There are many basic sales principals that you use for your domestic market that also apply to international markets. These principals can help you when planning for your international business expansion.
Your website is an important platform for your business communication. Ideally it is designed to communicate effectively with your market. It is designed to do something specific for your business in your domestic market.
So what happens when you want to open your business up to other markets in other cultures?
Your communication will change.
But what about its platform...your website?
Internationalize Or Go International
How do you decide whether to internationalize your website or to create an international website?
If you are currently just starting to target foreign markets, one of your first questions will be about your website. At least it should be. There are two very common scenarios:
Many small companies assume the website they use for their domestic markets will work well with their English speaking international markets. They fail to realize their website may actually be sabotaging their international communication.
Many companies also assume they do not need to adapt their online communication until they are actually ready for a website in a foreign language.
This means that very few companies actually ask themselves the real question:
Do we need to internationalize our current website or do we need to create a separate website totally dedicated to our international market?
There are two main factors you need to look into before you are able to answer this question:
Is your current website dependent on a culturally specific message? Is your website already in English?
Are you almost ready to launch a localized website? That is, a website dedicated to one country?
Your answers to these two questions will influence your international website.
Too Culturally Specific
This can be a delicate decision. Your main website must continue to sell to your domestic market. There are some basic steps you can take to make your website more international-friendly. These basic steps rarely influence your communication with your domestic market. They rely on sound internet marketing practices.
The question is just how different are the cultures you want to market to internationally. Most people answer this based on gut feelings. These gut feelings often lead you astray.
The best way to look at this is to do a cultural behavioral comparison between your domestic market and the specific foreign markets you want to target.
Different cultures need to be reassured in different ways.
A cultural behavioral analysis will show you these different needs. There are a few web communication tools you use to respond to these needs. The idea is to see if the tools you need to use on your website to communicate better with your foreign markets actually deter your domestic market. Just how much will these changes affect your primary customer base. You have three solutions:
You don't really know where your foreign markets are and want to plan for the future - Internationalize your website minimally, evaluate your foreign markets and move onto localized websites as soon as you can.
You want to actively promote your products and services to a broad international audience - create a website for international clients in English.
Your website is not in English - you need to start with an international website in English.
Almost Ready For A Localized Website
If you are almost ready for a localized website, you may only decide to implement some small changes to your current website and concentrate on creating your localized website.
Once you have a few localized websites or sufficient international response you will want to look into an international website, or a global gateway
Internationalization Is Always Good
When you go about internationalizing your domestic website, you learn to acquire some good practices for future international websites.
You will see the value of consistency and clarity.
You will learn discipline in embedding text in images.
You will come to appreciate website templates.
In its basic format internationalization makes your website better for all of your visitors, domestic and international alike.
You can go beyond this. There are different degrees to which you can adapt your current website. The degree to which you internationalize your website depends on your communication needs.
How different is the communication with your domestic market compared to your foreign market?
You need to study the behavioral differences between your primary domestic market and your foreign target markets. This is an exercise you should do when starting your international business development.
The process of looking at your website from different cultural viewpoints will highlight the areas you will need to adapt as your international business grows. You will get insights into your future needs.
Internationalization with cultural behavioral comparisons gives you a good idea of when you will need localized websites as you expand.
Internationalization of your website is an ongoing process. You can start with the basic steps good for all of your audiences, and slowing implement culturally specific web tools.
An International Website
Sometimes it just makes sense to start with an international website. A website with a separate domain name and URL makes it easy to drive all international traffic through one online office. Here are some of the reasons you may want to start with an international website.
You need a different sales message to your international visitors
Your website is not in English to start with
Different Message
If your domestic website uses a very specific localized vocabulary you will probably want to look at creating a separate website.
If your sales pitch is also very localized, or your foreign visitors respond to different sales arguments.
English Is Still Universal
Companies with domestic websites that are not in English will often find it easier to start off with an international website. This has been the situation for some time and is unlikely to change in the near future.
Of course, there are instances where an English language website is not obligatory. If you already have sales in one particular foreign country it makes sense to start there.
Adjust Along The Way
Companies can be in many different situations. The main point to remember is:
any communication with your international markets influences your website.
You will have to decide on the best online platform for your business requirements. Some companies have more options than others. This is the movement most companies look at:
from a domestic website
to an internationalized domestic website
to an optional international website
to one localized website
to several localized websites
to a global website - if you have an international website this could slowly become a global website once you start other localized websites.
Along this process you will learn more about marketing your products and services to your foreign markets. You will adjust your communication along the way. You will want your website to be a good platform for your communication and the changes you will need.
The sooner you become aware of good website practices for international businesses, the more time and money you will save your company.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_King
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