How Fast Can You Internationalize A Website
September 19, 2008 by 
cindy
Quick answers to…
Your Frequently Asked Questions
This is part of a series to answer the questions readers leave on my blog and business directory.
If you have a question you would like to have answered, related to international business development, cross-cultural marketing or international sales communication, simply leave a comment here below and I will get back to you.
Today’s question is:
How fast can you internationalize a website?
First, the short answer: It depends on two things:
- The extent to which you want to and can internationalize your website.
- How culturally specific your website is today.
Now, the long answer.
Let’s clarify a key point.
- What is an internationalized website?
On Get International Clients, I refer to two different types of websites:
Have a look at those links if you do not understand the difference.
Time To Go International
So, how fast can adapt your website for an international audience?
For an Internationalized Website, using your existing website, there are two options:
1 - A Few Days
It can take as little as a couple of days to have a small website “edited” to stop pushing away international visitors.
This involves:
- Smoothing over any strong culture-specific areas, and only when there are a few of them
- Reviewing content for clarity and consistency - simplifying the experience for everyone, domestic and international audiences alike
2 - A Few Weeks
It can take several weeks to do a comparative analysis between your domestic market and one primary foreign culture.
This involves:
- All of the steps above
- Identifying the appropriate cultural web tools and touches you can make
- Testing results on both your domestic website and your foreign markets
- Ongoing testing and tracking process as you develop your new markets
For an International Website -
Several Weeks To Several Months
It can take several weeks, and much longer, to create an International Website.
This involves:
- Creating a website, in some cases, from scratch
And, of course, the time you need depends on the:
- Complexity of the website you need
- Level of international business intelligence you have
- Scope of your project
- Place you start
However, given that most companies use their International Websites to develop the website templates they will use for planned Localized Websites, you also need to plan for additional strategy on how to create what will be your first international template. This involves extra coordination between all of the team involved.
Read More On Website Internationalization
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Website Internationalization Guide• How easy is it to set up an international website?Read about your international communication platform options. |
More To Plan Your International Business Development
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Guide 2 - Plan Your International Sales Road Map |
| 3.2 |
What Is An Internationalized Website
September 17, 2008 by cindy
Quick answers to…
Your Frequently Asked Questions
This is part of a series to answer the questions readers leave on my blog and business directory.
If you have a question you would like to have answered, related to international business development, cross-cultural marketing or international sales communication, simply leave a comment here below and I will get back to you.
Today’s question is:
What is an internationalized website?
An Internationalized Website is slightly different to an International Website.
An Internationalized Website sells primarily to a domestic audience. Its communication is targeted to this audience.
In addition, this communication is edited to appeal to international readers as much as it can without taking anything away from its domestic appeal.
These edits are usually very subtle.
The main difference, when compared to an International Website, is the Internationalized Website continues to communicate well with its original market.
Good Web Marketing = Good International Website
Sometimes you only need to improve the level of good web marketing practices on your website.
And, that’s all you need to stop pushing international visitors away.
Good web marketing practices provide you with a website with a strong communication. This good communication usually increases the level of your online cross-cultural communication too.
Starting With A Strong Culture-Specific Website
Problems occur when the communication on your website is very strongly impregnated with your local culture. This is usually done with:
- Local vocabulary and expressions
- Colors with particular significance
- Mention of local events, places and people
- Appealing to culturally specific emotional buttons
If you have culture-specific website, it is probably not be a good idea to revise your web content if it is working well in your domestic market. You will probably do best to target your international markets with a separate International Website. Or, country-specific websites if you have sufficient international business intelligence on your markets.
And, even if your website is not culture-specific, you may decide to keep your first website and create a second website for your international market. You can then differentiate your communication and your marketing.
Cultural Web Tools
You also have another option…
If you only want to market to one or two foreign countries, you can add a few further modifications to appeal more to those cultures. When you know more about the cultures you are writing for, you can often tweak your Internationalized Website to trigger better responses from your international readers. Use cultural web tools to increase your appeal to different cultures.
These modifications will apply to your website architecture. You need to test and track results to really get your website to work for both your domestic market and one or two different countries.
And it does not always work. Sometimes you will not be able to sell effectively to both your domestic market and your foreign markets from the same website. The cultures just might not mix well.
Your solution would be to create a second website for a broad international audience or to create localized websites for each foreign culture you are targeting.
Advantages
The main advantages of internationalizing your website are:
- You stop pushing international clients away
- It raises your website to good web marketing standards
- It is quick and easy to do…if your website is not too culture specific for your domestic audience
Internationalizing your website can be part of your overall website improvement strategy.
This is an option to promote communication with international readers if you have a very small budget. You can the expand to
- Create country-specific sub-categories or sub domains on your main website.
- An International Website
- Or move directly to a Localized Website
Disadvantages
You really need to move onto more culturally targeted communication if you are serious about developing your international markets. Plan for this as soon as you can.
Read More On Website Internationalization
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Website Internationalization Guide• How easy is it to set up an international website?Read about your international communication platform options. |
More To Plan Your International Business Development
|
Guide 2 - Plan Your International Sales Road Map |
| 3.2 |
Guide 5 - Connect With Your International Markets
August 2, 2008 by cindy
Last updated 16 October 2008
In This Core Business Guide 5
Step 1 - Start With The Basics
- How To Connect With Your International Clients
- Plan Your Foreign Language Content
- 3 Types Of International Communication
Step 2 - Build Cross Cultural Communication Skills
Step 4 - Communicate Clearly For Everyone
Step 5 - Create A Real Conversation
Step 6 - Use Appropriate Marketing
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Start With The Basics |
Cross-Cultural Communication Basics
How can you connect with your international prospects and clients? What can you do to open up foreign markets?
How To Connect With Your International Clients
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How To Connect With Your International Clients• Are you just starting to develop your business abroad? • Are you worried about your budget? • Would you like an easy option to start connecting with foreign markets? |
Plan Your Foreign Language Content
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Plan Your Foreign Language Content• Do you think you will need a lot of translations? • How can you plan your foreign language content to save you time and money…and give you a better sales message? |
3 Types Of International Communication
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The 3 Types Of International Communication For International Business Success Online• Do you want to develop your international business primarily through your website? • Do you know the different types of international communication? • Do you want to use the right communication for your international success? Learn when you need to use international English, multicultural communication and cross-cultural communication for more international sales |
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Build Cross Cultural Communication Skills |
Build Cross Cultural Communication Skills
Cross cultural communication is where the rubber hits the road. This is where delays happen and miscommunication stops sales. And yet cross cultural communication skills come through practice. As you begin to interact with your foreign markets use each experience as a learning tool. Give all cross cultural exchanges your full attention and be open to new cultures.
Business Guide - Cross Cultural Communication
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Cross Cultural Communication• Would you like to know how you can improve your international communication? • Do you know how to avoid most cross cultural miscommunication? |
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Say It Right |
Communicate Through Culturally Customized Content
After internationalizing your website and with a minimum of market research under your belt you will feel ready to start communicating directly with your foreign prospects, on their own territory. Learn more about this and customize your content in the:
Business Guide - Culture Customized Content Guide
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Culture Customized Content• What is the secret to effective international business development? Find out here. |
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Communicate Clearly For Everyone |
Use International English
What is International English? Why should businesses committed to international development consider using International English when creating their web content? These are questions you should consider when creating an international website.
Business Guide - International English
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International English• What is international English and what can it do your for business? • When can international English content save you money? • When can international English content get your more international clients? Find out here. |
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Create A Real Conversation |
Build Trust With These Tools
Trust is vital in all business relationships. In international business you can lose trust without even knowing why. Fortunately, there are two very simple tactics to creating trust in cross-cultural communication. And you also have a variety of communication tools you can use to build trust.
Business Guide - Building Trust With International Clients
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Building Trust International Clients• How do you build trust with your international clients • What can you do today to improve your communication with foreign clients? • Are you interested in building more trust with your international clients? Read this to learn how to build trust and find out what tools you can use |
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Use Appropriate Marketing |
Use Multicultural Marketing
Use multicultural marketing to make your international internet marketing powerful. International internet marketing often lacks good multicultural marketing practices. And yet it can make all the difference in boosting your website to become a real international sales system. Learn more about Multicultural Marketing with the:
Business Guide - Multicultural Marketing
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Multicultural Marketing• Do you want more powerful international marketing? Be sure to look at this. |
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Improve Your Communication |
Advanced Cross Cultural Web Marketing
If you have already connected with your international markets, have a look at these cross-cultural web marketing tools.
Business Guide - Cultural Web Tools
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Cultural Web Tools• Would you like to tweak your communication to fit better with a foreign culture? Read these Cultural Web Tools for inspiration |
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Bonus For Action Guide Subscribers
Free Mind Map - How To Build Your Cross-Cultural Communication
This is a password protected bonus for Get International Clients Action Guide subscribers.
Not yet subscribed to the weekly Action Guide? Then, sign up here to get your free bonuses.
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How To Build Your Cross-Cultural CommunicationRemember, this is for Action Guide subscribers only. You will need the password in your weekly email to access this bonus. |
Even More Resources
Recommended Resource - Young Americas Business Trust
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Resource For New Business Opportunities• Have a look to see what other young businesses are doing |
Recommended Resource - 4Q iPerceptions Surveys
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Resource To Learn More About Your Foreign Clients• Take immediate action in asking your international website visitors what they want |
Recommended Resource - Cross Cultural Solutions
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Solutions To Build Cross-Cultural Skills• Need ideas on how to travel and build your cross-cultural skills? |
More From Cindy
Interested in reading more on my personal opinions and experiences on how to connect with international markets?
My Blog On Copywriting For International Markets - CindyKing.biz
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Next Step
Core Business Guide 6 - Analyze Your International Viability
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Analyze Your International Viability• Do you want to know your chances of success? • Do you want to know how to improve your chances of international success? Read about how to create a viability analysis to keep your international business on track for success. |
Need Help?
Need instructions?
Need to see where this fits in?
Still confused? Review your answers in the first Core Business Guide
Simply click on one of the 8 different color coded boxes immediately below to access other core business guides.
| 3.2 |
Guide To Cultural Web Tools
July 18, 2008 by cindy
Last updated 6 November 2008
In This Business Guide:
Basic Guidelines For Using Cross Cultural Communication Web Tools
High Individualism versus High Collectivism BehaviorHigh versus Low Uncertainty Avoidance Behavior
High versus Low Power Distance Behavior
High Masculinity versus High Femininity Behavior
What are cross cultural communication web tools?
These are all the different things you can emphasize on your website to communicate more effectively with different cultures through your website.
These web tools are not absolute remedies to barriers in your cross cultural communication. You will need to find the right mix of different web tools to communicate effectively with your particular markets.
- Different cultures respond to different things.
- They have different communication needs.
- And it is never a simple mix of tools.
Important Guidelines Before You Start
Please read these guidelines before you implement any of these cross cultural communication web tools:
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Basic Guidelines For
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High Individualism versus High Collectivism Behavior
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Cross Cultural Web Tools
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Cross Cultural Web Tools For Countries With
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High versus Low Uncertainty Avoidance Behavior
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Cross Cultural Web Tools For Countries With
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Cross Cultural Web Tools For Countries With
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High versus Low Power Distance Behavior
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Cross Cultural Web Tools For Countries With
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Cross Cultural Web Tools For Countries With
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High Masculinity versus High Femininity Behavior
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Cross Cultural Web Tools For Countries With
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Cross Cultural Web Tools For Countries With
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High versus Low Context Behavior
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Cross Cultural Web Tools For Countries With
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Cross Cultural Web Tools For Countries With
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More From Cindy
Interested in reading more on my personal opinions and experiences with cultural communication tools?
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Read The Whole Story
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This is part of the Get International Clients Business Guide 8 Improve Your International Business Development Plan This is where you can find out how to improve your international business development |
Need Help?
Need instructions?
Need to see where this fits in?
Still confused? Review your answers in the first Core Business Guide
Simply click on one of the 8 different color coded boxes immediately below to access other core business guides.
| 3.2 |
