International Business and Technology Blog

The answer is simple - in order to succeed you will need an online presence that is optimized for the German audience, which means a localized German website, a .de, and a dedicated German marketing strategy.

Why do you need a localized .de website?

Germany is a major economy as a producer, importer, exporter, manufacturer etc. it’s got it all. In fact, Germany has the largest population in Europe, with 83 million people, and the fourth largest GDP in the world. It is a real powerhouse in Europe and thanks to its unique position nestled between Austria, Belgium, and Switzerland, its reach is widened. Its neighboring countries hold German-speaking regions, so one German website has the expanded reach of up to 100 million people.

It's no secret that the pandemic hurt a lot of businesses in 2020, especially brick-and-mortar businesses. As the premier Judo training center in Southeast Idaho, Blue Line Judo was severely impacted by the pandemic and was among the companies struggling to stay in business.

At IBT Online we have always been in the digital space, keeping and helping our clients stay ahead of the curve, but in 2020 the importance of being found, understood, and easy to do business with online became clearer than ever.

We know that digital is here to stay, and so does Blue Line Judo who has invested in two optimally localized, business development websites to help them make their new digital service global!

In today's online world, your website is your #1 business development tool. But is your website easy to be found, understood, and easy to do business within your target market? If not, it's time to invest in website localization -- you can't afford to wait any longer!

We worked with Fullerton Tool Company to launch two newly localized business development websites to help them reach their Spanish and French-speaking customers. Beth Bauer, the Marketing Content Strategist, says having localized websites to reach your target markets is “just a smart business decision!”

When you're up against the international competition, your brand will look "amateur" without the proper website setup. Optimally localized websites are the key to growing your exports, sales, brand, and business in foreign markets, and they should be included in your export marketing strategy.

Achieving marketplace recognition overseas to grow your exports, sales, brand, and business globally is not an easy task – you must "look through the lens of the customer!", as Davies Hood, president of Induron Protective Coatings, learned by working with us.

“I like to purchase domestically and in my own language and in US measurements. It made me realize our partners in different parts of the world like to do the same.”

At IBT Online we pride ourselves in being able not only to understand our clients’ businesses and their goals but also to have a tracked record of being able to build and promote brands that go beyond their domestic market.

IBT Online helped Induron think more like their international consumers instead of like marketing and salespeople, according to Hood; "this was a major mindset shift!"

Today IBT Online works with over 500 US companies helping them grow their exports, sales, brand, and business by developing best-practice, optimally localized business development websites, and international online marketing programs,  delivering Online Global success. 

Are the Online Global programs right for your business? Are you ready to take advantage of, and leverage Online Global Programs?

At IBT Online, our mission is to help U.S. exporters navigate the online global environment, reach their international target markets, and grow their exports, sales, brand, and business globally.

We are proud to say that we currently work with over 500 companies, in over 65 target markets around the world, delivering over 1,500 Online Global Programs. 

In recognition of this, IBT Online has been awarded the President’s ‘E’ Award, which is the highest recognition any U.S. company can receive for contributing to national export expansion efforts that support the U.S. economy and create American jobs.  

How do we do this? Well, we have designed innovative Online Global Programs to fit the needs of U.S. exporters for whichever market they are trying to reach. We value our clients, and we work in collaboration with them to build an Online Global Program that is unique to their needs and business objectives.  

Canada's proximity to the US and overall eagerness to do business with America make it ideal for market entry, and you can start online today!

But careful – this does not mean that you should treat Canada as an extension of your US marketing efforts. You need dedicated resources to ensure you will be found and understood by customers across the northern border. A localized website is a perfect way to start, and it will make it easier for your target market to do business with you and buy your products.

By having a dedicated, optimally localized website you will see your local traffic explode, your engagement increase, and your sales will grow exponentially!

How, you ask? IBT Online specializes in building localized websites and this includes Canada! Over the years, we’ve learned how to maximize online visibility in Canada, and we are sharing some of our secrets here. Specifically, why Canada is a critical global market and the top tips on how to showcase your company online, growing your exports, sales, brand, and business.

You have a well-designed, SEO-optimized US website, but you struggle to reach your Canadian prospects – sound familiar?

Although many Canadians speak English, your current USA-based English-language website is practically invisible to them -- that's how the internet works. The average Google search session lasts just under a minute, and with over 40,000 Google search queries happening every second, you have to stand out.

So how do you stand out? Having a localized website with a localized URL and relevant content for the Canadian market is the most cost and time-effective way to have an immediate online presence and be found in Canada! This will allow your target customers to find you and interact easily with your brand. Your Canadian website will appear amongst the top Google searches in Canada, building trust with Canadian prospects.

You asked, we listened! Every day, at IBT Online we help US exporters navigate the online global environment, supporting them to grow their export, sales, brand, and business internationally.

What was once called the ‘New Online Normal’ is now called the ‘New Reality’! The impact of COVID-19 has compounded the rapid advancement of technologies and the take off-off the online, digitally connected world and this trend is here to stay! So today, companies are facing new challenges that come with this online landscape. So how do you make sure to thrive as a company in this online environment and what are the tools needed? 

To help you stay ahead of the curve, we created a short video that answers the top questions US exporters ask us about growing their business internationally and online today!

Vapor Pin Enterprises, Inc. patented the Vapor Pin®, which allows environmental professionals a means of collecting high-quality, low-cost soil gas samples within minutes. Vapor Pin was seeking to grow their brand internationally and identified as their first target market. Vapor Pin recognized that website localization can give your business a competitive advantage, helping your brand stand out in a crowded digital landscape. This task can also appear daunting to many companies as it requires market expertise and digital skills that might not be available in-house. For this reason, Vapor Pin called upon IBT Online to help them achieve their exporting objectives. IBT Online was proud to launch a best-practice, localized business development Brazilian ecommerce website as well as a targeted online marketing strategy to accompany it.

Localizing websites is more than translating a few pages – it involves deep local knowledge, wide technical experience and strong locally-based search engine optimization skills. Ecommerce plug-ins also need to be suited to the local market, taking into account local payment habits, safety and compliance regulations. For Brazilian ecommerce, according to Vice-President Laurie A. Chilcote, “We need to get online in this market”. It was the right time to call in IBT Online to ensure the Brazilian website was launched on-time and on-budget with a full ecommerce platform and online marketing strategy to power up sales.

Given the success of the localized website and strategic marketing efforts in Brazil, Vapor Pin endeavoured to further invest into launching ecommerce websites in other international target markets. As Laurie expresses: "If you want to grow your brand and expand into markets, IBT Online is the company to help you achieve those goals."