YouTube launches Thai site at YouTube.co.th
I too am surprised it took Google this long to launch a dedicated Thai website. YouTube has local versions in 61 countries and 61 different languages. Today’s launch in Thailand …
Go global with .INTERNATIONAL? I don’t think so.
GoDaddy is marketing the new top-level domain INTERNATIONAL. This is one TLD that I can’t imagine recommending to anyone. For starters, you don’t need this domain to go global. Every TLD …
dotConfusing — What you need to know about the next wave of top-level domains
My latest post for client Pitney Bowes on making sense of the hype concerning the new generic TLDs. An excerpt: The first wave is rolling in More than 1,200 gTLDs have …
The best global travel websites (and why)
There are now more than one billion international travelers, making the travel industry a benchmark for web globalization innovation and excellence. So I’m pleased to be presenting a free webinar …
Xiaomi launches Mi.com as its global “front door”
I’ve long been curious how Xiaomi would take its brand name global. The name itself can be challenging for us Western speakers to pronounce, let alone spell correctly. That’s not to …
The United Languages of America
Very cool map courtesy of the WashPost based on US Census data: “More than a quarter of counties in the United States have at least one in 10 households where …
Before Amazon enters Sweden it needs a .se country code
Few companies appreciate the value of country codes as Amazon. As you can see here, Amazon goes a step further and integrates the cccTLD directly into the logo: According to …
Macedonia gets an IDN: мкд
Lately I’ve been writing about all those new non-Latin generic TLDs. But countries are still in the process of acquiring the local-script equivalents of their country codes. Last week, Macedonia (.mk) …
Xiaomi’s global expansion plans include Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand
In January, I wrote about Xiaomi’s success in crowdsourced translation of its operating system — and how this bodes well for global expansion. Xiaomi, for those who’ve never heard of …
Wikipedia and the Internet language chasm
When talking about language diversity across the Internet, I like to include a visual that illustrates the language leaders of the Internet: This chart is based on data from the …
5 Questions to Ask Any Potential Translation Vendor
My latest post for client Pitney Bowes on selecting a translation agency. An excerpt: Can I speak with your references? Always, always check references. Ideally, you should speak with three …
GoDaddy’s new global gateway sets the stage for global growth
It’s nice to see GoDaddy improving its global gateway. Note the use of the globe icon below to indicate the global gateway menu: Click on the globe or locale name …
The worst global websites of the 2014 Web Globalization Report Card
You can be a wildly successful global company and still have a poorly localized website. A number of factors determine global success and the website is only one of these …
Google launches its first Japanese IDN
I’ve long talked about the importance of non-Latin domain names, or IDNs (Internationalized Domain Names). Google has gone live with one if its many IDNs: みんな. I want to emphasize here …
Localizing your website for Canada: It’s more challenging than you might think
My latest post for client Pitney Bowes on localizing for Canada. An excerpt: As they begin their global expansion, American companies often select Canada first under the assumption that the …