Websites need global appeal, warn analysts

Companies are not investing enough time and money to ensure that their websites and ecommerce offerings are suitable for a global audience, analysts have warned.

Many multinational companies find it difficult to determine how best to present themselves online and fail to address the global and cultural aspects of their overall corporate strategy.

According to Giga analyst Martha Bennett, who was speaking at the GigaWorld IT Forum Europe in Switzerland, an important decision that a company needs to make is whether they want to serve a customer base outside their own country. Too many companies make the mistake of not telling shoppers until after they have entered their credit card or payment details that products or services are not available in their country.

"Companies need to make it clear to people as early as possible if they do not wish to serve a customer base outside their own country," said Bennett.

"Those companies that do want to attract customers outside their own country must decide whether they need to localise their online presence, or whether they can reach a global audience by internationalising their existing website," she added.

The problem that companies then face is that while the web is global, other issues, including tax rates, delivery costs and advertising regulations, are not.

When a company attempts to address global and/or local audiences through the internet, the website needs to relate to the customer in their own language and in their own cultural context, added Bennett.

"It is important to make sure that language is clear and inoffensive, [and that] political colours or symbols are avoided. Companies that have complex multi-language websites must make sure translations are done by a professional. Some websites can become a source of amusement by offering native or local translations," she said.

Bennett added that translation software and tools are not suitable for a business wanting a global presence. "A company's reputation can be ruined by the smallest mistake. It is better to be aware of small details than [to have a] flashy website."