Adventures in web globalization, since 2002
Last year, I noted that Mailchimp had begun its global expansion with a few rookie mistakes. Mailchimp was using its super-header to announce support for multiple languages: The globe icon was (and is) perfect. But the location was not sustainable; …
For the 2022 Web Globalization Report Card, we benchmarked the following 16 consumer technology websites: Adobe Apple Canon Dell Fujifilm HP Lenovo LG Microsoft Nikon Nintendo Panasonic Samsung Sony Toshiba Xiaomi (Mi) Adobe emerged as number one for a second year …
The ‘enterprise technology’ category of the 2022 Web Globalization Report Card includes a diverse mix of enterprise software and hardware companies, as well as a few companies devoted to logistics and delivery, such as DHL and FedEX. Here are the …
For those with a passion for model railroading, Märklin is second to none. Looking at some of the models, it’s hard to imagine that these are not full-sized trains. Fortunately, I don’t have the room to even consider a model …
For companies with global aspirations, Russian has long been considered a “must support” language. These days, that is no longer the case. But even before Putin decided to invade Ukraine, the Russian language had been slipping, ever so slightly, in …
I’m pleased to announce the publication of the 2022 Web Globalization Report Card. This is the 18th annual edition of the Report Card, and it reflects another difficult year. And yet there is much to be optimistic about as we look …
As we dive into another uncertain year, I find it comforting to be working on the 2022 edition of the Web Globalization Report Card. It gives me a chance to step outside of my world and look across the entire World Wide …
In the early days of website globalization, there was no such thing as a “global font.” That’s because there was no such thing as a font that supported the world’s major languages. At the time, you needed to specify individual …
I think I spend more time browsing Netflix for something to watch than actually watching it. Which is why I was intrigued to see a new Browse by Language link in the header: While I love the idea of it, …
Shutterstock recently published a global selection of color predictions. According to their blog, the predictions are based “millions of images downloaded from around the world, wherein each individual pixel shade is tallied—along with recent click-through rate (CTR) performance.” What jumped …
As I mentioned a few days ago, Singles Day arrived well before the official start: 11/11. But now that it has officially arrived, a thought a few screen shots would be in order. First off, Chinese ecommerce giant JD.com reports …
If yesterday’s epic #facebookfail has taught us anything, it should be to not rely too heavily on any one platform that you do not control. Sadly, a number of global websites still rely on Facebook as their de facto local …
A sponsored blog post from Lilt. These days, with more and more customer interactions moving online, a lot of important discussions are happening in the localization industry. As companies are looking to optimize their localization programs and scale their efforts …
LILT, a Global by Design sponsor, is hosting the next edition of its popular Ascend conference on October 6-7. The event is designed to help you reach the 87% of consumers who do not speak English as a first language. …
Starlink, the SpaceX-operated satellite communications service, “is now delivering initial beta service both domestically and internationally, and will continue expansion to near global coverage of the populated world in 2021.” Naturally, I was curious to see if the Starlink website …