Cindy King's International Business Blog » localized website

Using Foreign Language E-Communication Tools

Cindy King — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:13:54 +0000

International Web Marketing Mix

International business expansion can be expensive and laden with risks. Well this is true when companies limit themselves to only using traditional marketing methods in their international business development.

This can also be the case when companies use some internet marketing but rely heavily on traditional marketing methods.

Creating foreign language content for one internet marketing communication medium is a good way to start.

Traditional & Internet Marketing Mix

Today’s best marketing practices are based on implementing both internet marketing and traditional marketing campaigns. Companies rarely rely on both methods to the same extent. One marketing environment is often used more than the other.

The emphasis of either of these marketing methods depends on several factors including the company’s culture and history. It can be said that traditional, long standing companies now have to develop real internet marketing strategies, beyond the brochure website. And it is recognized that internet companies will get better results with some traditional marketing added to their marketing mix.

Internet Marketing Reduces Risk In International Expansion

When considering your international business expansion internet marketing reduces the risk in international expansion. But how can you really develop your business with internet methods? Some companies put up a website and think this opens their doors to international clients. Yes, it may. But the results will be very limited.

An interactive internet marketing campaign must be carried out in each and every foreign market you want to target. Simply having your website written in a way that communicates with you will not get you many international clients.

A Single Foreign Language Blog Can Start Your International Development

Today most businesses understand the value of having a blog. Instead of thinking with traditional marketing mindset, why not use today’s trend in social media and start off your international business expansion with a single communication tool specifically targeting one foreign country.

For example, Abercrombie & Fitch has a blog in French specifically targeting the French market. They are not physically present in France. It is getting recognition.

Creating foreign language content for one internet communication medium will greatly reduce your costs. It would be easier to keep control on from where you are now and reduce a large percentage of the risk involved with your international expansion.

Companies seeking international business development should look at how they can use this to their advantage. Internet marketing can be used as the sole marketing strategy when targeting a foreign market in the beginning.

A Dynamic Foreign Lead Generation System

Once you get some feedback from your foreign market you would be in a position to adjust your offer to fit better with your foreign market and develop your first foreign client base using only internet marketing strategies. Your first clients could finance further foreign language communication to create a more dynamic internet marketing lead generation system.

An effective internet marketing campaign will give your company the knowledge you need to make the international business decisions. You will then be able to choose which traditional marketing you should use to further your expansion. As your international business you will then move towards localized websites in all of your foreign markets. This is how to become a truly international company.

If you follow these tips your web site will be friendlier for all of your international visitors.

Business Guides On Get International Clients

Third Transition To A Global Market Internet Business

Cindy King — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:04:19 +0000

International Content Creation

Once you have a localized website adapted to each of your target markets you will want your international clients to feel more familiar with your products and services. You will want to improve the level of communication with your foreign markets.

Your website is now localized. It is already on their territory. The best way to deepen your relationship is to communicate with your foreign markets solely in their language, and to communicate exactly how you would if you were your local competitor.

Foreign Language Communication Strategy

The better you know your foreign markets the more options you will have. At the very minimum you could organize an email campaign in their language. Before doing this, make sure this would be appropriate in their culture. Will your target market read your emails, how would they read your emails?
Foreigners targeting North American business men might be surprised at how many of them use tiny little Blackberry screens to read emails. A country like France with high ADSL penetration might forget that other countries are not so lucky and they should therefore send appropriate content in their emails.

Easy, Low Cost, Multi-Channel Communication Each Month

Once these elements have been defined, create a simple communication strategy in the foreign language. With a little thought and preparation you can come up with a foreign language communication plan for minimal investment in time and money.

Take advantage of the possibility of re-purposing content to be used in different formats both online and offline. Come up with ways to get your international clients to interact with you, plan beforehand to get feedback and track results.
* Online events
* Surveys
* Competitions
* Ask for feedback campaigns

Use incentives to improve responses. Think of the foreign appeal your incentives might have. This can often translate into something low cost. Tie this with your own local events.

Example Based On A Monthly 2-Page Newsletter Written

One cost effective solution is a monthly 2-page newsletter with 4 articles written by a foreign native marketing professional. This monthly newsletter can be repurposed into several formats using the same content. This will give you a variety of communication touches in your foreign market each month:

* Monthly Newsletter – online and in print
* Weekly Emails
* Podcasts
* Videos
* Monthly Surveys
* Product Reviews
* Case Studies
* …and more, with variety over the year

* This entire international client lead generation strategy only by investing in one 2-page translation.

This can work very well if combined with a local event, international exhibition or some other way clients can interact with you.

A great bonus is getting your writer to use foreign language keyword optimization.

This foreign language communication campaign will increase your understanding of your international markets even further. A valuable asset for any business. You will be ready to move towards a fully customized foreign website.

Website totally customized to local cultures

You will need to analyze your market potential again. Do you understand what incites your foreign market to buy your product? If so, then it is time to look at translating your entire foreign language website.

Your own knowledge of your international market will make it easier for you to determine which web pages can be translated and which web pages should be exchanged for pages written in the foreign language by industry experts. Your foreign website will probably not look exactly like your original local website.

Adaptation Phase

Creating a foreign language website can be done in stages. Remember to always think of how your foreign visitors may react to this.

* Welcome them
* Acknowledge their needs
* Show them what you have in place already to help them.

You may or may not have a fully multilingual staff, explain this appropriately somewhere on your website.

“We particularly appreciate all of our foreign clients. Unfortunately we are not able to have staff to speak to you in your own language on a full time basis. Please leave us a message and we will get back to you as soon as we can”.

You Have Control Of Your International Development

As your business grows and defines itself, you will set up an appropriate structure and find the partners best suited to your business requirements.

If you follow these tips your web site will be friendlier for all of your international visitors.

Second Transition To A Global Market Internet Business

Cindy King — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:58:42 +0000

Website Localization

Once you have your main website open for international business. If your website is actually speaking to foreign visitors and not alienating them, then it is time to take your next step in developing a global market presence.

All of your marketing efforts should be aimed at determining where you need to sign up for a localized website.

Are your current international clients from a concentrated area on the globe?

Does you market lead you to choose a specific international market?

Is there a country you feel passionate about and feel there is a market there for your products and services?

Depending on your resources you may only choose to develop one new country market at a time. The more countries you do a market analysis for the easier it becomes.

Some companies at this stage decide to translate their website into 5 languages: Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, French, and German. This can be a wasted investment at this stage. Will your product hit the same emotional buttons in your foreign markets? This is highly unlikely.

Remember Spanish in South and Central America is very different from the language spoken in Spain. And the people are different. French is spoken in several countries too. Which culture is your main target?

Become Acquainted With Your Foreign Market

If you are a small business and or do not want to go to the expense of too many changes in translations, take this process slowly. Take your time to get some detailed market knowledge for your products in the foreign countries. You can do this from your “internationalized” local website.

Work with your current international clients. Run international campaigns in English from your local website that stimulates international market feedback. Use traditional methods of market research and client prospecting by phone. Even when only speaking English you will get some feedback. Keep at it until you feel you are now acquainted with your foreign market.

Localized Websites To Get To Know Other Markets

You now know which country you want to sell to. You may even have decided to target a country that speaks your own language. The next logical step is to create a localized website in your first overseas target market.

So what does a localized website mean? Create a second website for your foreign market. This new website is localized for your new target market. It can be hosted locally or in your foreign market. But it will be submitted to all of the local foreign web directories.

And it will be written specifically for your foreign market. Use your original website as a model to adapt to communicate with your new market. Company branding is important. Truly communicating with your foreign markets in a way that will get them to listen to you is more important. Play around with finding the balance.

One key to successfully finding this balance is using web templates…without text embedded in the graphics.

At this stage probably only part of your website will be translated. This is not the best scenario. It may feel like a cold brochure. Just be sure to give your international clients access to your local website in English. If they know what to expect in which language and this is clearly indicated on your new website, this is acceptable.

Continue to develop relationships with people in your new markets, do more research, test changes and adaptations to your localized website. With a little bit of follow up and concentrated effort you will become very familiar with your new market. You will learn how to offer your product and services to get sales in a different market.

You will then be ready for the next transition: A Fully Customized Website

If you follow these tips your web site will be friendlier for all of your international visitors.

Don’t Miss…

First Transition To A Global Market Internet Business

Cindy King — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 16:49:27 +0000

Website Internationalization

International Development With Internet Marketing In Three Easy Steps

Some companies feel they have a global market e-commerce with an online presence. But are the international clients coming to your online store? And if they are, how did they find you? Does your online website have a real presence in foreign countries?

Once you have a local or national business operating through a website, there are a few steps you can take to develop your market further abroad.

Targeting international markets still involves the same type of market analysis you needed for your current business. Often a bit more market analysis is needed to allow for the cultural adaptation of your products. This market research is multiplied by the number of countries you would like to do business in.

Assess Your Communication

Then you must step back and look at your current means of communication. The website you have for your own local market. How would foreigners react to your website?

There are a few general questions to ask yourself.

* Is your website clear and easy to understand?
* Could an 8 year old easily understand what your company does?
* Do you only provide an 800 number? Do foreigners know how to reach you? Put in your local land line telephone number. Give your full physical address.
* Is your order form compatible for international addresses, or does it get stuck if you don’t put in an American State code? Make sure your order forms have enough lines for foreign addresses.
* Do you use one specific word for things? – having two or three ways for saying one thing makes it harder for foreigners to follow you. Choose between “car” and “vehicle”. It is a good idea to create a glossary of company terms – you will greatly appreciate this later on.
* Do you use specific cultural expressions or slang? Keep your communication easy to understand by everyone.
* Does your website refer to specific national holidays? Is that something you should change?
* Do you have any embedded words in your diagrams? Avoid them and it will make it easy for you to translate any images later on.

Making these changes should not take away the strength of your sales message to your local market. The good practices for an effective website in your local market are very similar. Taking those local good practices a little further will open your website up for international expansion. Your communication will become clearer to your international clients.

Once you make these transitions to your current website you will be on your way to your next transition towards an international business: Localized Websites.

If you follow these tips your web site will be friendlier for all of your international visitors.

Don’t Miss…

How To Internationalize Your Website

Stop Pushing Your Foreign Visitors Away

Cindy King — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:27:38 +0000

Website Internationalization

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.

Don’t Miss…

How To Internationalize Your Website

Easy Content For All Of Your Website Readers

Cindy King — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:11:39 +0000

Website Internationalization

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. If a foreign visitor cannot understand your website easily he will not stay around long.

Avoiding Slang

Slang can be hard for others to understand. It can be very localized as well. Find the balance you need to communicate both with your local audience and any cross cultural encounters you come up with.

Avoiding National Metaphors

National metaphors can stop all communication. Your differences are advertised across all of your communication.

If you use a national sports metaphor to make a point, it might be best to explain your point in another way.

Explain National Holidays

If you mention national holidays, explain them clearly to others who may not celebrate the same holidays as you do.

If you have an up coming holiday that seems obvious to you, remember that others might be trying to reach you. A reminder in some form is polite and may prevent foreign customers from wondering why you take so long to respond to them.

Be Open To Others

Is your web site too culturally specific? Sometimes an English web site written by a non-native English speaker can be more open to cross-cultural communication than one written by an English language company totally oblivious to its international visitors.

An open attitude and willingness to do business with everyone can be felt throughout the websites that make the effort. This is a real invitation to do business with others.

State Clearly What You Do

It is sometimes just a little bit harder for your international visitors to grasp what it is you actually do. The longer a visitor is unclear as to what your web site is about the more likely he will move on.

A clear, easy to understand explanation straight up front can be useful. Be sure to put it somewhere easy to see.

If you have any graphics, be sure they correspond to your activity and don’t create confusion in understanding your activity. Graphics do speak a thousand words, and if your graphics lead to confusion

State Clearly What You Want Your Visitors To Do

This is often overlooked. Again, cross-cultural communication benefits greatly with clear communication.

You have a web site. What do you want your international visitors to do? Give them clear, easy to find, easy to see, easy to understand directions.

At the very least, something like:

“We appreciate all foreign business, if you have any questions or comments, we would love to hear from you. Please call us at this number, or email Cindy at this email address, and we will get back to you within 36 hours”.

Making your web site content easy to understand by all of your internet visitors is one of the first steps in internationalizing your web site.

An internationalized website will open your online business to more international clients.

And more international clients will lead you to move towards localizing your web site and developing into a truly international business. Having an internationalized web site will make the transition to a localized website a lot easier, saving you time and money.

If you follow these tips your web site will be friendlier for all of your international visitors.

Don’t Miss…

How To Internationalize Your Website

Localization Is A Door To Innovation

Cindy King — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:00:09 +0000

Website Localization

I am always amazed at stories of product innovations when companies develop their international markets. These stories are inspiring. And when they are stories in countries I’m not familiar with they often completely take me off guard.

In his book “Redefining Global Strategy”, Copyright 2007, from Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation, Pankaj Ghemawat, gives a few examples of how everyday products were changed to adapt to local market demands in India:

Detergent bars for people to wash their clothes by hand.
Toothpaste made to be used with fingers instead of toothbrushes
A bar of soap with one side coated in plastic so it would take longer to wear down
A special shampoo and hair oil product

Hearing about such stories gives us all valuable insights into the cultural differences in our foreign markets. It makes us realize that other cultures have basic needs and desires different to our own. Other people live very differently than we do.

How can we use the inspiration from these stories in our own business?

Continue Localizing Your Online Businesses

Businesses targeting international markets mainly through online sales and marketing activities should be inspired to persevere with market research.

Opening your online international development by localizing your websites can lead to increased interaction with foreign markets. Ongoing research and market feedback will lead to adjustments to adapt your products to foreign markets.

Pankaj Ghemawat explains that large multinationals have the choice of:

Coming into a country and simply skimming off the narrow top level of the market, or

Expanding their products through innovation to meet local cultural needs.

Not all companies developing overseas will have the luxury of making this choice.

Localization Is A Tool To Understand Your Foreign Markets

An intimate understanding of each of your foreign markets will be a major factor in innovating your products to different cultures.

By stimulating feedback from your foreign markets, even if it is only online, you will acquire valuable foreign market knowledge. Combine this knowledge with the right mindset. Try to look at your products through your foreign prospects eyes, and experience your products as he would experience them.

The question is will you simply skim off your market or will you be inspired to innovate your products to local needs and desires.

Will all of the research and analyzing your products “results” in foreign markets keep you from being truly inspired and seeing the opportunities for new product innovation?

If you follow these tips your web site will be friendlier for all of your international visitors.

Don’t Miss…

Mind Mapping Makes Life Easier

Cindy King — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:06:31 +0000

Uniquely Cindy On Productivity

Today’s information is quicker to grasp, analyze and process. One time or another we are all faced with dealing too much information. We need to gather, catalog and make sense such a pile of information we doubt we will ever find the time to do it.

The number of information sources is increasingly abundant. There are magazines, books, web sites, abstracts, multimedia sources and probably one or more I forgot to mention.

The diversity in types of media has increased too. We used to have paper on which books and magazines were printed. Now we also have CD’s, DVD’s, video tapes, internet and computer files.

How is it humanly possible to stay up-to-date with all of the information we need to assimilate? It has become increasingly difficult to organize all this information in a manner that makes sense. And it is nearly impossible to retrieve all this information easily.

Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is one way to handle this information overload. Especially digital mind mapping.

A mind map is a technique developed by Tony Buzan. He introduced this very powerful technique to unlock the brains fullest potential. Originally having a piece of paper and some colored pencils was enough to create handy mind maps.

The mind map’s original purpose is to stimulate a thought process on paper similar to the one that goes on in our brains. It provides a more creative way to bring information together than is possible in normal written formats. Information can be more easily understood in a mind map, often in one quick glance.

Digital Mind Mapping

Although this early technique on paper still works some companies have introduced digital forms of these mind maps in their business processes.

The digital form makes it easy to create mind maps fast. You are now allowed to edit, draw and manage your ideas on your personal computer. You can share you mind maps and leverage group ideas.

There are many stand-alone software programs available and even online mind map programs are popping up on the Internet.

Companies Using Mind Mapping

Many organizations are introducing the mind map technique as an excellent brainstorming tool. It makes creative juices flow easily. Participants of these digital brainstorming sessions are usually very enthusiastic about the new possibilities.

Even the Time Management community seems to have discovered digital mind mapping. It makes it very easy to brainstorm, to organize your thoughts or even write a book. With the added bonus of being very quick to revise if you need it later.

Mind Map A Book

One example is how mind mapping can help you write a book. It is a great way to keep an overview of the topics you want to discuss. You start with the main topic in the middle and add branches for each chapter or topic. Then you can add branches or sub topics to each main branch. You will get a tree shaped picture will all the chapters or topics in one easy to grasp overview.

Subtopics can be put on a separate page and further developed while still being connected to the main project. Outside documents, website URL’s can be linked into the original mind map. One document can give you the entire related library if necessary.

Idea Tool

Rather then jotting down your ideas in a traditional linear list you can collect your ideas in a visual map. Thus making it easier to keep a bird’s eye view of you ideas and stimulated the development of your ideas. Mind maps are easy to put down and come back to. They are so easy to comprehend at a glance. You can easily add in new ideas or sub topics and develop your mind maps further.

So next time you are stuck thinking up new ideas or organizing old ones think of this creativity tool and the endless possibilities digital mind mapping can provide you with.

If you follow these tips your web site will be friendlier for all of your international visitors.

Here are a few more Uniquely Cindy articles on Productivity:
- Bit Literacy Tips on Managing Your Media Diet
- Bit Literacy Tips On Managing Email
- Bit Literacy On Managing Your To Do’s

Cindy King's International Business Blog » localized website

Using Foreign Language E-Communication Tools

Traditional & Internet Marketing Mix

Internet Marketing Reduces Risk In International Expansion

A Single Foreign Language Blog Can Start Your International Development

A Dynamic Foreign Lead Generation System

More On International Web Marketing Mix:

Business Guides On Get International Clients

Third Transition To A Global Market Internet Business

Foreign Language Communication Strategy

Easy, Low Cost, Multi-Channel Communication Each Month

Example Based On A Monthly 2-Page Newsletter Written

A great bonus is getting your writer to use foreign language keyword optimization.

Website totally customized to local cultures

Adaptation Phase

You Have Control Of Your International Development

More on International Content Creation:

More in these Get International Clients Business Guides:

Second Transition To A Global Market Internet Business

Become Acquainted With Your Foreign Market

Localized Websites To Get To Know Other Markets

More On Website Localization:

Don’t Miss…

More In These Get International Clients Business Guides:

First Transition To A Global Market Internet Business

International Development With Internet Marketing In Three Easy Steps

Assess Your Communication

More On Website Internationalization:

Don’t Miss…

More In These Get International Clients Business Guides:

Stop Pushing Your Foreign Visitors Away

7 Easy Tips to Internationalize Your Web Site

1. Easy Content For All Readers.

2. Be Reachable To Everyone

3. Physical Address

4. Consistent Vocabulary

5. Order Address Forms

6. Glossary

7. Welcome International Visitors

More On Website Internationalization:

Don’t Miss…

More In These Get International Clients Business Guides:

Easy Content For All Of Your Website Readers

Avoiding Slang

Avoiding National Metaphors

Explain National Holidays

Be Open To Others

State Clearly What You Do

State Clearly What You Want Your Visitors To Do

More On Website Internationalization:

Don’t Miss…

More In These Get International Clients Business Guides:

Localization Is A Door To Innovation

Continue Localizing Your Online Businesses

Localization Is A Tool To Understand Your Foreign Markets

More On Website Localization:

Don’t Miss…

More In These Get International Clients Business Guides:

Mind Mapping Makes Life Easier

Mind Mapping

Digital Mind Mapping

Companies Using Mind Mapping

Mind Map A Book

Idea Tool