Cross cultural communication tips to improve engagement for foreign customer visit to your web site

1. Globalizing your
Business Online
Jim Thomas
612-321-6459
jim@jimthomasintl.com
www.jimthomasintl.com
linkedin.com/in/jimthomasintljrt

2. Export Risks
Exchange Rate
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3. The internet has
transformed the buying
process…. globally
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4. The Online Bias
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8 93% of B2B buyers start with an online search
8 Buyers are 70% through the product search process- identifying,
evaluating, comparing, before they talk to a sales rep
They look for solutions and vendors online....globally
8 74% of the time buyers select the first vendor that helps them
solve their problem
8 The web allows “Want to be Exporters” to obtain intelligence
about buyers to make informed decisions about exporting

5. Step 1
Enhancing your Web Site

6. Contacts page
Contact
information
Translation
options
Universal
Measurement
StandardsTranslate
Dates &
Times
Online
Forms
Your Worldly Website
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7. Your Culture-neutral
Forms
2 No abbreviations
2 Provide free-form text boxes for names and addresses
2 No zip codes
2 Always request city and country
2 No auto e-mail
2 Minimize required fields
2 GDPR statement(new)
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8. Sample Contact Form
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9. OFAC-Sanctions
Countries
Congo
Cuba
Iran
Iraq
Libya
North Korea
Russia
Syria
Ukraine
Venezuela
Yemen
Zimbabwe
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10. Contact Information
1. State you are a USA company in address
2. Have a separate international “section”
3. No 800 numbers; state a direct contact number
4. Show International dial format
5. Show a contact person
Give a name with e-mail address
Provide an expected response time e.g. <48 hours
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Company Contacts

12. Time Conventions
6 Show office hours and time zone
6 Show GMT time
6 Use 24 hour time format
6 Spell out dates
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13. Global Customer Care Services
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Top Ten Internet Languages

15. Translation
➢ Leave web site in English NOW
➢ Adding Google Translate:
https://support.google.com/translate
Always blame Google
Do home page at minimum
➢ Be ready to do biz in the languages you’ve
translated
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16. Product Conventions
Use metric conversions for weights and measures
Indicate electrical requirements-Voltage/cycles
State whether products are modified or customized
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17. Universal Measurement
Standards
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18. Universal Measurement
Standards
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19. Tips at this Stage
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Use web tracking software
Make it mobile friendly
Make sure forms are routed to a content mngt system that
stores the data to a table with a unique ID
Get testimonials from global high profile brand customers
served
If you want $ partner with an existing online provider
Be sensitive to large download-pay by the minute
Always be driving English language content
Use basic social media to attract followers

20. Add best practice sites screen
shots on multiple pages
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21. Channel partner
Application form
Create a short 1-2 page distributor application form
for companies wanting to distribute your products
locally
Forces them to think through an application
Provides basic information about the firm
Organization structure
Territory/Offices
Competitors/Suppliers
Contact info
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22. Enjoy the ride
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