web presence for abroad how to be found and liked in export markets | susanne dirks| evorsrung...

Web presence abroad: 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

e-Vorsprung Consulting •  Services to help Irish SMEs

fully leverage the Internet for export sales and marketing, including: –  Export marketing strategy –  Website localisation –  Internet marketing –  Germany/DACH, UK, US

e-Vorsprung Consulting

www.evorsprung.com

ie.linkedin.com/in/susannedirks Contact: [email protected]

Agenda

Web presence for export markets

1.  Why do it ? 2.  What to watch out for ? 3.  How to do it ?


Why Do It ?


Reason 1: MARKET SIZE Irish market size is a limiting factor

Source: eCommerce Europe (2013)


(billion)

Europe Ireland

Reason 2: GROWTH Internationalisation is a key success factor

Example: Zalando


Reason 3: ACCESS: The Internet gives you access to new markets

Global internet audience by region

Rest of world Source: Comscore, Dec 2012


Challenge 1: ACCESS != REACH ‘Automatic’ international reach is minimal

Source: Irish e-commerce SME sales data


Challenge 2: LOCALISATION != TRANSLATION Translation alone is not sufficient

Audit of EI companies for:

•  Website Visibility –  17 criteria across 4 categories:

Technical Tuning, Onsite SEO, Offside SEO and Social media

•  Website Impact –  17 criteria across 4 categories:

Content & Translation, Customer Service Support, Clarity of Website, Trust-enhancing Features

–  Plus 4 additional criteria for any companies that provided e-commerce type of transactions

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: Not e-commerce specific, Audit for German market only


What To Watch Out For ?


Selling internationally online means operating in a different environment


Business environment

Socio-cultural environment

Technology environment

Legal environment

www.sme.cn

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, 27.1.2014

Monthly search volumes in Google:

⇒ Know your market ⇒ Know their lingo

Question 1: Is there sufficient demand for your product/s in your target market/s ?


Women shoes

50

2,400

14,800

110

10

Assessing the competition: “Ladies shoes”

Ireland (google.ie) Germany (google.de) Search: (in native language)

No top ads 2 ads on top

Question 3: Who are you competing ONLINE and OFFLINE with in your selected foreign target market/s ?


Re-evaluating your USP

Source: IPC Cross-Border e-Commerce report

Question 4: What is your USP for selling in your new target market/s ?


The impact of a different socio-cultural environment on e-commerce abroad





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


“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 …”

Assessing cultural differences to address in web presence localisation

Hofstede’s 5 cultural dimensions: •  Power distance •  Individualism •  Masculinity/femininity •  Uncertainty avoidance •  Long-term orientation


Can and must be addressed via: Web design, content, features/functionality

Design for different cultures: Use of colours, pictures, text

Alibaba.com Alibaba.cn

Web design for different cultures: Features and Functionality


Layout convention: Footer for e-commerce (DE)

Different currency formats

Design for different cultures: Practical challenges

Ireland:

Grianghrafadóireachta

Germany:

Donaudampfschiffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft

Longest word in selected European

countries

For guidelines, check: http://www-01.ibm.com/software/globalization/guidelines/a3.html

Language and Content

QUESTION: What are the

top 6 native languages that allow you to reach

nearly ¾ of all Internet users ?


Language for content: Only ¼ of Internet users are English speakers

Search Read Listen Evaluate Order Ask questions Write reviews

Many users perceive, think, and value content only in their own 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


But to take care with your translations (and QA) !


Picture content for different culture: Don’t stepping on cultural toes

Nike

Ikea

Microsoft


The impact of different technology usage on e-commerce abroad





Legal environment

www.sme.cn

Search engines: Google is not Number 1 everywhere

•  What are the prevalent search engines in your target market ?

•  What are the differences in SEO ?

Guess where ? e-Vorsprung Consulting

Popular websites / search engines


Social network preferences vary – Example: Germany and Russia

Germany

Russia


Russia

The impact of different legal and/or regulatory requirements on e-commerce abroad





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


Example: Naming of the “Buy” button in Germany

•  Only FOUR legally compliant names:

•  Examples of legally non-compliant names:


How To Go About It ?


What does web presence localisation involve ?


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 new market


Website localisation

Website Localisation Step 1: Strategic Planning for Export Markets

Export market focus 1.  Target audience 2.  Competitors 3.  Differentiation/value

proposition/USP

Company focus 1.  Goals / KPIs 2.  Resources 3.  Budget 4.  Time


Strategic choices for web presence localisation


1)  Scope – and footprint

2)  Localisation degree – and business impact

Hope & Pray

Translation

SEO-Translation

SEO-Trans-Creation

Web Presence Localisation

Marketing in a new environment

MINI CASE STUDY: ALDI VALUE PROPOSITION ACROSS COUNTRIES


Aldi Süd Germany value proposition: Quality products, cheap price guaranteed


Aldi Nord Germany value proposition: Top quality food at consistently low price


Aldi Austria value proposition: Cheap style with a conscience


Aldi France value proposition: Quick tasty food for singles at good quality & price


Aldi UK value proposition: Fresh food with a British twist


Aldi Ireland value proposition: Buy Irish quality and support Ireland


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 … •  Provides the info & detail preferred by … •  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 …


Your Target Market

Content presentation for Germans: Kerrygold Product Page (2013)


Picture content: Use it to reinforce local relevance

France

Spain

Adidas Oriflame

Latvia

Kenya


Picture content: Watch out for potential issues

Draft 1

Final version

Spot the difference!


ALL text content needs localisation (or, sorry: localization ?)

•  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%


Content Translation: Creating valid, fresh, persuasive, relevant quality

content for local users and search engines


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

Barriers to Cross-Border e-Commerce

Source: IPC Cross-Border e-Commerce report


Trust-building content: Prove quality and build trust

“Trust me, I’m a recognised local

expert !” Edelmann Trust Barometer 2014


Trust-build content: Give evidence and build trust

“Trust me, I’m local. We have the same needs

…” Edelmann Trust Barometer 2014


Legal

Payment, Delivery, Returns

Support


Web Localisation, Step 3: Making sure you can do (lasting) business

Legal compliance builds trust and enables business

Example: MicksGarage.de

Legal impact on: -  Website -  Processes -  Business decisions


Payment preferences differ: Example: Payments made – Germany vs Spain

Spanish payments German payments

? e-Vorsprung Consulting

Returns require awareness of local legislation and culture

MicksGarage.de

Legal compliance…

… plus customer service

Zalando

UK!

Germany

Italy

Spain

France


Also consider: Process & cost

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


74.7 % say availability of after-sales support in own language influences their buying decision


E-Marketing Localisation

The challenge of glocalisation

Local market requirements & opportunities

Company requirements, constraints &

goals e-Vorsprung Consulting

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

•  Selecting keywords for search engine marketing

•  Being seen in the ‘right places’ online

•  Deciding, where and how to ‘socialise’


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


Different algorithms, criteria/prios

Search engine

optimisation Different functionality, role of SEA/SEO, terms

Search engine

marketing


Optimising for local search engines

Different search engines need different approaches:

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

Keywords !!!


Need for multi-disciplinary approach

and skills: market insight, linguistic skills,

internet marketing

Germany Austria

Switzerland

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Ackerschnacker

Händy

Natel

Handy

Mobiltelefon


Good keywords are not only translated, but must also reflect local native language usage patterns

Example Kerrygold: Good keywords express local differentiators

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


Other Off-page SEO and visibility: Being and being seen in the ‘right places’

•  Locally used B2B directories: –  e.g. for Germany: www.lieferanten.de

•  Locally used generic directories •  e.g. for Germany: www.allesklar.de

•  Locally used industry directories •  e.g. for Germany: www.psiproductfinder.de

•  Local price comparison websites •  e.g. for Germany: www.geizhals.de

•  Social networks •  e.g. for Germany: Xing

•  Social bookmarking sites •  e.g. for Germany: www.mister-wong.de

Example: Germany


Social Media Deciding where and how to socialise


Local listening

Local goals

Local platform/s

Local content

Local approach

Social Media are ‘free’, but can be resource-heavy !

Set priorities

Need for guidelines

Summary

Key points: •  Translation != localisation •  Plan for a different business,

cultural, technology, legal environment

•  Two main areas: •  Website localisation •  e-Marketing localisation

•  Localisation is not just for Xmas


Download: www.enterprise-ireland.com/localisation4germany