Where Is It Good To Mention Your Different Local Offices On Your Website

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 six web tools for cross cultural communication to cultures with a high Uncertainty Avoidance behavioral trait:

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

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

Local Offices

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

• Local offices

Any offices you have in your foreign market will interest all cultures. But some cultures will respond even more to seeing where you have offices and how close they are to them.

These cultures like this extra assurance. 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

Here’s one thing you can do to communicate better with your clients in these cultures:

Highlight Information Of Local Office

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

• Your local offices
• Your local dealers
• Your local shops

Of course if you have any foreign offices you will probably be listing them on your website. The thing is to find the right place to put this information on your website. How can you highlight this information in a way that reassures cultures with a high uncertainty avoidance factor?

It is also interesting to not this factor if you do not yet have local offices in your foreign market. You will need to evaluate your foreign marketing campaign to take this into consideration.

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