Going Global Online

As a business grows and gains a firmer foothold in its domestic market, the need to look further afield for new business may soon become apparent, especially when you consider that:

• 75% of the Earth’s population don’t speak English*

• 40% of the Internet’s population are based in Asia

• China alone has 30% more internet users than the US

• Over 50% of all web searches are in a language other than English

So for any organization that’s looking to make inroads into international markets, here are a few tips on how to make your website global…and it’s all about thinking local.

Research your markets

Brazil, Russia, India and china (BRIC) are often cited as the countries with the fastest-growing economies – emerging markets in other words – and good places to set up shop. But your target markets will depend on what it is you’re selling.

A little online research will help you determine what countries have a demand for your service/product offering. Research similar companies to yours – when they were established, what their turnover is, where they export to. There may even be gaps in the local services that you can exploit – but be wary if there are too many businesses operating in your target country, as penetrating an already-saturated marketplace can be difficult.

And don’t try to target too many countries at once – start small, and grow. You’re best focusing on one country at a time, especially in your early days of globalising.

Going local: mind your language

Whether you’re selling car-parts to Columbia, or sail-boats to Spain, proper website localisation means you have to think beyond language to the exact dialect of your target market.

For example, in Spain the word for car is coche, but in many Latin American countries coche is a baby-stroller. In the UK, a baby-stroller is a pram or a buggy…and if you’re from Canada, a buggy is likely to be something you put your groceries in. The point is, you need to be wary of differences between dialects – this requires local linguists with local knowledge.

Multi-lingual SEO

Search engine optimisation (SEO) underpins most modern online marketing campaigns and if you’re targeting consumers in France, for example, you’ll want to rank highly on French search engines. The one golden SEO rule of thumb is this: never translate your keywords. Always research the key search terms used locally for each country.

A French linguist can translate all your content effectively, but they probably won’t know what words people use to search for your product or service in France. Local consumers may use abbreviations, synonyms or acronyms. You may need to use the services of a specialist internet marketing company who have access to native linguists with keyword research knowledge.

English is still the dominant language of the web in terms of content, but over half of all searches aren’t in English. This figure is likely to rise as online populations grow across the globe, such as in China, Russia and Brazil. Given that online competition for key search terms in foreign languages is much less fierce than in English, many businesses find that they can attain high positions on country-specific search engines, with much less effort than in English.

Localisation and SEO go hand-in-hand for any business looking to increase their international revenue. And having researched your target market(s) thoroughly, you stand a good chance of success.

Source: Microsoft