International Business and Technology Blog

We can all agree that having a strong online presence is key if you wish to be successful in today’s competitive international marketplace. But what factors should you consider when deciding which URL structure to use, to facilitate a strong online presence for your business? 

Multiple languages, multiple countries, and sometimes multiple languages within the same country can make international Search Engine Optimization (SEO) a daunting process. But don’t worry, in this blog we’ll review different options regarding URL structure, discuss their advantages (and disadvantages), and important considerations when taking your website internationally.

Morooka America is a manufacturer of all-terrain construction equipment based in Virginia. They work primarily through a global distribution network.

Up until 2020, they had reasonably good sales in North America from local distributors and were gaining traction in European and South American markets. However, when the pandemic hit in March 2020, their international sales came to a halt.

Read how this manufacturer launched 4 new optimally localized websites and international online marketing programs with IBT Online to expand into new markets and exceed their sales goals during a global pandemic.

As Takashi Inoue, CEO of Morooka America, says; “I’m very happy with IBT Online and the web marketing they provide, and I want to recommend them to our mother company in Japan!”

What do sea cucumbers, soup seasoning, cattle, and safflower seeds have in common? They are all being promoted and sold online around the world via our Online Global Programs.

IBT Online has helped many agriculture exporting companies enhance their global reach by building best-practice, optimally localized websites and designing and implementing international online marketing strategies in their export target markets around the world.

Through the Online Global Programs, we’ve transformed agribusiness websites and their online corporate footprint so that they can be found, understood, and easy to do business with online in their chosen target markets.

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.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the secret to being found online by your customers around the world. Your international prospects use search engines like Google, Yahoo or Bing to find products and services online.

So how can you guarantee they find you? That's where IBT Online comes in! We design and deliver best-practice, optimally localized international websites that are optimized for search engines in different markets worldwide.

Our SEO strategies make your website easy to be found and understood by your international customers, making it easier for them to do business with you and buy your products!

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!"

The unique Japanese online environment is difficult to enter but can be extremely rewarding when you are equipped with a localized website and best-practice marketing strategy.

Japan is well known by US Exporters for its large, strong economy – 3^rd largest in the world, and a powerhouse for both import and export. But it is also well known for how difficult it can be to enter!

A less known fact perhaps is how plugged in Japan is, with over 92% of their 127 million population using the internet on regular basis. 

IBT Online has a proven track record of supporting US Exporters to leverage their #1 business development tool - (no, not your sales team) – your website, to be found, be understood, and become easy to do business with in Japan.

With one of the highest internet penetration rates in the world, Japan is very connected and extremely mobile. To ensure your business can not only be found, but that your content can be easily understood by your prospects, you need a localized website.

"My company chose IBT Online, and the results speak for themselves!" says Jonathan Szucs, the President and Founder of Advanced Superabrasives. "Within weeks of going live, our new websites in Mexico and Canada started generating over ten requests for quotes per week!"

That's huge for any small business that's entering a new market, just like Advanced Superabrasives.

Read how ASI worked with IBT Online to launch two new websites in Mexico and Canada and support their online presence in these target markets with tailored international online marketing strategies in both Mexico and Canada.