Most websites owners only think of catering to their local or national audiences. Some common mistakes close doors on your international website visitors.
How many of your international visitors are you turning away without realizing it?
7 Easy Tips to Internationalize Your Web Site
Here are 7 tips on how to keep your web site friendly for international visitors.
1. Easy Content For All Readers.
The majority of internet users world-wide are non-native English speakers. Your web site visitors may have more difficulty in reading English than you do. Avoid slang and national metaphors other cultures cannot follow.
If you use a national sports metaphor to make a point, it might be best to explain your point in another way.
If you mention national holidays, explain them clearly to others who may not celebrate the same holidays as you do.
Is your web site too culturally specific?
2. Be Reachable To Everyone
Can everyone reach you by phone? Toll free numbers are only accessible from within your own country. There are still many web sites that only think about placing this number prominently.
Remember, if you hide your office telephone number somewhere in small print, your international users may not find it. And if they do they will assume your international clients are few and far between, or that you do not want any foreign clients.
Can your international clients reach you by phone?
3. Physical Address
Are you easy to be situated? It is a good idea to have your full physical address easy to find. This is a trust building element.
Foreign visitors will probably be curious as to where you are. If they can visualize it, they will feel more comfortable buying from you. Why not have a snapshot of a map with your town as it is situated near a town foreigners would recognize?
Do your international clients know where you are located?
4. Consistent Vocabulary
Using two words to refer to one thing can have disastrous results on any non-native English speaker. This can be very confusing and generate a slew of negative reactions.
This is one of the sources of cultural blunders.
Do you use consistent vocabulary?
5. Order Address Forms
Unfortunately most order forms used by American companies are still, well, very American. Which is fine, except that international addresses come in multiple formats and not always easy to fit into the standard address form used by North Americans.
However, the biggest difficulty still comes up when the American forms insist on a State or Zip Code it recognizes.
Can your international clients place an order online with you?
6. Glossary
This is a wonderful touch of thoughtfulness your international visitors will greatly appreciate. It is especially useful the glossary is easy to read and very simple in format with clear explanations.
A glossary is highly recommended in certain industries where specific vocabulary requires expert translations. Don’t try to provide translations. Simple explain words with utmost simplicity, clarity and accuracy.
Glossaries are also appreciated in non-technical areas too. Cultural habits differ. People can use vocabulary differently. Glossaries provide insight into how you communicate and provide a base for cross-cultural dialogs.
Do you have a glossary explaining industry terms?
7. Welcome International Visitors
Creating a relationship with international visitors can be as simple as “We welcome international clients” the right place.
You are inviting your international visitors to dialog with you. They may feel hesitant to call or contact you because their language skills are not that great. They may feel embarrassed to call knowing it will take them 5 minutes to talk to know when it would take them 1 minute in their own language.
If you convey your willingness to serve international clients, you will get more foreign revenue.
Do your international clients feel welcome?
With the US dollar’s current international exchange rate, American products and services are priced very attractively to many of your international clients. Now is not the time to be losing international visitors.
If you follow these tips your web site will be friendlier for all of your international visitors.
More On Website Internationalization:
- 7 Website Design Tips For International Markets
- An Easy To Read Website For Your International Visitors First Impression
- Easy Content For All Of Your Web Site Readers
- First Transition To A Global Market Internet Business
- How To Get Your Communication Platform Ready For International Marketing
- Is Your Website Sabotaging Your International Business Development?
- Small Business International Development In Three Easy Steps
- Stop Pushing Your Foreign Visitors Away
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