Hungary vs. SEO – What Does the Local E-commerce Market Look Like?

Hungary is a country located in Central Europe, it’s a member of the European Union and the Schengen Area. It’s rather a small country with a territory of 93,030 square kilometres and 10 million inhabitants. Hungary can’t complain about being lonely – it borders 7 other countries. Moreover, it’s considered to be a medium-high income country which can boast with a very high rate of social development. Hungarian is the official language there and Forint is the currency.

What Comes to Mind When You Think About Hungary?

Hungary is a real land of peppers – more than 1000 varieties of this vegetable are grown there. It’s even said that some types are 100 times hotter than chilli peppers. Probably there is also anyone who hasn’t heard about the famous goulash and Pálinka, traditional Hungarian alcohol. Although the local cuisine is extremely delicious, it won’t be the main focus of our today’s article. Now, we’d like to introduce you to the secrets of the local e-commerce market and SEO.

The Hungarian E-commerce

The analysis of the Hungarian e-commerce market allows us to safely state that it’s developing impressively quickly and its best is yet to come. At the beginning of 2019, the revenues from this sector reached 2042 million dollars. Approximately 6.8 million Hungarians are active internet users which constitutes about 70% of the whole population. (source: https://www.statista.com/outlook/243/139/ecommerce/hungary)

Entering the Hungarian market may turn out to be highly beneficial for foreign sellers. In Hungary, running your own online store and online marketing itself are comparably simple and cheap. However, as is often the case, the local e-commerce market has its own specific rules that need to be followed. International online stores have to compete with incredibly strong local market and the Hungarian tax which is one of the highest ones in the world (27%).

Hungarian Online Shoppers – Who Are They and What do They Buy?

The largest percentage of Hungarians shopping online are people aged 25-55. When it comes to the most frequently chosen e-commerce sites we need to mention eBay, Alibaba, Booking.com or Amazon.com. Tesco, eMAG, Media Markt, Vatera.hu and Ujjé.hu are the greatest and the most popular online shops in Hungary. The local internet users are particularly fond of buying all kinds of electronics, household appliances and toys. Therefore, providing goods from these categories can significantly influence your popularity and position on the Hungarian e-commerce market.

Payment Methods Make a Difference

Surprisingly, cash on delivery is the most common payment method in Hungary. Although each year more and more people are becoming credit card holders, most Hungarians still prefer to pay only after the ordered goods arrive at the indicated address. Thus, when you decide to enter the local market you need to remember about providing your potential customers with payment methods that will be the most convenient for them. It often happens that people resign from making a purchase if they can’t find preferred or trusted payment methods when making a transaction.

It’s also worth mentioning that Hungarians are very keen on buying in foreign online shops. In this case, payment optimization can have a big impact on conversion rates. Therefore, if you’re running a foreign online shop, you necessarily need to remember about ensuring international payments, currency conversion and appropriate shipping methods.

M-commerce – Yes or Not?

It’s estimated that almost 90% of the Hungarian online shoppers make their purchases via computers. Thus, there is a considerable difference between the abovementioned majority and the left 10% of the tablet and smartphone buyers. Nevertheless, m-commerce is the future of online shopping worldwide and Hungary isn’t an exception here. Retail traders should keep it in mind while designing their online stores and product offers. Mobile optimization is a must if you want your business to stay successful and well-prospering.

SEO in Hungary and the Potential of the Local E-commerce

SEO adjusted to the local reality and good content marketing are the keys to attract Hungarian customers. Note that almost 83% of the local internet users aged 16-73 are active members of various social media platforms which constitutes the highest rate in the European Union. A thorough insight into the mentality and market of the inhabitants of a given country is crucial to succeed. If you want to find out more, go to our article on international SEO and online store sales strategy abroad: https://delante.co/international-seo-and-sales-strategy/

SEO in Hungary doesn’t have to be complicated. All you need to do is to take care of a suitable strategy and learn what to pay special attention to while performing SEO activities. It’s a necessity to analyze user behavior and implement elements that have the greatest influence on the visibility and popularity of your site, meaning:

• translations which are optimized for e-commerce,
• currency exchange,
• local marketing and SEO,
• keywords,
• international payments,
• various payment methods,
• care for legal aspects.

Domain

.hu is the primary domain name in Hungary and it can be registered by anybody coming from any EU country. To buy a domain, online shop owners aren’t required to have any special representatives or a registered business activity in Hungary. The minimum registration period is 2 years and the same applies when you want to renew your site. However, if you prefer something else, .co.hu and info.hu are alternative domain names available in Hungary.

Language

Unsurprisingly, Hungarian is the most widely spoken language in Hungary. If you’re planning to enter the local market, you need to remember about a decent translation of your website and offered products or services. Of course, the translation must meet the requirements of the local search engines, culture and customs.

Search Engine

Google is the most popular search engine in Hungary used by more than 98% of users. Keep it in mind while optimizing your website. Thanks to it, you’ll increase user convenience and visibility of your website in the search results. SEO makes it easier for search engines to comprehend and display the content of a site.

Quality content is a must

Well-written and quality content inspires greater trust. Readable and orthographically correct texts will not only contribute to better results but also to better understanding by the users. Proper content makes it easier for Hungarians to get the message and this, in turn, increases the chances of them visiting the website again. And last but not least, remember about choosing keywords that will match the content of your site.

Social Media

As we’ve already mentioned, as many as 83% of the Hungarian internet users are active members of various social media platforms. This piece of information is particularly important in terms of SEO. Social media profiles in Hungarian are not only a great tool for interacting with the users but also a helpful source of valuable links. Facebook is the most eagerly used social media platform in Hungary.

To sum up

The Hungarian e-commerce market, its dynamic development and strong competition make it a perfect place for the expansion of online shops. E-commerce companies from more developed Western and Central European countries are keen on extending the range of their business activities by launching the products and services onto Hungary. Obviously, it requires prior preparation and thorough analysis of customers and the area of the country where you want to operate.

One of the best ways to appeal to Hungarian customers is to use local SEO and social media platforms. A proper and user friendly website is the next step. Inaccurate and misleading Hungarian translations as well as other critical mistakes (incorrect product descriptions, currency or insufficient choice of shipping options) often deter potential buyers. Only an in-depth insight into the rules governing the local e-commerce market offers endless opportunities for success in the online sales segment of this quickly developing country.