Cindy King's International Business Blog » web site internationalization

Be Reachable To Everyone

Cindy King — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:32:17 +0000

Let us review the first steps to website internationalization in detail. Can everyone reach you by phone? Are you making the phone process easy so that everyone can actually call you?

This may sound like a strange question. But have you ever found yourself in a situation abroad, desperately trying to reach someone else and just not being able to get through.

Cross cultural miscommunication happens often enough between people. Other factors come into play.

Time differences complicate international communication.
Different national holidays complicate international communication.
Even different work weeks complicate international communication.
And so do different telephone systems and habits throughout the world.

I have two examples of major frustration in not being able to establish contact by phone with the right person.

I was contacted by two French company executives desperate to place a large order with a well known American sportswear company. The French company had been trying for many weeks to speak to the appropriate person and simply could not get through the sophisticated phone system. They did speak English having lived for several years in North America. But they are French and used to doing business with people face to face. They like contact and wanted to speak to the right sales person in the American company.

These French executives just kept getting caught up in miscommunication errors in the fancy American telephone system. If the American company had known how much business was at stake and the different communication preferences in different cultures they make it easier for international clients to get through to the right person quickly.

Another true story happened a short while ago. I looked for tickets online from a major airline. They had no direct sales office here in France and I was told I had to go online. I did as instructed and I soon found a convenient flight at a competitive rate. For some reason I had to speak to their reservations staff by phone.

This North American airline company had outsourced all phone calls to India. Communications were bad. There were several phone conversations within a 30 minute time frame. Each time I spoke to a different person and only to be given different rates that continued to increase until they were totally out of the price range in the original offer I had seen online 30 minutes before. Needless to say it will be years before I waste my time with that airline company again.

These are very aggravating situations and can leave long term customer dissatisfaction without you ever realizing it. If a foreign visitor is motivated to actually call your company it can represent a bigger effort on his part than one of your local visitors. You can recognize this extra effort by making it as easy as possible for him.

There is little you can do to prevent some of these incidences. You can learn to pick up the warning signs early enough and learn how to handle them better.

But there are a few things you can do to facilitate easy phone communication. They will also help your web site to make a good first impression.

Remember, 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.

Does your have a company have an automated computer call center? Will your international clients be able to get through to right person quickly even if their question doesn’t quite fit into your system?

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 really want any foreign clients.

If you have your phone numbers clearly indicated, presented in a way that catches the eye, you will show the world you are happy to greet everyone no matter what their preferred method of contacting you is.

Can your international clients reach you easily by phone?

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

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Website Internationalization

Show The World Your Location

Cindy King — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:37:19 +0000

How To Internationalize Your Website

When it comes to internationalizing your web site, or making your web site friendlier to all international visitors, you may wonder just why you should pay attention to how you indicate your address.

Give Your Real Address

Why do some companies seem to avoid stating their real address? The address where they can actually be found?

The company owners who worry that their address is not as prestigious as they would like it to be are only looking at their immediate local market. These companies may or may not have a legitimate reason to be embarrassed about their actual physical address.

This type of reasoning really only includes those people who think along the same lines. It is highly unlikely the majority of their international clients will reason the same way.

Clarity Is Critical To Building Trust

When you start to look at your broader international market, you need to put your real address in an easy to see place on your website. This is critical.

It is critical for online businesses to build trust with their visitors. In intercultural business relationships trust is the biggest hurdle to overcome. A lack of trust is a major source of multicultural miscommunication.

A key component of building trust is clarity. Actively developing clarity in your international relationships will make their flourish. Any perceived absence of clarity is a deal breaker.

Not clearly stating your physical address is perceived as a lack of clarity.

So if you really think you have good reasons not to give your full address, think of the impression you will leave on your international visitors. Simply having a postal address, or even worse, trying to get away with using a “better” false address is not a good choice.

Foreigners Are Curious

Of course some businesses may feel their industry requires a “prestigious” address. But internet makes research very easy. And if there is one thing a foreign business partner will be is curious. They will want to have clarity as to who they are doing business with.

Foreign Visitor Want To Visualize Your Location

It is only natural. Your international clients will be curious. The question as to where you are located will probably come to their minds fairly early on. People travel. World news is available all over the world. Your visitors will want to know who they might be communicating with.

Make Your Location Work For You

Why not use this natural curiosity to your advantage. With an online international business just about any location can be presented in a way that is nothing but advantageous.

Use a snapshot of a map to include your location with a city most foreigners would immediately recognize. Your international readers will appreciate it. Your company will have more credibility.

Do your international clients know where you are located? Put your full physical address on display and make yourself easy to find. You will bring yourself closer in the minds of your international readers. Clarity is your strongest ally in building trust.

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

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Website Internationalization

Cindy King's International Business Blog » web site internationalization

Be Reachable To Everyone

More On How To Internationalize Your Website:

Don’t Miss…

More In These Get International Clients Business Guides:

Show The World Your Location

Give Your Real Address

Clarity Is Critical To Building Trust

Foreigners Are Curious

Foreign Visitor Want To Visualize Your Location

Make Your Location Work For You

More On How To Internationalize Your Website:

Don’t Miss…

More In These Get International Clients Business Guides: