With the approaching globalization of nearly all sectors of all industries on the planet thanks to the Internet, it is becoming more important than ever to be able to reach international audiences. This, in many cases, means delivering content in their own languages, localized to make sense within their own culture. If you decide to bring your brand up onto a global market, then it is necessary to approach your new market carefully.
Step One: Do Your Research
Barring an unexpected miracle, chances are that you will not be able to open up the entire worldwide market all at once. You will have to concentrate on opening up a few key markets at a time, and effective research will help you determine which ones those will be.
Google Analytics is an excellent tool to use as a starting point for this kind of market research. If you have existing visitors to your site coming from another country, that one could be the best place to start.
Multi-Lingual Content Must Be Localized
Simply translating your posts into the language of the region that you wish to open business in is not enough. When dealing with a culture that is, on a fundamental level, different than the one you are used to doing business in, you have to localize the content, so that it makes sense within the cultural context it would be visible in.
Your foreign customers can easily be made to feel alienated and estranged by content that does not make sense for them. Hiring the right content creators can make a huge difference, as people who are native speakers of the language in question or who have an in-depth knowledge of the culture by other means will be much more valuable than any other option.
