Is
Your World Wide Web Site Ready for the World?
By
Michael A. Stelzner
, Director of Marketing,
Language Services International (LSI), Inc.
LSI specializes in web site localization and
International web marketing.
This article may be republished with written permission
from the author.
Today, more
than ever before, corporations, professional organizations,
institutions and casual web users are beginning to realize
what the "world" in the world-wide web really
means. Many of you may recall the incredible feeling
of power you felt when cable television first came to
your town. With dozens of stations to choose from, on
topics ranging from news to shopping, it was overwhelming.
Then, just a few short years ago, the introduction of
the Internet took the power of choice to an entirely
new level. At first, universities and government institutions
used the Internet as a new communication medium. Soon
after, major corporations began to discover the practical
market applications the world-wide web provided. The
rest is history in the making . . . Where are we today?
Perhaps the best way to summarize the wide ranging
global acceptance of the Internet and the world-wide
web is to look at the numbers. As of January, 1997
nearly 60 million individuals, globally, were using
the Internet with an extra 10 million utilizing electronic
mail on a regular basis. No other product, technology,
or service in the history of the planet has been accepted
and assimilated into society faster. Past Internet
growth patterns indicate an exponential growth rate
that doubles every 6 to 12 months. Analysts predict
that in less than three years there will be between
200 and 700 million Internet users world-wide. In
addition, those users will transact more than $200
billion (U.S. dollars) worth of business via the Internet.
Furthermore,
Internet acceptance is growing fastest outside of the
United States. Recent studies suggest that nearly one
in three visitors to American web sites come from other
parts of the globe. Estimates indicate that by the year
2000, the world-wide acceptance and use of the Internet
will exceed usage within the United States. Today, more
than 18 percent of all households in Japan with computers
use the Internet -- greater than any other country in
the world. Nations such as Canada, Germany and Japan
have all seen a 30 to 50 percent increase in the number
of new web hosts in the last 6 months of 1996. Moreover,
smaller nations such as Malaysia, Hong Kong and Peru
have seen 100 to 200 percent increases in the same time
period. A global trend is emerging. What implication
does this have for web marketers?
Marketing 101 taught
you to look at your audience. The same simple methodology
applies to the Internet. Many marketing professionals
do not realize the reach of a web site. Unlike a local
radio station, that at best reaches 100 miles, a web
site has a global broadcast range.
If you build it, they
will come . . . Unfortunately this is not completely
accurate. If only the web was truly a field of dreams.
Fortunately for marketers, it is not or we would all
be out of jobs. However, properly tamed, an Internet
site can bring millions of people to your playing
field. Consider the following issues when designing
and marketing web sites:
- Not all of your visitors
value the same things - design your content so it
appeals to their vast array of interests regarding
your specific topic.
- There is no such thing as
Internet culture -- the Internet cuts across all
cultures.
- Not everyone speaks your language
-- speak their language and they will stay and likely
return.
- The Internet is an interactive
medium -- so interact with your users!
- If at first you don't
succeed - republish it.
- Compared to traditional advertising,
the Internet is practically free -- exploit that!
- Change is required -- often.
If you can tap the power
of the Internet, the opportunities are boundless.
Special Opportunities from Multilingual Web Sites
Language is perhaps the largest barrier to successful
global communication via the Internet. However, an
emerging trend is to "localize" or translate
web content into many different languages. Although
English is spoken in many countries throughout the
world, it is usually spoken as a second language.
People feel most comfortable interacting in their
native tongue. In addition to language translation,
issues such a currency, weights and measures must
be converted to appropriate standards. If you doubt
the value of web site localization, just take a quick
visit to Microsoft or Netscape. You will notice that
each of them maintains an extensive multilingual web
site. If the two most influential Internet corporations
see the value and global opportunity the Internet
provides, so should you. I want to briefly introduce
the not so apparent special opportunities a multilingual
web site provides:
Low cost point of
entry to international trade: Traditional
international trade means high travel costs, expensive
long distance bills, costly remote office support
and a high likelihood of language barriers. A multilingual
web site is a low cost alternative that works around
the clock.
Market testing prior
to a major international push: Targeting a
specific international demographic (i.e. Japan) over
the Internet is an excellent, low cost way to test
the success of your product prior to a major traditional
product launch in that country.
Broadcast an international
image to the world: The Internet is an excellent
medium to conduct product branding and name recognition
internationally. In addition, product branding via
the Internet is significantly less costly than print
or broadcast branding campaigns.
Increased sales!
Your web site is a virtual sales force that never
sleeps. The larger your audience, the greater the
opportunity to deliver more product and services,
thus increasing the bottom line. A smart business
will not overlook this. The Future It is clear that
something historic is taking place. Perhaps Saint
Exupery said it best when he said "as for the
future, your task is not to foresee, but to enable
it" (The Wisdom of the Sands, 1948).
