAT should be charged to domestic B2B sales and to any B2B sales. The 0% VAT rate applies ONLY to non-Polish entities with a valid tax number.

Thanks to the module, your store will be prepared for national and European Union regulations! The module will make sure that you sell with 0% VAT rate without errors and can issue error-free invoices.

And since we are already at invoices....

Invoice in the store - total automation!

Under the new regulations, as of May 1, 2021, the seller is exempt from the obligation to issue a printed fiscal receipt every time. It can be replaced by an electronic fiscal receipt (named invoice), which will be sent to the customer's e-mail address(source). It's worth taking advantage of!

Why rummage through piles of paperwork when everything can be done for you by a module to be installed in PrestaShop? And the benefits don't end there. If you give up receipts:

  • You don't transfer your data anywhere! All invoice operations take place securely in your store.
  • The module will issue and send invoices without VAT, with VAT, duplicate, correction and return to Polish and foreign customers, as well as to you and your accountant.
  • The module will generate invoices in PDF and a statement in CSV, which your accountant will upload directly into her accounting program.

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Sound appealing? Read more about invoicing in online sales on our blog!

Source code optimization and technical SEO

Choosing modules is not all you can do to make your store appear on the foreign Internet. You also need to take care of good source code and the speed of your store. Optimizing PrestaShop and bringing your store up to international standards is a sizable branch of eCommerce. At PrestaShow, we keep abreast of the changes and requirements of search engines and know the standards that increase the SEO value of your store in foreign markets.

Below we list the must-haves you should keep in mind when planning to enter foreign markets:

  1. PrestaShop store speed optimization (Page Speed, GTMetrix, Lighthouse)
  2. Optimization of problems in Google Search Console
  3. Duplicate links
  4. Canonnical parameter
  5. Hreflang parameters
  6. Internal linking
  7. Noindex, nofollow
  8. Quality of content and translations
  9. and much more...

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Get to work!

Equipped with all the necessary tools and knowledge, you can boldly enter international markets. Nothing will stop you! From domain configuration, languages to tax number validation and invoicing. Now you can focus on what's really important - leave the technicalities to us! ;)

That's not all! We are conquering foreign markets ourselves, and all the modules we have listed are the basis of our store and the stores of hundreds of our customers. Expect more super updates of PrestaShow modules!

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