Going Global On-Line: What You Need To Know
| Category: Surveys and Statistics | Date: 2002-08-21 |
Use of the Internet in the United States is growing dramatically - at a rate of 2 million new users every month, according to the U.S. Economics and Statistics Administration. However the Internet is growing even faster around the world. In fact, according to CyberAtlas (2001), a site that collects statistics on Internet use, the U.S. global share of Internet users fell from 40% to 36% last year because it is growing so rapidly in other parts of the globe.
Though English is currently the most prevalent language on the Web, by 2005, according to a 2001 study, "A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet," published by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 60% of the users on the Internet will speak a language other than English. It is very possible that the most common language on the Internet by the end of this decade will be Chinese.
What this all means is that if a manufacturer or distributor in the jansan industry hopes to sell to today’s global worldwide market, their Web content strategy must start thinking in global terms. Companies must consider such issues as cultures, religions, area histories, lifestyles, aesthetics, Internet accessibility and, of course, language if they expect to be successful.
A Simple Misunderstanding That Can Lose A Sale
An example of a relatively minor world difference that can cost a sale is today’s date. This article is being written on Friday, February 08, 2002. Numerically, in the U.S. that would be written as 02-08-2002. However, in many areas of the world, today’s date would be written as 08-02-2002. So, if an American manufacturer told a European e-commerce partner that their on-line order of 400 cases of floor finished would be delivered on 02-08-2002, the European distributor would most likely reply, "We need the finish now, we can’t wait until the second of August." This is but one of many examples of how a firm must start thinking globally when doing world business on the Internet.
American companies might believe they are safe from "Internet misunderstandings" if they simply target other English speaking markets such as Wales, Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, England and even Canada. Best think again. Words can have different meanings even in the English-speaking world.
For instance, if you were selling brooms in the U.K, you would call them "brushes." They use the word broom as well but most often a broom is called a brush, according to Chris Rae author of the "English-to-American Dictionary." The same dictionary says that, if you are trying to market your trashcans in Scotland, best call them dustbins or few cleaners will know exactly what you are talking about. An American distributor might think they have just received a crank call when an Englishman calls and tries to sell them "rubbers." A rubber, the "English-to-American Dictionary" points out, is nothing more than a word for erasers in England. So, least it be said, different English-speaking countries can use very common words to mean different things.
This gets even more complicated and ambiguous in an e-commerce situation. For instance, the word last in the phrase, the last option, can be very confusing to English-speaking business people in and outside of our borders. Does this mean:
The most recent option?
The only remaining option?
The final option available on a list?
Often an expression such as this can be understood by its context - how it is used in a sentence. But this phrase, the last option, is just one of many that can be very difficult to understand, no matter how it is used, especially in English-speaking countries outside of the United States.
Machine Translators vs. Human Translators
Assuming an English speaking company will seek business in non-English speaking countries, their Web site will need to be translated into the language of that nation. Browsers, as well as software now available, can translate English into other languages automatically. Though the translation may be poor, it’s enough for the non-English reader to usually grasp what the English site is trying to say.
But what does this "poor translation" say about your company to the foreign businessperson? A poorly written or poorly translated site in any language quickly loses credibility. Every business Web site must pass the test of the "4-Cs" in order to be successful. The "4-Cs ask if a site is: credible, clear, concise, and coherent. A site that does not meet these criteria will probably attract little attention or interest. A site poorly translated falls short in all four categories.
It is best to have the Web site translated by human translators who are fluent in the language being used. Editors in the country or area of the world it is targeting should then review it. For instance, Spanish has different dialects, word meanings, phrases and expressions in different areas of the world. An editor that specializes in the use of Spanish in the region being targeted will know how to minimize these differences.
Technological Differences
It often never occurs to many firms how differently the Internet is accessed in various areas of the world. For example, in the hearts of most major US cities, a fast T-1 Internet connection is becoming the business norm. This is definitely not true in major cities around the world
High-speed broadband Internet access is now found in 60% of American homes. But by 2006, only 10% of the homes in Germany, Britain and France will have broadband service according to a 2002 report by the GartnerG2 Group, an Internet research organization based in Stamford, CN. In major areas of the world, including U.S. homes, dial-up service using "slow" 56K and even 28K modems are still very common.
Access to the Internet abroad can be costly and sporadic as well. Telephone service in the U.S. is relatively inexpensive compared to many other countries. But in many nations around the world, the high-cost to go on-line is definitely a factor, according to Ipsos-Reid, a global market research firm. Often Internet and telephone service is sporadic in some countries, going off inexplicably for two or more hours, and then suddenly back on.
Steps You Can Take Now To Globalize Your Web Site
Though there may be little you can do regarding the cost and stability of Internet access around the world, there are some steps you can take to make your international Web sites more global:
Use and Users:
Find out how the Internet is accessed in the market area you are targeting. Is it commonplace or a luxury with relatively few users? How does your specific market use the Internet? The most common world use of the Internet is e-mail; using the Internet to find products, services, and information varies around the world.
Sales Issues:
Stay current regarding local tax systems in different nations. Be aware of country and regional trading regulations that affect e-commerce in various countries. Make sure your product descriptions and translations are clear to the foreign customer.
Visuals:
Colors have different meanings around the world. The color "red," for instance, can mean death, love or danger depending on where it is seen. Work with Web designers aware of global design issues.
Web icons are not always the same around the world. International icons are now being adopted and should be used. Organizations such as Web of Culture (www.webofculture.com) are spearheading this drive. They have helped major players such as yahoo.com and ebay.com globalize their sites using internationally recognized icons and images.
Be aware of religious symbols in your foreign market. Gestures, graphs, captions and even numbers can be misunderstood or offensive to different people around the world.
Language:
As mentioned, translation must be accurate. Be careful when using expressions, phrases, jargon and slang that might be offensive or misunderstood. American idioms like "priced-right" may be ambiguous in certain parts of the world because they never use that expression.
Culture:
One U.S. manufacturer’s foreign Web site presented a female model demonstrating to a male model how to use the company’s product. However, the foreign country considered it improper for a woman to be using the product at all, and worse, to be demonstrating it to a man. Result: the site failed.
The Internet offers great opportunities for businesses marketing around the globe. It also creates a very democratic business world. The small manufacturer can often compete with the much larger company if they simply take the time to understand the Internet rules of marketing globally. Being aware of and sensitive to cultural differences will help make your site all the more important and successful when going global.
By Robert Kravitz (4/8/2002)
About the Author
Robert Kravitz is a 30-year veteran of the janitorial industry and is Web content manager for the International Sanitary Supply Association, Inc., (ISSA). He has authored four books on the industry, writes for several industry and business magazines, lectures frequently on Web content, technology, as well as janitorial issues.
robert@contentpowerpro.com
http://www.contentpowerpro.com
Though English is currently the most prevalent language on the Web, by 2005, according to a 2001 study, "A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet," published by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 60% of the users on the Internet will speak a language other than English. It is very possible that the most common language on the Internet by the end of this decade will be Chinese.
What this all means is that if a manufacturer or distributor in the jansan industry hopes to sell to today’s global worldwide market, their Web content strategy must start thinking in global terms. Companies must consider such issues as cultures, religions, area histories, lifestyles, aesthetics, Internet accessibility and, of course, language if they expect to be successful.
A Simple Misunderstanding That Can Lose A Sale
An example of a relatively minor world difference that can cost a sale is today’s date. This article is being written on Friday, February 08, 2002. Numerically, in the U.S. that would be written as 02-08-2002. However, in many areas of the world, today’s date would be written as 08-02-2002. So, if an American manufacturer told a European e-commerce partner that their on-line order of 400 cases of floor finished would be delivered on 02-08-2002, the European distributor would most likely reply, "We need the finish now, we can’t wait until the second of August." This is but one of many examples of how a firm must start thinking globally when doing world business on the Internet.
American companies might believe they are safe from "Internet misunderstandings" if they simply target other English speaking markets such as Wales, Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, England and even Canada. Best think again. Words can have different meanings even in the English-speaking world.
For instance, if you were selling brooms in the U.K, you would call them "brushes." They use the word broom as well but most often a broom is called a brush, according to Chris Rae author of the "English-to-American Dictionary." The same dictionary says that, if you are trying to market your trashcans in Scotland, best call them dustbins or few cleaners will know exactly what you are talking about. An American distributor might think they have just received a crank call when an Englishman calls and tries to sell them "rubbers." A rubber, the "English-to-American Dictionary" points out, is nothing more than a word for erasers in England. So, least it be said, different English-speaking countries can use very common words to mean different things.
This gets even more complicated and ambiguous in an e-commerce situation. For instance, the word last in the phrase, the last option, can be very confusing to English-speaking business people in and outside of our borders. Does this mean:
The most recent option?
The only remaining option?
The final option available on a list?
Often an expression such as this can be understood by its context - how it is used in a sentence. But this phrase, the last option, is just one of many that can be very difficult to understand, no matter how it is used, especially in English-speaking countries outside of the United States.
Machine Translators vs. Human Translators
Assuming an English speaking company will seek business in non-English speaking countries, their Web site will need to be translated into the language of that nation. Browsers, as well as software now available, can translate English into other languages automatically. Though the translation may be poor, it’s enough for the non-English reader to usually grasp what the English site is trying to say.
But what does this "poor translation" say about your company to the foreign businessperson? A poorly written or poorly translated site in any language quickly loses credibility. Every business Web site must pass the test of the "4-Cs" in order to be successful. The "4-Cs ask if a site is: credible, clear, concise, and coherent. A site that does not meet these criteria will probably attract little attention or interest. A site poorly translated falls short in all four categories.
It is best to have the Web site translated by human translators who are fluent in the language being used. Editors in the country or area of the world it is targeting should then review it. For instance, Spanish has different dialects, word meanings, phrases and expressions in different areas of the world. An editor that specializes in the use of Spanish in the region being targeted will know how to minimize these differences.
Technological Differences
It often never occurs to many firms how differently the Internet is accessed in various areas of the world. For example, in the hearts of most major US cities, a fast T-1 Internet connection is becoming the business norm. This is definitely not true in major cities around the world
High-speed broadband Internet access is now found in 60% of American homes. But by 2006, only 10% of the homes in Germany, Britain and France will have broadband service according to a 2002 report by the GartnerG2 Group, an Internet research organization based in Stamford, CN. In major areas of the world, including U.S. homes, dial-up service using "slow" 56K and even 28K modems are still very common.
Access to the Internet abroad can be costly and sporadic as well. Telephone service in the U.S. is relatively inexpensive compared to many other countries. But in many nations around the world, the high-cost to go on-line is definitely a factor, according to Ipsos-Reid, a global market research firm. Often Internet and telephone service is sporadic in some countries, going off inexplicably for two or more hours, and then suddenly back on.
Steps You Can Take Now To Globalize Your Web Site
Though there may be little you can do regarding the cost and stability of Internet access around the world, there are some steps you can take to make your international Web sites more global:
Use and Users:
Find out how the Internet is accessed in the market area you are targeting. Is it commonplace or a luxury with relatively few users? How does your specific market use the Internet? The most common world use of the Internet is e-mail; using the Internet to find products, services, and information varies around the world.
Sales Issues:
Stay current regarding local tax systems in different nations. Be aware of country and regional trading regulations that affect e-commerce in various countries. Make sure your product descriptions and translations are clear to the foreign customer.
Visuals:
Colors have different meanings around the world. The color "red," for instance, can mean death, love or danger depending on where it is seen. Work with Web designers aware of global design issues.
Web icons are not always the same around the world. International icons are now being adopted and should be used. Organizations such as Web of Culture (www.webofculture.com) are spearheading this drive. They have helped major players such as yahoo.com and ebay.com globalize their sites using internationally recognized icons and images.
Be aware of religious symbols in your foreign market. Gestures, graphs, captions and even numbers can be misunderstood or offensive to different people around the world.
Language:
As mentioned, translation must be accurate. Be careful when using expressions, phrases, jargon and slang that might be offensive or misunderstood. American idioms like "priced-right" may be ambiguous in certain parts of the world because they never use that expression.
Culture:
One U.S. manufacturer’s foreign Web site presented a female model demonstrating to a male model how to use the company’s product. However, the foreign country considered it improper for a woman to be using the product at all, and worse, to be demonstrating it to a man. Result: the site failed.
The Internet offers great opportunities for businesses marketing around the globe. It also creates a very democratic business world. The small manufacturer can often compete with the much larger company if they simply take the time to understand the Internet rules of marketing globally. Being aware of and sensitive to cultural differences will help make your site all the more important and successful when going global.
By Robert Kravitz (4/8/2002)
About the Author
Robert Kravitz is a 30-year veteran of the janitorial industry and is Web content manager for the International Sanitary Supply Association, Inc., (ISSA). He has authored four books on the industry, writes for several industry and business magazines, lectures frequently on Web content, technology, as well as janitorial issues.
robert@contentpowerpro.com
http://www.contentpowerpro.com
Copyright © 2005-2006 Powered by Custom PHP Programming