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Marketing to an International Audience Via the Internet and the World Wide Web, the world now sits on our desktops, literally at our fingertips. According to market research posted on Headcount (http://www.headcount.com), there were 102 million people worldwide accessing the Internet in June 1998. This number increased from the estimate of 57 million in January 1997. The total number of Internet users in the world is expected to grow to 707 million by 2001. As global Internet and Web usage continues to increase, the demographic profile of the international on-line user is quickly moving from highly technical, English proficient professionals to include a wide range of users with all levels of linguistic and technical ability. As a result, increased international usage translates into decreased feasibility of an English-only Web. The message for companies attempting to market to global customers via the Web is clear: the effectiveness of your Web presence will be greatly diminished if you do not address an international, non-English speaking audience. By 2003 Non-English material will account for over half the content published on the Web, up from the current estimate of 20 percent, according to a report in TechServer (http://www.techserver.com). In order to meet the anticipated demand for translation services, a growing number of ISP's, portals and newspaper publishers are developing existing or new translation search engines on their sites. Improved browser capability, which will enable users to read non-Roman script, will also help to alleviate language barrier problems. Nua Internet Surveys estimates that there are currently (march 1999), 159 million people online, over half of which live outside of the United States (see chart). Nonetheless, much of the content on the web remains US focused. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for how to put together your international Web strategy. Your Web site globalization plan must be customized to highlight those areas most critical to your business goals. Budget, the nature and mission of your site, which market segments you are targeting, and where you are in the development process must all be taken into account. Additionally, you will need to clarify what will be relevant to the international user, as well as which products and services will be available in what markets. You will also need to decide what must remain uniform for consistency and global branding and what, if anything is open to local interpretation. Whether your site is a corporate marketing site or an e-commerce site, providing multilingual content augments the marketing benefits and cost savings you already derive from your Web presence. Localization of corporate information provides your international customers with the opportunity to learn about your company, its financial status, and your products and services. Customers begin to develop a relationship with your company that fosters long-term loyalty. By localizing data sheets and FAQ sections, your international customers have direct access to the technical information and on-line product support they require, thereby reducing the need for in-country sales and technical support staff. As much as possible, the look and feel of your site should create a positive on-line experience for all of your visitors. It is important to remember that international customers may find the subtler messages of your site inviting or alienating, unintentionally humorous or insulting. In addition to color and content, the size of the graphics need to be considered, especially if you are targeting low bandwidth markets like Brazil or China. Once you have localized your Web site to reach your overseas target markets, how can you ensure that international audiences will be able to find it? Web users will tend to search for sites in their own language first, so localizing meta tag content and getting your site listed in the appropriate language search engines are some of the most important ways you can promote your Web site online. You can drive additional traffic to your site by localizing banner ads and setting up reciprocal links to multilingual, non-English sites. The Web provides companies with constant and immediate global exposure, heightening the need for careful attention to global branding and international product marketing. The question is no longer when or whether to go international, it's how to plan and manage the process to derive the greatest benefit from your global Web presence. Whether you opt for a multilingual, multi-local site or a site that is uniform across language versions, multilingual content adds a layer of richness and functionality to your site. Creating a multilingual Web site for your overseas target markets is one of the best ways to transcend linguistic barriers and "speak" your customer's language. World
Internet Users By Region ( in millions) |
