Pitney Bowes – Global by Design

March 5, 2014

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 market will be easier to succeed in than more distant and culturally unfamiliar markets such as Germany or Japan.

However, physical and cultural proximity should not be confused with ease of market entry or ease of website localization. Every country is a new market with unique cultures, laws, and ways of doing business. This article highlights a few key tips to consider as you head to the “great white north.”

Link

February 19, 2014

Five reasons you should take your ecommerce global – and five reasons you shouldn’t

My latest post for client Pitney Bowes on going global (or not).

An excerpt — Two reasons NOT to go global:

1. You don’t have realistic expectations (and budgets).
The most common mistake companies make when going global is expecting too much success too early. Doing so not only sets unrealistic expectations, but it also creates a short-term mentality, along with short-term budget commitments. Companies that succeed in new markets typically start small, set achievable and realistic goals, and set longer-term (3-5 year) budgetary commitments.

2. Your staff isn’t ready to go global.
While I believe that the best way to learn something is to do something, you also need to be as prepared as you can be before getting started. Too often, companies don’t have people who are even aware of the complexities of going global. Regularly reading this blog, for example, is something every employee should undertake to start getting a feel for the opportunities and challenges of going global. You want your colleagues to be inherently curious about the world, about cultures, and, ultimately, about customers who may speak any number of languages.

Link

January 28, 2014January 28, 2014

Going beyond stock photos to succeed locally

My latest post for client Pitney Bowes includes tips for creating “world ready” visuals.

An excerpt:

Don’t Send the Wrong (Hand) Signal

Gestures are culturally specific and, while some gestures have gone global, there are variations on these gestures and hand signals, in addition to locally unique signals, that you’ll need to know. The peace sign may be globally ubiquitous, but if you were to rotate your hand around, it suddenly becomes an offensive gesture in countries such as the UK and Australia. President George H.W. Bush was widely ridiculed in Australia when he visited in 1992 and gave the peace sign in reverse.

Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzut] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The OK sign may be perfectly “OK” in the US, but it can be quite offensive in countries such as Turkey and Brazil. And it can be taken to mean “zero” in France.