Building a Global Web Strategy: Best Practices for Developing your International Online Brand

Recent research proves a solid Web globalization strategy is vital to the success of companies generating revenue in global markets:

• Fourteen of the top 25 U.S. Web properties attract more visitors from outside the U.S. than within.
• English represents well less than the majority of languages spoken on the Web.
• Buyers prefer to interact with your global Web site in their own language.

Projecting a globally viable, coherent brand on the Web, and conducting business through your Web site in multiple languages, however, is not a trivial proposition. It requires a deliberate focus on four key elements:

1. Strategy
2. User Experience
3. Content
4. Technology

As you expand further and faster into global markets, you must adapt your Web presence to target key populations in their native languages. The shift to a truly global audience compels companies to adopt a Web globalization strategy that conveys information in the cultural, linguistic, and business context of the target audience. 

It is no longer a question of whether to globalize your Web site, but how to improve the online experience for every prospect and customer. 

This whitepaper provides an overview of Web globalization today, and it presents the Lionbridge perspective on best practices and standards to deliver a globally viable site that will deliver exponential revenue growth for your company.