Adventures in web globalization, since 2002
Just before we wave good riddance to this year I wanted to share a list of those articles that were the most visited. I started this blog back in 2002, so I’m always surprised when I see something I wrote …
I’ve written quite a bit about the world’s most lucrative shopping holiday. No, it’s not Black Friday, but Singles Day, which takes place every November 11th (11.11) in China, and now across many other countries. Walmart is running TV ads …
As a small (but growing) number of companies terminate their dot-brand registrations, it’s fair to ask if dot-brands are a dot-bust. It’s starting to appear that way. Though the fault lies less with the domains themselves than with the companies …
Great article by the BBC about email vs. mobile apps in China — and why email is losing out to the most popular apps. It’s important for Westerners such as myself to remember that most of the world did not …
For the 2020 Web Globalization Report Card, we benchmarked the following 16 automotive websites: Audi BMW Chevrolet Ford Honda Hyundai Land Rover Lexus Mercedes Nissan Porsche Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo Cars For the second year in a row, Volvo …
In keeping with past years, I’m pleased to announce the top 25 websites from the 2020 Web Globalization Report Card. When compared with last year’s top 25 list, there are a number of new entrants to the list: Airbnb: As …
Very interesting article by John Herrman in the New York Times about the rise of Chinese sellers on Amazon and their very interesting choices of brand names. From the article… Almost half of top Amazon sellers — those selling more …
I began the Report Card back in 2003 because, at the time, there was nothing out there that focused specifically on the globalization and localization of websites. And, to be honest, most websites were not all that “global” yet; 10 …
For anyone interested in a truly global (and local) view of the world’s Internet users, I recommend spending a few minutes here. At a global level, it’s revealing to see that the leading search phrase was “India vs. South Africa,” …
As I’ve documented in many editions of the Web Globalization Report Card, companies tend to add languages in fits and starts. The overall average is about one additional language per year. But some companies expand their global reach in sprints. …
The Jehovah’s Witnesses announced today that its website reached 1,000 languages, an impressive achievement. The release notes: On November 4, 2019, jw.org, the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses, reached an unprecedented translation milestone—it now includes articles, videos, and audio content available …
I always enjoy skimming through Mary Meeker’s annual survey of global Internet trends (now via Bond Capital). What follows are a few slides that jumped out at me. Let’s begin with global Internet users. While Europe, North America and South …
Another one bites the dust in China (Amazon.cn), expanding upon my previous post on the challenges of succeeding in China. Wall Street Journal: Amazon’s E-Commerce Adventure in China Proved Too Much of a Jungle
I had an OpEd published this week in the Los Angeles Times about the importance of languages — and the slow but steady increase in languages supported by the world’s leading brands… America’s biggest brands are increasingly multilingual
A little more than 15 years ago, I began benchmarking websites for a new report I had in mind, tentatively titled the Web Globalization Report Card. The number one website in the first Report Card was a startup company by the …