Post on 15-Jul-2015
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International online presence:How to be found and liked in export markets
Susanne Dirks
e-Vorsprung Consulting
www.evorsprung.com
Introduction and background
Susanne Dirks MSc BSc
• German living in Ireland
• Academic background:
– Translation/localisation
– Information Technology/AI
– e-marketing/business development
• Experience: International
business and IT consulting
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• Help Irish SMEs fully leverage
the Internet for sales and
marketing with focus on
export markets including:
– International web presence
and e-marketing strategy
– Web presence localisation
– e-marketing and SEO
e-Vorsprung Consulting
www.evorsprung.com
ie.linkedin.com/in/susannedirks
Agenda
How to be (online) found and liked in export
markets ?
1. Why do it ?
2. What to watch out for ?
3. How to do it ?
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Why Do It ?
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Reason 1: Market opportunity
Source: eCommerce Europe (2013)
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(billion)
EuropeIreland:0.06% of world population
0.13% of world Internet population
Reason 2: Market AccessGlobal Internet population: From US-centric to truly international
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Source: internetlivestats, 2013
Also consider:
Varying growth rates from 1% to 17%
Reason 3: Company Growth
Example: Zalando
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Survey of German
online shops:• 77% considering
• 36% planning
international
expansion
Challenge 1: ACCESS != REACH
‘Automatic’ international reach is minimal
Source: Irish e-commerce SME sales data
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Challenge 2: TRANSLATION != LOCALISATION
Translation alone is not sufficient
Audit of EI companies for:
• Website Visibility– Technical Tuning
– Onsite / Offside SEO
– Social media presence
• Website Impact– Content & Translation
– Customer Service Support
– Clarity of Website
– Trust-building features
• E-Commerce readiness– Process, Legal, etc.0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
1
Best
Worst
Average score
Source: Data from 2013 audit for Enterprise Ireland
Note: Audit for German market only e-Vorsprung Consulting
Challenge 3: NO GUARANTEES
Market research and active marketing are vital
Requires business case:
– Demand
– Competitive differentiation
– Feasibility, cost, pricing
– No go examples (online, DE):
• Debenhams.de
• Asos
Requires active effort
– Example:
• 55% of German online
shops deliver abroad
• Sales percentage
abroad smallish
• BECAUSE marketing
efforts smallish
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What To Watch Out For ?
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Selling internationally (online) means
operating (and e-marketing) in a different environment
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Business environment
Socio-cultural environment
Technology environment
Legal environment
www.sme.cn
Business environment:
Local supply - local demand - Your USP
Supply/Competitors Demand
ATKearney,
2012
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Assessing demand:
Checking out local search patterns
Ladies shoes
Ireland 320
UK 18,100
US 4,400
Germany 90
Austria 10
Source: Google Keyword planner
Monthly search volumes in Google:
Question 1:Is there sufficient demand for your product/s
in your target market/s ?
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Women shoes
50
2,400
14,800
110
10
Damenschuhe
20
20
50
27,100
880
Check
external and
internal data
Assessing the competition: “Ladies shoes”
Ireland (google.ie) Germany (google.de)Organic search
results only
Question 2: Who are you competing ONLINE and OFFLINE with in
your selected foreign target market/s ?
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Re-evaluating your USP
Source: IPC Cross-Border e-Commerce report
Question 3:
What is your USP for
selling in your new
target market/s ?
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Re-fining your USP for export markets
Demand
• Ireland – Office shoes – 9,900
• Germany– Büroschuhe – 70 -> NO
– High heels – 40,400 -> NO
– Brautschuhe – 33,100 -> NO
– ...
Supply / Competitors
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– Tanzschuhe - 22,200
– Tanzschuhe Damen – 4,400
– Tangoschuhe - 880
The impact of a different socio-cultural
environment on e-commerce abroad
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Business environment
Socio-cultural environment
Technology environment
Legal environment
www.sme.cn
Understanding of the export market’s culture is
key to the success of e-marketing
Culture influences how
all of its members:
– Perceive
– Think
– Value
– Act
Website marketing
aims at getting people’s:
– Attention
– Interest
– Desire
– Action
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“The web is not a culturally
neutral medium … a website has to be
designed for a targetted customer segment …
Local adaptation should be based on a
complete understanding of
a customer group’s culture …”
Cultural considerations
• Text
– Words
– Language
• Graphics
– Pictures
– Symbols
• Design
– Layout
– Colours
– Navigation
• Formats
– Addresses
– Phone numbers
• Measurements etc. etc. etc.e-Vorsprung Consulting
Key guiding principles:
1. Don’t offend
2. Don’t look silly
3. Speak the ‘language’
4. Show you care
5. Show local insight
Needs local insights
and input
Don’t offend
Picture and text content must be appropriate
for culture
Ikea
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Microsoft
Translations can go wrong easily
Don’t look silly
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Picture content: Watch out for potential issues
Final
version
Spot the
issue!
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Draft version
Users prefer content in their own language
Speak their language
Considerable country variances !
Question asked:
“Do you use a language other than
your own to read/watch content
on the Internet ?”
Plus:
Frequency
Complexity
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Google Translate
Quality of local content shows your attitude
Show you care
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Final touches makes the difference
Show local insight
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UK
Spain
Zalando payment options
Oriflame
Latvi
a
Kenya
Assessing cultural differences to
address in web presence localisation
Hofstede’s 6 cultural dimensions:
• Power distance
• Individualism
• Masculinity/femininity
• Uncertainty avoidance
• Long-term orientation
• Indulgence
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Can and must be
addressed via:
Web design, content,
features/functionality
Ireland in comparison…
Example:
Websites for uncertainty avoidance
cultures
Key principles
• Minimal ambiguity
• Clear navigation
• Structured information
• Predictable user journey
• No pop-ups
• No non-essential info
• Explicit language
• Clear images
Example:
The impact of different technology usage on
e-commerce abroad
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Business environment
Socio-cultural environment
Technology environment
Legal environment
www.sme.cn
Technology infrastructure
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Average connection speed by country:
Mobile connectivity, Europe:
Mobile
penetration:
Popular websites / search engines
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Search engines:
Google is not Number 1 everywhere
• What are the
prevalent search
engines in your target
market/s ?
• What are the
differences in SEO ?
Guess where ?e-Vorsprung Consulting
Social network preferences vary –Example: Germany and Russia
Germany
Russia
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Russia
The impact of different legal and/or regulatory
requirements on e-commerce abroad
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Business environment
Socio-cultural environment
Technology environment
Legal environment
www.sme.cn
Legal considerations for web presence abroad
Legal aspects to consider
– Privacy and data protection legislation
– Advertising legislation
– Brand legislation
– Consumer legislation
– Copyright
– Terms and conditions
– Liability
– Domain names
– Website content
Example: Legal warnings
in Germany (2013)
• 3 of 5 online shops received at
least one legal warning in 2013
14%
12%
53%
20%
Trademark law
Copyright
Competition law
Other
Source: Händlerbund
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How To Go About It ?
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What does web presence for exports involve ?
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Localisation is the practice
of adjusting a product or
service to the requirements
of a foreign market
e-Marketing
localisation
Website localisation
Web presence in export market
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Website localisation
Website Localisation Step 1:
Big Picture: Internationalisation strategy
Export market priorities
1. Target market/s
2. Target audience/s
3. Competitors
4. Offering/value proposition
5. Differentiation/USP
Company priorities
1. Goals / KPIs
2. Resources
3. Budget
4. Time
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International and local Web Presence Strategy
WHERE, WHY, WHEN, WHAT, HOW
International web presence strategy supports the business
– Internationalisation status to-date and plans
– Country priorities, timing, goals per markets
– Sales channels and products and value proposition per market
– Role of web to-date and going forward per market
Web internationalisation strategy
Domain strategy
Information architecture
Content, web presence approach, e-marketing approach
Local market web presence strategy
– Value proposition, products/services, top shelf concept
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Strategic choices for web presence localisation
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Hope & Pray
Translation/ Copywriting
SEO-Translation/Optimisation
SEO-Trans-Creation
Web Presence Localisation
Marketing in a new environment
1. Countries
2. Offering
3. Scope/footprint
4. Localisation degree
Website Localisation Step 2:
Culturally appropriate, locally relevant and
appealing (AIDA) CONTENT
• Articulates your value proposition in …
• Differentiates you from competitors in …
• Meets the content needs of …
• Uses standards and conventions in …
• Uses content formats preferred by …
• Uses design, colours, graphics used in…
• Builds trust with local users in…
• Speaks the ‘language’ of …
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Your
Target
Marke
t
WHAT CONTENT
What content, HOW
WHAT CONTENT ?
Mini case study “Aldi” top shelf:
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WHAT content to
articulate and
differentiate yourself in
export markets ?
• Top shelf
• Cellar
• New
Aldi Süd Germany value proposition:
Quality products, cheap price guaranteed
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Aldi Nord Germany value proposition:
Top quality food at consistently low price
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Aldi Austria value proposition:
Cheap style with a conscience
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Aldi France value proposition:Quick tasty food for singles at good quality & price
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Aldi UK value proposition:
Fresh food with a British twist
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Aldi Ireland value proposition:
Buy Irish quality and support Ireland
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Special additional content to provide trust:
Provide local evidence of quality and service
Edelmann Trust Barometer
2014
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L
O
C
A
L
Special additional content for legal compliance
Example: MicksGarage.de, Germany
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WHAT CONTENT, AND HOW?
Examples
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HOW to present your
content in export
markets ?
Dealing with different content needs
UK Germany
Example: Motivations for Newletter subscription
Different expectations for level of detail and info
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Example, Kerrygold Germany product page (2013):
Paying attention to colour and design preferences
Alibaba.comAlibaba.cn
Using pictures to reinforce local relevance
France
Spain
AdidasSiemens
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Providing local(ly relevant) content
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Germany
Ireland
Translation & Trans-creation:
Speaking the local language
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Decide at start
Scope
Messages
Style
Formats
Ensure
always
Quality & consistency
Keyword focus
Fresh content
Standards & conventions
Avoid like pest
Think carefully
Keywords
Taglines
Ads
CTAs
Non-text content
Google Translate & Co
Translator wannabes
Mixed-language approaches
Creating valid,
fresh,
persuasive,
relevant quality
content for local
users and search
engines
Speaking the local ‘dialect’Don’t forget to ‘translate’ English content
• Website text and SEO text needs to reflect the
‘language’ used by your target market
– Official language
– National ‘dialect’
– Words
– Spelling
– Usage patterns
• Principles:
– Be found
– Be understood
– Don’t be misunderstood
Search:
UK: 77%, US: 14%Search: UK: 23%, US: 86%
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Legal
Payment, Delivery, Returns
Support
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Web Localisation, Step 3:
Making sure you can do (lasting) business
Legal requirements example:
Naming of the “Buy” button in Germany
• Only FOUR legally
compliant names:
• Examples of legally
non-compliant names:
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Payment preferences differ:
Example: Payments made – Germany vs Spain
Spanish payments German payments
?
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Support and communications with customers
• A website is for life, not just for
Christmas
• The Internet is a two-way
channel
• The Internet is only one
communication channel
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74.7 % say availability of after-sales support in own language influences their buying decision
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E-Marketing
Localisation
The challenge of glocalisation
Local market requirements & opportunities
Company requirements, constraints &
goals
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Local visibility
requires a local
Internet Strategy !
Key considerations for e-marketing in
export markets
• Giving local signals for search engines
• Optimising for local search engine/s
• Selecting keywords for search engine
marketing: SEO and PPC
• Being seen in the ‘right places’ online
• Deciding, where and how to ‘socialise’
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Local signals for search engines:
Geo-targeting signals for Google
• Domain URL
• Webmaster Tool settings
• Sitemaps and hreflang tag
• Server Location
• Website – content and metadata language
• Currency and address formats
• Inbound links
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Keywords for search engine marketing
in the new export market
Social Media Optimisation
Search Engine
Optimisation
Search Engine
Advertising
• Keywords for SEO and
SEA, SMO for target market
– Alignment with value
proposition and USP
– Target market language
– Target market usage
– Regional aspects
– Cultural aspects
Keywords !!!
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Need for multi-
disciplinary approach
and skills: market
insight, linguistic skills,
internet marketing
Keyword localisation requires strong
language skills and creativity
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000
health shoes (IRL)
gesundheits-schuhe
gesunde schuhe
gesundheitsschuhe
bequeme schuhe
extra weite schuhe
extra breite schuhe
breite schuhe
weite schuhe
breiten fassende schuhe (google)
Monthly search volume
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0!
Germany
Austria
Switzerland
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Ackerschnacker
Händy
Natel
Handy
Mobiltelefon
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Keyword localisation is more than translation:
Beware of local usage patterns
Example: “Mobile Phone” in German speaking markets
Alignment of local keywords to local USP
Keyword Irish search result
(google.ie)
German search result
(google.de)
butter
Page 1 (Place 5) Page 5 *
healthy butter (gesunde
butter)
Not found
(on first five pages)
Page 1 (place 6) **
Irish butter (irische
butter)
Page 1 (Place 1) Page 1 (place 2) **
•Organic search results only, Google ads shows earlier
** First product in the listing
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Example: Kerrygold
Cultural factors influencing keywords
Critical questions:
1. Why is there such a big opportunity in the UK?
2. Why is the search pattern in Germany so different?
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Monthly search volume (Google)
English term UK Germany German term
house exchange 14,800 1,600 Haustausch
home exchange 4,400 0 Eigenheimtausch
house swap 5,400 NA NA
home swap 4,400 0 Haus Swap (Google Translate)
flat exchange 110 2,400 Wohnungstausch
apartment exchange 10 10 Apartment Tausch
Germany: 45% UK 85 %
Summary
Key points:
• Think INTERNATIONAL. Think
STRATEGIC
• Translation != localisation
• Plan for a different business, cultural,
technology, legal environment
• RELEVANT CONTENT: What, How,
Who
• Two main areas:
• Web presence localisation
• e-Marketing localisation
• Localisation is not just for Xmas
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