The majority of internet users world-wide are non-native English speakers. Your web site visitors may have more difficulty in reading English than you do. If a foreign visitor cannot understand your website easily he will not stay around long.
Avoiding Slang
Slang can be hard for others to understand. It can be very localized as well. Find the balance you need to communicate both with your local audience and any cross cultural encounters you come up with.
Avoiding National Metaphors
National metaphors can stop all communication. Your differences are advertised across all of your communication.
If you use a national sports metaphor to make a point, it might be best to explain your point in another way.
Explain National Holidays
If you mention national holidays, explain them clearly to others who may not celebrate the same holidays as you do.
If you have an up coming holiday that seems obvious to you, remember that others might be trying to reach you. A reminder in some form is polite and may prevent foreign customers from wondering why you take so long to respond to them.
Be Open To Others
Is your web site too culturally specific? Sometimes an English web site written by a non-native English speaker can be more open to cross-cultural communication than one written by an English language company totally oblivious to its international visitors.
An open attitude and willingness to do business with everyone can be felt throughout the websites that make the effort. This is a real invitation to do business with others.
State Clearly What You Do
It is sometimes just a little bit harder for your international visitors to grasp what it is you actually do. The longer a visitor is unclear as to what your web site is about the more likely he will move on.
A clear, easy to understand explanation straight up front can be useful. Be sure to put it somewhere easy to see.
If you have any graphics, be sure they correspond to your activity and don't create confusion in understanding your activity. Graphics do speak a thousand words, and if your graphics lead to confusion
State Clearly What You Want Your Visitors To Do
This is often overlooked. Again, cross-cultural communication benefits greatly with clear communication.
You have a web site. What do you want your international visitors to do? Give them clear, easy to find, easy to see, easy to understand directions.
At the very least, something like:
"We appreciate all foreign business, if you have any questions or comments, we would love to hear from you. Please call us at this number, or email Cindy at this email address, and we will get back to you within 36 hours".
Making your web site content easy to understand by all of your internet visitors is one of the first steps in internationalizing your web site.
An internationalized website will open your online business to more international clients.
And more international clients will lead you to move towards localizing your web site and developing into a truly international business. Having an internationalized web site will make the transition to a localized website a lot easier, saving you time and money.
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