Yet last June, research by the Forrester consultancy, indicated that only 37 per cent of the Fortune 100 websites are multilingual. Given that there are now more international users of the internet than there are domestic users in the US, and that e-commerce growth in Europe is outstripping that of the United States, the stage is set for Europe to take the lead in this area. Well, we read about the globalisation of industry in almost every issue of our newspapers nowadays. The fact is that purchasers of all kinds have now been empowered to operate on a global scale, at a much more micro-economic level. The basic facts are, however, not to be ignored.
Sales managers take note . . .
We all know that original content and its multilingual counterpart can be delivered to the site quickly and seamlessly via a decent Content Management System. The best of these allow material created at the desktop, or from existing file management systems, to pass through a gateway and templating process directly onto the production website. So, when you change a product description in your document, the revision automatically appears, in the correct position on the 'German page', the same day. So, in short, there is no technological barrier to providing your prospects, agents, clients, dealers and distributors with lively, accurate and current content across whichever countries and languages you operate. Globalisation is a reality, and as your clients become increasingly global, they'll be looking for suppliers who share their international outlook.