Localizing Your Website? Where To Begin
Many USA business owners don't know where to begin when they consider marketing outside of the USA
. Many simply assume that everyone outside of the United States can speak English. It is simply not true. People want to communicate in their own language, even when they speak another language.
This presents a challenge for anyone trying to market overseas markets. The USA economy is so large that companies have difficulty justifying the investment to communicate in a foreign language. But consider this. The era of a USA dominated Internet is probably past. Current Internet usage statistics show the United States does not even have the most number of online users anymore.
This means that many companies that do not invest in translating and localizing their content and commercial practices do so at their own peril. The Internet is global and if you want to unleash its power you cannot expect to do so by assuming that your customers read and understand English.
For example, the Internet has exploded in growth and usage among Asian countries - like South Korea, Vietnam and China - each of whom has experienced explosive increases in online users. These online users could be prime targets for savvy online marketers if they only speak their language.
For a marketer, it is not easy to decide what languages to target in Website localization. A successful overseas effort is not only about merely translating a site into another language and expecting the cash register to ring. There is method to make sure that your effort is successful.
Our first recommendation is that you study your current traffic to detect overseas traffic. Then evaluate vital user statistics of your possible target markets. This is good place to start.
Let's narrow it down. Here are 5 ways you can determine which languages to use in your Website localization efforts:
1. Group countries by the predominant language spoken. For instance, you can group the Spanish-speaking countries together for South America, Mexico, and Spain. There may be a few variations of the lingo spoken in those regions; however the Latin American and Hispanic population will be able to understand your web content.
2. Determine which countries you can serve. You might have a physical presence in certain countries, and this would give that language or region a priority. However, even if you only have a location within the US, this should not deter you from seeking customers in countries that would have interest in your product. Localizing your web content also means localizing your business practices.
3. Figure out the logistics (shipping, customer service, etc.) to give your clients a 'local feel'. Customers that feel that you are not local my resist doing business with you.
4. Sell in the local currency. Localizing the web means the customers will be paying in their currency - whether it be pesos, Euros, liras, riyals, pounds or beans (now that's a 'figure of speech'!).
5. Follow local commercial practices. This involves homework and understanding your target market. You don't have to have a local presence, but we recommend that you give the impression that you do. For instance, have a local toll-free phone number that connects to your home base.
Hiring a localization company who is already familiar with this process will be money well invested. Then you will not only be able to 'speak' to your target audience; you will be able to accurately convey the 'meaning' behind the messages you put forth in your marketing campaigns.
You can do all of that - and more - just by localizing your web content and your commercial practices to attract new global customers!
by: Richard Allenby
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