Website Localization For The Global Market
Posted by Sandy Mitchell on Mon, Dec 05, 2011
The Internet allows even the smallest company to market to customers all over the globe. However, that doesn't mean that the same sales message will appeal to all cultures and all languages. Website localization--knowing how to structure and design your site to best market your product to buyers far away from your home base--takes a little finesse and time, but the rewards can be enormous. Below are a few tips:
1. Expand beyond English. According to Global Voices, if you are only marketing your product in English, you aren't reaching 78 percent of Internet users--including the 444 million who use Chinese as a primary language. Even in the US, there are more than 16 million Internet users for whom English is not the first language.
2. Splurge on a translator. Don't allow Google Translate to phrase your marketing message. We've all heard the horror stories about translations that not only miss the mark, but are actually offensive to readers. Even subtle differences in meaning can translate to missed sales. A word-for-word, literal translation is not enough. You need a professional translator.
The Global Voices post gives an example of how a literal translation can miss the mark. In French, both "assurances automobile" and "assurances voitures" mean auto insurance. Both are accurate and convey the desired meaning, but the later is most commonly used and therefore the term most French Internet users will type into search engines.
Web Behavior.com shares another example of translation confusion. When Chevrolet began marketing their Chevy Nova in South America, the company wondered why sales were sluggish until someone explained that "nova" mean "it won't go" in Spanish.
3. Avoid slang. Just because residents of the United States, Canada, South Africa, England and Australia all speak English doesn't mean that there aren't vast regional language differences. Make sure that your message is understood by avoiding slang phrases that will confuse site visitors from other parts of the world.
4. Appeal to cultural pPreferences. We Americans tend to respond to more informal sales pitches, but that's not necessarily the case all over the world. For example, many European cultures prefer a more formal, corporate approach. Colors and dates may also carry different meanings overseas. For instance, purple is the color of mourning in Latin America and white is associated with funerals in China.
5. Think about content from a worldwide perspective. Yes, you know where Macon is. It might be just down the road from your Atlanta headquarters, but will someone on the other side of the world know what you are talking when you just mention the city name? View all of your content with the notion that someone's reading it in, say, Singapore. Will it still make sense? If not, it's time to revise your message with a more world-wise point of view.
6. Address global shipping and currency questions. Just because you only sell your product inside the US doesn't mean that visitors from other parts of the world can't find it on the Web. Equally, if you sell to clients in other parts of the world, be sure to offer prices in local currencies. Website localization is about appealing to individual buyers where ever they may reside.
Website localization may seem like a lot of work, not to mention a little frightening and overwhelming. However, with a little effort, your Web site can tap into the global marketplace and reach potential buyers from Chicago to Shanghai, from Miami to Melbourne.