Work experience student Freddy Batchelor-Collins shares his impressions of the Institute of Export “Introduction to Exporting” course. I recently participated in the Introduction to Exporting course at the Institute of Export in Peterborough. This one-day course was delivered by Jeff Lewis, an experienced exporter and International Trade expert.
23 August 2013 08:44
We talk a lot on this blog about the best way to go about localising your content for foreign markets, what makes a good translation, etc. In this post I’ll cover one of the most fundamental aspects of website localisation: which website structure to use. There are several different options to consider when you set up your multilingual site, and the type of company or brand you are, your international expansion plans, along with the CMS you use (if any) will all influence what will be the best way forward for you and your business. Are you targeting particular countries? If yes, then a Country Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) such as company.es / company.fr will fit well with your international strategy. Here’s a summary of the main benefits of a ccTLD: In-country search engines will automatically pick it up Highly trusted by local users Gives you an online asset to build on in that country However, it’s worth bearing in mind […]
2 August 2013 13:34
Last week we talked about promoting multilingual websites, with the general idea being that Content is King. Creating great website content is the best way to get indexed, and also to get visitors and conversions. With your English website, it is fairly straightforward, but where should you start with your multilingual sites? Developing a global marketing strategy should be first on your tasklist. McDonald’s is the Big Cheese (with bacon) of international marketing – ranking no. 7 on Interbrand’s Best Global Brands for 2012. McDonald’s successful strategy can serve as a blueprint for SMEs, so let’s have a look at what they do well: Keep overarching branding consistent No matter where you are, when you see those golden arches, you know there will be a McDonald’s. Adapt products From selling Kronenburg Beer in France, to the McArabia flatbread sandwich in the Middle East and the McMuffin with vegemite spread in Australia, McDonald’s creates region-specific menu items. Unify marketing campaigns Launched […]
29 July 2013 11:19
In a recent article about the external Google Keyword Tool, I wasn’t overly positive about Google, so I would like to use this article as an attempt to redeem myself in the eyes of the Great Google… Google does aim to provide the most useful, accurate and valuable information in its search results, and they make constant improvements to their algorithms to ensure this is the case. Recently, SEO experts have been focusing on using anchor text on links to make their sites rank more highly. The idea being that Google will bump a site up in the rankings for a particular keyword if it finds an association between the keyword and the site – and a link on a keyword seemed a surefire way to achieve this. In turn, Google has changed the rules again in order to provide the best information, and not just what the SEO experts want them to provide. They are looking for statistical correlations […]
24 July 2013 11:59
The Jewellery Channel first came onto our television screens in April 2006, and in the UK and Republic of Ireland alone, TJC broadcasts to more than 30 million homes, making them a well-known household name. Since 2006, TJC’s online shop has also grown from strength to strength. After establishing itself as an affordable quality online retailer based in the UK, TJC continues to broaden its horizons by reaching out to its global audience, creating landing pages for French, German, Italian and Spanish customers. Web-Translations’ International Blast service helps The Jewellery Channel to welcome visitors from other European markets, with the localised pages acting as portals to the English ecommerce site. We find that conversions increase when there are products on the localised microsites linking to the English site, so we made sure to include some of TJC’s top tanzanite products.
22 July 2013 09:36