International Business and Technology Blog

An Online Global presence means creating, building and delivering website localization and international online marketing to deliver sales, brand and business growth in far flung markets across the globe. Companies looking to go global often ask us, just like in Love Story, “where do I begin?”. The answer, as per the song, is with the “first hello”.

Most companies today have their core domestic website – for US companies it is generally the .com English language website. But to grow your sales, brands and businesses globally in today’s multi-national, multi-cultural and multi-lingual world, Online Global has become a business necessity. Check out some of these amazing stats about the top languages in the internet, as well as the growth and number of non-English websites and e/mcommerce platforms. You can’t compete anymore with a traditional English-only .com website.

The “first hello”

The obvious and best place to start is at home, in your domestic market. Understanding your local online presence, means regularly reviewing your home website(s), digital marketing, search engine optimization, social media platforms and analyzing your reports and analytics. Dive deep into understanding what works online for you and what doesn’t and crucially why? Review your home market online target personas and ask whether you are getting the traffic, conversions and results that you want and deserve. Let’s call this your “first (online) hello”.

Going global strategy usually starts with conversations about identifying target markets. Which countries should be the first to benefit from a localized online web presence? Where shall we go online and make our company understood, develop our brand and be easier to do business with?

We typically see three responses:

1. We have to be successful and online in the main global markets. That generally means the top 7+ economies of the world: US, Germany, UK, France, China, India and Japan.
2. We should build on existing strengths so where we are currently successful and doing good business. We know the market and have good direct (office and staff) or indirect (agents, distributors, resellers…) representations. The markets we know and in which we are successful website localization program, rapidly becomes the main marketing and sales driver, support and extending existing business as well as developing the brand. Sometimes competing with a 3rd party, distributor local presence, taking back ownership and online control.
3. Let’s deploy a new online approach to fix the markets where we struggle and enter new markets. Getting a local website will give us market understanding, let potential local partners find us and know we are serious about the market and even help generate leads: potential partners and clients can find, contact and do business with us. The failed and new markets approach. In these cases, the website localization rapidly becomes the initial business start-up tool, a cost-effective route to success and develop new markets.

Next on the question list is typically about required technology. C-Suite teams are a part of this discussion, with senior technical and skilled in and outhouse persons available. Content management systems (CMS) and related platforms abound, all with their own advantages and disadvantages. Open source is a current requirement, as are accessible communities of support and ensured future upgrade development. Much is written about What should you require from your CMS when building multilingual websites? Our own very skilled and capable project manager Tereza wrote an excellent blog that I recommend, entitled: 10 CMS requirements for building multilingual websites. The CMS that can deliver this Online Global presence must also be scalable, country by country, as well as adaptable to future product and service evolutions. All this, as well as support the international online marketing programs that must be implemented to be truly successful.

So, begin your Online Global presence story at home, determine your priority countries and then the technologies and get started. We like to point out that your Online Global presence is an investment with multiple returns that will last many, many years. “How long will it last?” asks Love Story. We have an answer, a lot longer than love. Scientists have recently noted that the chemical in the brain responsible for that “in love” feeling generally wears off after just 12 months. But the business rewards of going Online Global just keep getting better year after year. What’s your view? Comments welcome!