The UK and the USA are among each other’s top export markets.The USA is the largest single destination for British exports, and the UK is America’s largest export market in the EU (#5 overall). UK <=> US trade alone equals $214 billion a year.
Many of our clients with an American/British English website ask whether it’s really necessary to build a country specific website for the UK/US markets given the language similarity. Ideally - yes, you should build a country specific website for each of your geographical markets, but it is of a lesser urgency than building a website for let’s say a German/French market that speaks a completely different language.
The language of your website will most likely be understandable, but the user will likely have to put extra effort into understanding or finding the information he/she needs. You will not be percieved as a local provider/supplier and as a consequence you might not fulfill your potential in the target market. We prepared a list of the most frequently seen issues that we address when optimizing a website for the client's English-speaking transatlantic counterpart. This will help you evaluate whether you should invest in a customized website for your export market or not.Language
Even though the two languages are very similar, spelling differences and sometimes even vocabulary differences exist. The main impact (besides appearing foreign) is that you get fewer website visitors from your export market, because your website is not optimized for local search engines. When locals search using keywords that do not appear on your website, you're basically invisible.
| Spelling |
Vocabulary |
||
| UK | USA | UK | USA |
| programme | program | trousers | pants |
| colour | color | lorry | truck |
| organise | organize | chips | fries |
Units of measurement
Inappropriate units of measurement do not only require extra effort from your potential customer to find information needed, but they can even be incorrect with regards to local industry standards! The USA and the UK adhere to different standards (and mere converting from imperial <=> metric systems won't suffice) when it comes to:
- fastener sizes (bolts, screws and nuts)
- clothes sizes
- shoe sizes
- voltage and amperage of electronic appliances
- others
| Distance |
Volume | Area, Temperature | |||
| UK | USA | UK | USA | UK | USA |
| centimetre, milimetre | inch | UK gallon, litre, pint | US gallon | square metre, hectare | acre |
| metre | feet, yard | mililitre | fluid ounce | °C, °F |
°F |
Even though the UK has officially adopted the metric system, road signs still use miles and yards and speed is measured in mph as opposed to kmph. The UK has been struggling with the conversion and it is not unusual to see product specifications in both inches and centimetres. The younger generation is familiar with the metric system and it is therefore more frequently used as time goes by, but the older generation still uses feet and inches.
And finally my favorite...cooking measures! My love for cooking made me buy a set of US cooking measures, since converting cups, tablespoons and teaspoons to grams and mililiters is so complex that it almost doubles the required cooking time! Luckily, this won't be a concern to most of you.
Images
Your target audience might not identify with your products if you showcase images that are visibly foreign. This applies mainly to the images of:
- Landscape: mountains, lakes, forests, sings and markings alongside/on the road
- Vehicles: different styles, makes...driving on the other side of the road!
- Cities: types of stores, historic buildings
Not a difficult one to match the corresponding countries, huh? :)
Money
Currency is a rather obvious consideration when it comes to money, but additional fees for shipping, taxes or customs make this topic even more important.
Certification & Warranty
Customers in your transatlantic English-speaking market will expect to see that your goods and services are certified according to the local standards and have a standard warranty. US companies should note that such regulations are usually stricter in the UK. But once you're good in the UK, the regulatory barriers to enter the rest of the EU are considerably lower.
The above is not an exhaustive list, but just a few examples to illustrate what you should take into consideration when you're deciding on whether to have a country specific website for your "cousins across the pond" or not. Read our ebooks on building country specific websites in the USA and Europe, and get in touch if you need further help!
