If your target audience is international, your website is then crucial to the success of your company. You may reach or sell to people in various countries but may not have offices in all of them. In fact, many international sites have one singular office but this does not prevent them to sell or target people across the globe.

Take for instance, Real Estate Online Search. They provide an online directory for those looking to sell or lease their home, apartment, building, or business. It targets buyers and sellers alike in all countries across the globe. Their office is in California, USA but their members are in Fiji, France, Turkey, Israel, US, etc. the list is quite extensive. The Internet has opened the doors to all of these countries for this company. And it can do the same for yours!

=1= Coding for international audience:

W3C provides good information about website internationalization (Internationalization Quick Tips for the Web). Now, if you are not a programmer, you should work with a design team that has experienced with companies with an international audience and a portfolio to prove it. Don’t just take their word for it.

=2= Translation:

Many international users either speak English or are able to translate a site in their language using a plug in in their browser. One easy option to ensure that your non English speaking visitors can read your site in their own language is to add Google Translate directly on your site. The program is free but you may have to pay your programmer a one time-fee to install it. You can choose to display all languages available on Google Translate or just a few. Typically the plugin is visible at the top right side of the website. Do not make it hard to find otherwise it is useless.

You may also offer different website versions with different languages. Large international companies often ask the visitor on their homepage to select a language of choice or country of origin. When making his/her selection, the visitor is then directed to a site that is readable in a foreign language.

One other method is to offer only important pages fully translated in a language common among your overseas clients.

=3= Content:

Cultures, manners of “speaking”, expressions, and written style preferences do very by country. So it is important to understand who your main audience is and cater to them first and foremost. It is a good idea to have pages dedicated to specific international audiences. On those, you may adjust the writing style to the audience, use terms they are most familiar with, and so forth. This customized approach works well and shows your customers across the globe that you care about your communication with them.

=4= SEO:

Search engine optimization is always tricky for websites with an worldwide audience. For strong SEO results, you could have different websites with different URLs and different content. This makes it easier to optimize for a region. If you have only one website, selecting keywords that are popular internationally is key. Of course, the international online market is very competitive and you will have to dedicate more Internet marketing and SEO budget, more time and more energy to well rank.

It all begins with a plan highlighting budget, forecast, business goals, and timeline.

Should you have any questions about launching an international website or improving an existing one, contact us for an in-depth consultation at info@santarosabwebsite.com.