When International Clients Need More Guided Navigation

Last updated 16 August 2008

There are fives scales to measure different cultural behaviors.

• High Individualism versus High Collectivism Behavior
• Uncertainty Avoidance versus Low Uncertainty Avoidance Behavior
• High Power Distance versus Low Power Distance Behavior
• High Masculinity versus High Femininity Behavior
• High Context versus Low Context Behavior

Important: Read the Basic Guidelines For Using Cross Cultural Communication Web Tools before implementing any of these web tools.

There is more than one tool you can use to appeal to each of the different cultural behavioral traits.

We have already reviewed five web tools for cross cultural communication to cultures with a high Uncertainty Avoidance behavioral trait:

• Customer Service
• Free offers
• Tradition Themes
• Testimonials
• Local Vocabulary

Let’s continue with a sixth Uncertainty Avoidance web tool :

Guided Navigation

This week we will look at another high Uncertainty Avoidance cultural behavior web tool :

• Guided Navigation

Some cultures respond so much better with clear guided navigation. These are the cultures where people don’t like risks. They really like to know where they are going. They have a high score on the uncertainty avoidance scale.

Let’s review the cultural behavior of uncertainty avoidance:

Traits Of Cultures High In Uncertainty Avoidance

Some cultures are described as being high on a scale of uncertainty avoidance. These cultures are stimulated more with:

• Predictability
• Structure
• Order

They do not respond well when they are faced with:

• Ambiguity
• Less structure
• Taking risks

This makes it easy to see why you will get better results by clearly indicating a good guided navigation system on your website.
Here’s one thing you can do to communicate better with your clients in these cultures:

Highlight Use Of Guided Navigation

In these cultures you need to pay attention to how you communicate and emphasize:

• Your site map
• Your navigation buttons
• Well placed links
• Easy to understand links

Guided navigation is good for all cultures. In the cultures with a high score on the uncertainty avoidance behavioral scale they are even more important.

If you want to see good examples of guided navigation, you only have to browse websites in these cultures.

A good navigation system on your website will bring you more clients from these cultures.

Remember, there will be other tools you will need to highlight as well.

Use these cross cultural web tools to inspire you to improve your web communication with your international clients.

There is lots more on the different cultural behaviors in the June issues of the Get International Clients Weekly Newsletter. Sign up quickly for more tips and ideas for getting more out of your international marketing.

Important Notice

Basic Guidelines For Using This Web Tool

If you have not read the Basic Guidelines For Using Cross Cultural Communication Web Tools as mentioned in the very beginning of this article, please do so before implementing any of these web tools.

You need to look at the whole picture of all five cultural behaviors before tweaking how you use the specific web tools outlined here.

Cindy King is a Cross-Cultural Marketer and International Sales Specialist, with over 25 years field experience in international business development. Learn how you can get more international sales