I Have A Web Store…… So What?

Written by Sue and Chuck DeFiore


Continued from page 1

Fourth, they also let their customers know that real people are behind their Web store. They list their phone and fax numbers-and an e-mail address-prominently on their Web site. They put their customers more at ease about buying from there knowing that they can be reached easily and by a number of different methods.

Last but not least is you want to get customers to your web store. One very simple way is to register your web store withrepparttar top search engines. There are also services that automatically do this for you. However, we have found it is always best to do it yourself.

Copyright 2004 DeFiore Enterprises



Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses.


Culture and Website Localization

Written by Neil Payne


Continued from page 1

It is through pictures that websites can either relate to an audience or repel them.

Symbols in Website Localization

As with pictures, symbols can cause problems in localization. Icons using fingers such as an OK sign or V-sign may mean different things to different cultures. Our Western symbols do not always meanrepparttar same abroad. An oft cited example isrepparttar 132528 representation ofrepparttar 132529 house referring to a home page, or a letterbox to mail. The use of animals in logos can cause embarrassment and further problems. For example, pigs are considered unclean inrepparttar 132530 Middle East and cows as holy in India.

Colours in Website Localization

Colours are also loaded with cultural meanings that need to be analysed in website localization. Choosingrepparttar 132531 wrong colour for your logo or background will not always have disastrous consequences, but avoiding them is always advisable. For example, in Japan white is commonly associated with mourning. In China red is auspicious. In Africa certain colours represent different tribes.

Navigation in Website Localization

It is evenrepparttar 132532 most taken for granted aspects of website layout that must be analysed properly for a successful localization project. Inrepparttar 132533 West we assume that how we present websites is how it naturally should be done. This is far fromrepparttar 132534 truth.

A common problem experienced in localization isrepparttar 132535 effect on layout through translation. Foreign scripts can make your pages need more room or less room depending onrepparttar 132536 target language inrepparttar 132537 localization. Not all languages read from left to right. Arabic is from right to left and both Japanese and Chinese are from top to bottom.

Access to certain pages is also a factor that can be considered as relevant. Highly hierarchical cultures may view a site positively if it is ‘member only’ access, whereas an egalitarian culture may find it disagreeable.

Content in Website Localization

Examining your written content in any localization process in critical to its success. This is not only important for proper transfer of aspects such as dates, currencies, and units of measurement but forrepparttar 132538 presentingrepparttar 132539 correct image.

For example, willrepparttar 132540 site focus on a product or a company? Both bring with them certain considerations dependent onrepparttar 132541 target culture. If a company is marketing itself in a culture that respects seniority and hierarchy, readers will want to see information on senior members. Along with their titles and rank they will also want to evaluate them through information on their professional qualifications, experience and contacts. These areas inrepparttar 132542 UK may generally be avoided as in our culture it is bordering on self-indulgence and boasting.

Conclusion

Culture affects everything we do, say, read, hear and think and even websites cannot escaperepparttar 132543 influence of culture.

The impact of culture on website localization is huge. The above few examples are literallyrepparttar 132544 tip ofrepparttar 132545 iceberg. The number of variables that have to be taken into consideration requiresrepparttar 132546 expertise of both a website designer along with a cross cultural communications consultant. In tandem they can identifyrepparttar 132547 issues that will impact onrepparttar 132548 successful localization of a site.

At a time whererepparttar 132549 internet is entering more and more houses it is crucial that companies involved inrepparttar 132550 internationalization of their business consider website localization and take care to use effective cross cultural analysis.

By Neil Payne Director of http://www.kwintessential.co.uk



Neil Payne is Director of London based cross cultural communications consultancy Kwintessential, http://www.kwintessential.co.uk


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