The rapid advances in communications technology are fast making the world seem a smaller place as globalisation becomes the norm. These technological developments are driving the innovative use of resources to promote new products and ideas across nations and cultures, regardless of geographical location.

Business organisations of all shapes and sizes now have the opportunity to create efficient and effective channels to reach international markets through the internet. However, when it comes to creating a digital platform that specifically appeals to an international audience many organisations struggle.

So what are the key steps that businesses need to consider to ensure they can achieve digital transformation on an international scale?

1. Think international from the start

When it comes to your business presence online this is your window to the world and a chance to achieve instant globalisation. Most businesses are mobile or web first and as a direct platform to your consumers you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Considering the scale of the opportunity it is crucial for businesses to think about their global messages from the start as it will make life much easier down the line.

2. Research your market

It is essential to understand your target audience from the start. By researching the market you will gain insight into the specific aspects that they are accustomed to. Turn the tables and put yourself in their shoes by focusing in on how your products and services can meet their needs. Research will play a significant role in how your country specific sites will eventually look and it’s always a good idea to get a feel for the best practice used by already well-established international audiences in varying sectors. Reading through local blogs and articles will allow you to gauge what is already out there and assess the competition, whilst gaining an understanding of how the media works and when they find the website how they access their information.

- Cultural Trends/ Differences
Researching the cultural trends and differences will provide key insights into your target market. By understanding them prior to getting started it will give you a great sense of direction and make sure you are designing a website that is specifically tailored for the audience and will not cause any unintentional offence in the process. As an example, Chinese websites are traditionally considered to be cluttered. However, the younger generation are far more engaged with Western design and as a result they are currently spearheading a revolution in the way that they are structured.

- Language Differences
It may seem an obvious point, but you need to make sure that you are speaking to the audience in a language that they can understand. Critically you need to generate web-friendly localised copy rather than one size fits all. Tools such as Google Translate may be useful in the first instance, but it’s worth investing in a good quality translation service to avoid any embarrassing mistakes and put potential customers off. Even the global brands can fall for this trap with KFC misinterpreting their slogan ‘finger-lickin good’ as something slightly more cannibalistic in Chinese- ‘eat your fingers off’.

3. Reaching your market
As with the personal technology of your future customers, consideration needs to be given to the technical infrastructure of their country. Fast broadband connections whilst commonplace in some areas of the world are not the rule everywhere. Internet use may be growing rapidly on across the world, however in some areas, particularly Africa/ India/ South America the majority of users still have relatively slow connections. Take this into consideration when it comes to designing your website. Basic principles such as limiting large graphics and videos will help to reduce the time it takes to load and instead

- Device Penetration
Prior to engaging with the market you need to know what the majority of the population are browsing the web on. Are they early adopters of the latest mobile technology or are they still reliant on desktops? The Latino markets in particular have an over-index on mobile devices. By understanding the device penetration of the country this will direct you as to whether it’s best to use a reactive or responsive design.

- Reactive vs Responsive Design
In some areas a responsive approach, which is based upon the user’s behaviour and environment based on screen size, platform and location may prove the most effective. As the user switches from their laptop to an iPad, the website will automatically switch to accommodate the new display, removing the need for a different design and development phase for each new gadget on the market. In other parts of the world reactive websites that are designed to act upon user mouse movements, keyboard button presses and client interactions may prove far more effective as they help you to position your marketing messages, product services and navigate a user down a certain path.

4. Be Flexible
Working with a new audience will always throw up a number of unexpected challenges. When it comes to digital transformation you can best prepare yourself with the initial market research mentioned above, but you also need to be flexible to ensure that projects run smoothly from start to finish.

If you’re liaising with an agency abroad structure your team to take into account the time difference. This will give you greater flexibility when it comes to responding to issues more quickly as they arise minimising any potential reputational damage.

5. Think Long-Term
Designing a website is just the beginning, make sure to monitor and develop the site as your understanding of the market continues to grow. Technology will only continue to develop bringing the world closer and closer together as a result. By achieving digital transformation on an international scale you are putting your business on the map and opening up new and exciting channels of consumer engagement and revenue streams.

 

By Paul Swain, Head of User Experience at The Unit. 

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