How Fast Can You Internationalize A Website

Quick answers to…

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:

• An International Website
• An Internationalized Website

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

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

What Is An International Website

Quick answers to…

Today’s question is:

What is an international website?

An International Website is slightly different to an Internationalized Website.

An International Website can be considered as a precursor to a Global Website.

Its communication is targeted to one unique international audience. One website for every country in the world.

An international website can also be a Regional Website, targeting a specific group of countries, if the regional message is more international than specific to that region.

Disadvantages

Targeting one broad range of countries limits your marketing effectiveness.

To get the best results you need to target your communication directly to each and every culture you sell to. This means several different websites. One localized website for each country you sell to.

Advantages

An international website is useful in the interim period before you know where to create your localized websites.

You can start international marketing efforts here, and plan for more localized websites as you get enough international business intelligence to do so.

And you can get international business intelligence using marketing tactics easily from your International Website.  In fact, this will probably be the main reason for setting up your International Website.

Another key advantage of an International Website is that you will “practice” and perfect many different aspects of doing international business online:

• Your website templates
• Your international communication
• The need for a company and industry specific glossary
• Online procedures covering all aspects of your business

This is a good choice for:

• Non-native English speaking companies
• Companies that know they want to expand to Localized Websites or country-specific sub domains.  These country specific sub domains or sub-categories can be attached to the International Website.

Again, you need to move from your International Website towards more culture and country specific communication for best international results.

• Sub-categories or sub domains on your International Website
• Country specific Localized Websites

Read More On Website Internationalization

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

Take Action To Uncover International Business Opportunities

Small businesses complicate their efforts in trying to uncover international business opportunities. Their own personal actions have far more impact on their success than relying on translators and looking for foreign joint venture partners. The small actions you can take at home will have more immediate impact on your international business development than the services you can buy. Why is this?

The more interaction you have in learning more about your foreign markets, the more you will be able to equate your acquired market knowledge with the products and services you sell. Yes, you will probably end up needing the services from your target market.

But the knowledge you can acquire from the countries where you would like to grow your business is priceless. Read more