Your (International) Web Site

2009 has been a funny year. (now that I think about it, am I really laughing?)

We're encountering two recurring themes -- web sites are the marketing "tactic" companies are most commonly seeking and manufacturers are expanding into foreign markets in order to offset some US based losses.

Okay. Those two things don't define the entire universe. But you can't ignore a trend.

So that begs the question: How do the two efforts come together?

For starters, marketers must evolve past the standard thought process: "I'm doing business in Germany, I need to translate our site." (Our PR Guru is German by the way, so if you need German translation...)

http://www.wavelengthresults.com/agency/jennifer_taylor.asp

Effective online and global marketing integration in today's market looks more like this:

-- Translations that allow for regional content appropriateness (Glocalization)

-- Site tools that enable marketing material distribution to resellers and distributors, thus streamlining the building of the brand with new customers

-- online brand standards to ensure brand consistency from market to market

-- customizable marketing materials that are available to distributors on their schedule (i.e. when you're sleeping, they may be working. I remember having to coordinate with an overseas office back in the old days. The time delay from a business standpoint is brutal).

Then there's Search, Search, Search. (Has the repetition driven home the importance?)

The Internet has made your business a global one in ways you may already be aware of -- and some you may not. It's absolutely essential that you harness "technology" to the benefit of your global marketing efforts. Proper use of technology will drive results.

Search is especially potent for small and medium-sized businesses seeking to cultivate a foreign market.

It's possible that if you have a relevant product and a web site, that you've already gone global. Without even knowing it. (Search drives up to 40% of a supplier's traffic, BTW). What an interesting thing to consider.

Is your web site "ready?" Think about it...