It’s The WORLD WIDE WEB (Part 2)

In today’s difficult economic environment, savvy marketers are realizing that there are internationally-focused buyers within and beyond our shores, who represent a new potential revenue stream. As we began discussing here, you too can be on your way to generating incremental revenue and increasing brand awareness.

201 More Advanced Strategies

• Full Site Translation. There are many third parties that can provide this service. The only danger here is to be certain you are culturally relevant. Did you know that a sweater is called a “jumper” in the UK? Perhaps you remember that the Chevrolet Nova was a great selling car in the United States. However, when the Chevrolet introduced the vehicle in Mexico, sales were dismal. Why? If you speak Spanish at all, you know that no va translates into no go. You must consider the native language of your target customers when naming products.

• Develop Localized Content. This will allow you to communicate with customers through each stage of the purchase funnel - awareness, interest, decision, and loyalty. Customs vary in each country so be sure to “test” your specialized content for appropriateness.

• Highlight any offers that are significant to that market. Shipping internationally can be expensive. If this is an area you have a competitive advantage, let your customers know. It can make a difference in your shopping cart abandonment rate.• Go the extra mile - Beyond website translation, consider having your follow-up e-mails to come “in-language”

• Outsource the ability to transact in currencies to third parties. This can be complicated because of the abundance of currencies and localized payment methods and preferences.

• Experience. There is no replacement for using an experienced search engine marketing team that knows the international landscape.

In summary, technology and broadband access has made us less aware of borders - why should retail be any different? Internet marketing is an outstanding medium to expand the boundaries of traditional retailing and enable advertisers to transact and interact with customers more easily than in the past. Bonne chance!

Posted by Tom Fochetta, The Google Retail Team