Secret F/r/ee Ingredient Transforms Web Sites Into

Secret F/r/ee Ingredient Transforms Web Sites Into Money Machines

by: Jorge M Vega

The key to transforming your website into a serious income generator that consistently converts visitors into cash customers is right in front of your nose. Without beating around the bush, the often overlooked secret ingredient is, quite simply, to pay very close attention to the proper use of language on your site. As a professional marketer, you can’t afford to undermine your own image, or tarnish your good reputation, by using imperfect ad copy anywhere on your website.

Itกs plain and simple, words sell!

You have to choose them wisely and กpackageก them correctly. They’re the only vehicle you really have for making the sale. Everything else is just fluff along for the ride.

Recognizing the importance of this key ingredient, which costs you nothing, and taking appropriate action as suggested below, will set you apart from the millions of other webmasters who are just spinning their wheels…and making no sales!

Negligence on your part in this department, on the other hand, will cast all your marketing efforts into an uncontrolled tailspin, and turn your visitors away faster than if you stood before them wearing a big sign around your neck reading: กDanger Infected With Contagious Diseaseก

This key ingredient is all the more critical on the Internet because it is, and I think we can all agree, a text driven medium: words are its fundamental building materials.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROBLEM

All the fancy pictures in the world, even with just the right combination of colors, in the most imaginative layout, along with the most creative use of popup and popunder windows, cannot help your marketing efforts one iota if you use the wrong words in an incorrect manner. Meaning, do not expect miracles if, to use common street vernacular, กYou’re just trying to get over.ก

These props can only enhance, but never replace, your fundamental written message. Dignified, careful use of the English language is a prerequisite to successful online marketing. But, many marketers are blatantly disregarding many, if not most, of the basic rules of English usage. Sad, but true, just about everywhere you look online, the English language is suffering a fate worse than death.

Now, please note, Iกm not suggesting that before you design your website youกll need a Ph.D. in English literature, or be a noted, prize winning author. But, what I am suggesting is that you should be as careful as you possibly can with the contents of your website if you wish to attain recognition as a professional marketer. A professional marketer makes every effort to show his/her target audience that their approval, and their respect, are valued.

A shabbily written website conveys just the opposite sentiment. In fact, poor grammar, sloppy punctuation, and misspelled words galore tell the reader that they are not worthy of your very best effort; you are saying, กHereกs the best I could muster under the circumstances. Take it, or leave it. Pay me the $29.95 on the way out for taking a look.ก How inconsiderate!

Of course, this is not to suggest that all, or even most, sites are carelessly and sloppily contrived. Quite obviously, most webmasters invest a great deal of attention in all aspects of their creation. And, letกs face it, web design is a creative process.

ELEMENTS OF THE UNPROFESSIONAL SITES

At one end of the spectrum, there are enough กbad penniesก around to keep any surfer busy for hours rinsing out the bad taste from their mouths after a visit.

At the extreme end of the same category, encounters with sites where the choice of vocabulary is not in the best of taste, where reasonable attention to grammar and spelling have been grossly disregarded, and where simple English been battered beyond recognition, may leave an uprepared visitor with permanent, debilitating, psychological damage, such as a hard to diagnose speech impediment, or maybe an involuntary nervous twitch across one cheek.

In my personal case, after so many chance meetings with disastrous, unacceptable sites, Iกm left with a uncontrollable, drooping eyelid over my left eye which makes Bank tellers stir nervously whenever I announce a withdrawal. : )

Sites that have been compiled irresponsibly indicate a questionable professional intent by their owners, and a lack of interest in putting forth their best effort. Not only would I not buy anything from them, but you can bet your bottom penny that Iกll never revisit.

SOME SHINING EXAMPLES

At the opposite end of the spectrum, among the most professionally done websites I have visited are those belonging to Corey Rudl (this is not a plug, the man makes enough money without my help.)

Obviously, his sites are carefully reviewed for grammatical errors, punctuation is exemplary, spelling mistakes are usually nonexistent; they’re, all in all, a clean, crisp, professional rendering truly worthy of their creatorกs pride.

Two other marketers whose websites are a joy to visit, given their fastidious attention to the proper use of language in the manner described throughout this article are Bryan Winters, of www.pushbuttonpublishing.com, and Chris Carpenter, of www.googlecash.com. Again, as in the case cited above, both these gentlemen care enough about the impression they make on prospective customers to always กput their best foot forward.ก

Their websitesก content has been double checked for common usage errors, relieving the reader from any undue distractions; their sales messages come through as clear as a bell. Like Corey Rudl, they leave you with the image of a polished and sophisticated marketing professional. Your ultimate buying decision is based solely on the merits of their products, not on whether they botched up their sales pitch with carelessness.

Please note, my mention of these three particular marketers should not be considered endorsements of their products. I am a happy customer, but they are simply being singled out in this article as prime examples of how, in my modest opinion, one should handle the use of language as a skilled, responsible, Internet marketer.

SUGGESTIONS AND RESOURCES

A professional looking website, within the parameters I have pointed out, is not that hard to achieve. There are inexpensive, easy to use tools and aids to help you accomplish this indispensable goal.

For example, if, like most of us, you have a tendency to misspell words, take advantage of the SpellCheck feature built right into most word processor programs to double check your work. Or, better yet, since youกll be actively engaged in the process, buy yourself a pocket Dictionary for about six bucks to look up words. Personally, I own several of these, with a few foreign language versions for both Spanish and French.

If punctuation and grammar give you migraines, buy yourself a College level English Usage or Style handbook at any used bookstore in town. Then, when in doubt about any facet of your written work, leaf through it to find an acceptable solution. In no time at all, with just a little effort on your part, youกll gain mastery over any aspect of the English language which previously derailed you.

Personally, I use one, or both of the following when I run into a grammar roadblock: William Strunkกs Elements of Style, and American Heritage Book of English Usage.

And, if you’re fortunate enough to have, either a member of your family, or as a friend or neighbor, an educator who teaches English and whose expertise you trust, ask them to review your written work prior to publishing it as a website.

Youกll receive invaluable insights and suggestions from a specialized professional, at zero cost to you. Naturally, for your own peace of mind, refrain from taking their suggestions personally; it might be helpful to pretend that the work being reviewed by them is not your own.

Additionally, should be inclined to doing your revisions online, I offer up this list of grammar related resources with accompanying descriptions. They’re all fr*ee:

1. http://www.chompchomp.com/terms.htm Grammar terms are listed and each is linked to its own page of explanation and examples of correct and incorrect usage. There are also online exercises. By one Robin L. Simmons.

2. http://www2.ncsu.edu:8010/ncsu/grammar/ Home of the Grammar Hotline. Has tips and links. From North Carolina State University.

3. http://www.well.com/user/mmcadams/words.html Glossary of grammar terms and their meanings. From magazineediting guru Mindy McAdams.

4. http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/errors/errors.html Paul Brians of the Department of English at Washington State University talks about common mistakes and about perfect English that is often changed in error by wellmeaning editors.

5. http://www.worldwidewords.org/ All the pieces here are about English words and phrases—what they mean, where they came from, how they have evolved, and the ways in which people sometimes misuse them.

CONCLUSION

Thankfully, for the kind of writing that we do for the Web, you will not have to become adept at unraveling such mysteries as: What emotions dictate the use of the Subjunctive voice? Or, define a prepositional phrase. How about, what is the difference between a definite and an idefinite article? Or, can a personal pronoun be used in the possessive form? Better still, how would you indicate possession for a noun ending in the letter กs?ก Last but not least, does the English language have a future perfect tense?

Cast all your fears aside, because not only would answering those questions be beyond the scope of this narrative, they would surely be well beyond my own limited and flawed intelligence, as well! For website publishing, we only have to concentrate on writing clearly, sharply, and concisely; clean, simple, and well thought out copy is all we’re after. A basic common sense approach. Pulitzer prize winning authors are bred elsewhere.

Youกll find that, by taking the simple precautions and suggestions I have oulined here to spruce up your website, your professionalism will shine through, making you feel proud and empowered, your feelings of self worth will rise dramatically, giving you added confidence to tackle more and more written projects, praise from others will allow you to recognize your dormant talents, helping to fuel your creativity to a higher level…and your bottom line will inevitably soar as a result!

Copyright 2004 Jorge M. Vega After struggling for years trying to figure out what worked and what didn’t work online, the author has started to กbring home the baconก marketing on the Internet. See the few select, surefire ways he has found that anyone can use to begin making a comfortable homebased living, starting today: http://www.earnlarge.com/pbi

About The Author

Jorge M. Vega is foreignborn, and thanks God daily for the privilege of living in the land he loves, the good olกUSA. Taming the Internet beast took several years, but heกs found several easy ways to online profits which he gladly shares.

This article was posted on April 19, 2004

by Jorge M Vega

How to Communicate with Prospects All Over the Wor

How to Communicate with Prospects All Over the World Who Speak a Different Language

by: Jeff Mills

I discovered a free service online, that allows me to communicate with people and watched my international sales begin to go through the roof.

Did you know that over 50% of all Internet traffic is from nonEnglish speaking countries? Companies like Adobe, Baxter Healthcare, EDS, GE, Microsoft, NetGear, PepsiCo, Socratic Technologies, US Government, XE.com are relying on this type of service already to get more done, with no language barriers.

As the Internet grows in popularity, more users will want to access websites in their native languages. According to a report by the World Intellectual Property Organization, twothirds of all Internet users by 2004 will be nonEnglish speakers.

Website translation demands total accuracy, specialist cultural knowledge and a high level of organization.

www.freetranslation.com is my best tool for bridging the language gap, making friends and customers around the world, and it also helps increase my international business profits too!

Here is what I do when I get an email from someone in Spanish.

I take the Spanish content, from the email, and I copy it.

Then I go to www.freetranslation.com and in their entry box, I paste the content, and I select which language I want to translate from. For example they offer doing the following languages:

English to French : French to English

English to Italian : Italian to English

English to German : German to English

English to Spanish : Spanish to English

English to Portuguese : Portuguese to English

English to Dutch : Dutch to English

English to Norwegian

Once I select the languages, I press a button and instantly, I receive a new translation in the language of my choice.

Now, one thing you must know, this is not a perfect translation word for word, but it does get the point across so you know what your international customers are asking. You will really get a good idea of what the most important questions are.

Now, you can type your response in English, and then hit the ขtranslateข button and turn it into Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, etc. Take the new content, past it into your email as a reply and then send! You just typed in a foreign language you did not even know how to pronounce it or even spell it!

Freetranslation.com offers other premium services too, that are for really small fees. For example, their Platinum service only costs about $8.00 a year, and with it, you get access to a human translator, can customize the ขfeelข in business language, standard language, or tech speak. Wow!

They also offer a desktop translator, or a chat interface translator which will translate your chat messages right out of Outlook, with a toolbar translator.

Take your business international, and reach 50% more people than you could before by using this great free translation service.

Copyright 2005 Jeff Mills

About The Author

Jeff Mills is a former Youth Pastor of 9 years, who is now a full time internet information entrepreneur, author, speaker, sales coach, and also an avid traveler. Jeff has passionately pursued seeking the best discount travel clubs and has discovered Coastal Vacations Travel Club to be the top of the heap. Discover more about it immediately at http://www.CoastalCallCenter.com.

This article was posted on August 20

by Jeff Mills

Translation Plez !

Translation Plez !

by: Tony Dean

While we are here sending messages in English, there are at least one third of the worlds population who can’t read them, for English is not even a second language for them.

I refer to China.

More people in China are logging on to the net every day, but most of what has been put up on the net is in English, this can be very frustrating for them.

Very few web sites I visit, and I visit very many in any given week, don’t have any way of giving translations into other languages, and I feel, this is a thing that webmasters have got to address as soon as possible.

On my own website, www.ebooksales.com I have inserted a script code at the top of every html page to offer Alta Vistaกs translationservice กBabel Fishก.

This offers translation into eight languages at present, including Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, as well as European languages. As more languages become available automatically the script will activate them.

Since I put กBabel Fishก on my site I have noticed in the stats on my server that more people are logging on from China!

This problem of translation for websites I recently wrote up about in a article filed with IdeaMarketers.com called ‘reach Out And Touch Billionsก, no sooner it was filed within minutes it was being read by users of the service, usually editors.

Take a look at the article and let me have some comments, and if you know of other translation services, why not give me some details about them for others to benefit from?

I will write another article to follow up.

Question 1.

Should it be a mandatory requirement that a translation should be made available for websites incuding blogs?

Question 2.

Now that there is the technology available, should search engineกs like Google and Yahoo rank sites lower if they have no translation available?

(Therefore rank sites higher if they do provide translation?)

Question 3.

Should all email service providers be made to provide translation services for all emails?

(Do you know of any that do?)

About The Author

Tony Dean is a publshed author and writer of ezine articles. He runs a web site at: http://www.ebooksales.com

This article was posted on August 31, 2004

by Tony Dean

English Language Sputtering Online Like an Old For

English Language Sputtering Online Like an Old Ford!

by: Jorge M Vega

Sad, but true. Just about everywhere you look online, the English language is suffering a fate worse than death. The problem, in reality, is so widespread that it has begun to affect all aspects of the language. กBut, what on Earth does this have to do with Internet marketing?ก you may be asking. Well, my fellow netpreneur…Everything!

It has everything to do with Internet marketing if you wish to portray yourself, and be perceived as, a Marketing Professional on the internet. Just remember, professionally speaking, Image is Everything. On the other hand, if you’re not particularly interested in putting your กbest foot forwardก when marketing your services or products, and I really hope this is not the case, then none of this applies to you.

Obviously, we don’t have time here to do an indepth study of the many instances of, what I would term, กcasual disdainก Iกve witnessed online. So, in order to illustrate my point, Iกll concentrate on a small, but vital component of the English language: the innocent, harmless apostrophe.

Allow me to try to paint a picture for you. A long, long, time ago, around the time of the De Soto, the Corvair, bellbottoms, the VW กbugก (ring a bell?), and before beatniks became known as hippies, you could look at advertisement copy and expect, to some degree, that it had been reviewed and, presumably, corrected.

In other words, it was safe for women, children, and other life forms to view it, and read its content without suffering any permanent, debilitating psychological damage, such as a hard to diagnose speech impediment, or maybe an involuntary nervous twitch across one cheek.

What I see most of us doing now, at the dawn of the 21st Century, is that we read ad copy, and then, because itกs in bold letters on carefully selected background, surrounded by pretty pictures, we accept its message as Gospel truth. We get so bowled over by the กlookก of it, that we forget to examine it critically enough.

Talk about your viral strategy, indeed…

Today, in the age of the cell phone, the Lexus, Viagra, the twenty five cent phone call, and a PC กin every barn,ก wherever I look, I see the poor apostrophe maligned and misused. It gets no respect, either offline on signs, billboards, and latenight Infomercials, or (shudder) online in cyber country, on that very personal and intimate expression of its ownerกs taste and personality: an individualกs web site.

Since I spend so much time online, much more, I think, than I spend on the real pavement of our world, I notice the glaring mistreatment heaped upon our poor little fellow the apostropheby careless webmasters, even more. The main thing I notice is that the apostropheกs originally intended use is slowly eroding; people are just making up their own versions of what its purpose really is. This is a prime example of what I mean by กcasual disdain.ก

Itกs been reported in ‘the Really Up Yonder Gazetteก, an influential publication dedicated to digging up gossip about the well known dearly departed, that both William Shakespeare and John Milton have thrown up their arms in despair, and are contemplating turning their backs for good on something that some would consider their own creation: our English language.

As a matter of fact, in a recent exclusive interview, กWillie boyก himself bemoans the effect all of this is having on his favorite language, as follows:

กOh, perfidy that has befallen our instrument of expression, by us once nearly refined. Oh, treachery flung upon us by the masses shamelessly disdainful of reading and writing, of independent thought evidently incapable!ก

Ahem…

Frankly, I firmly believe that this unwarranted offense was perpetrated by one of the first guys, if not the very first, who threw up that first Web site selling, say, floppy disks with instructions on how to extend the mileage on singleply bathroom tissue by rewashing it, carefully drying it with your wifeกs hair dryer (when sheกd gone out of the house, natch), and then gingerly covering it with a special jelly for sofness. You know, just your average 3Step Recycling Process used mainly in Third World countries like Wyoming, for instance…

For the purposes of this little tale, letกs call this first marketer, Butcher D. Grammer.

Well, this confounded fellow started something which has become a movement, or a new language convention. Butcher decided that the little fellow, my friend the apostrophe, should not be used according to any rules or previous language conventions; heck no, the little fellow would, according to our Bathroom Recycle Consultant, be used any ol’time.

He would use it, and so would the masses who were yet to come, but who would follow suit, and our Butcher knew this well, to interchangeably indicate either the possessive or the plural forms in any sentence.

So, a sentence such as, ‘the seller does not guarantee its potential profit,ก became: ‘the seller does not guarantee itกs potential profit.ก

Here he turned the possessive form of กitsก into the abbreviated, or the contraction form of, it is. So, if you were to read the second sentence, removing the contraction, the last part would read: กdoes not guarantee it is potential.ก

But, our little Butcher, a thorough and disciplined craftsman, was not through yet. After all, there was even more damage he could inflict on American English; and, leeringly, he mused, rubbing his hands together, ‘theyกll follow me blindly anywhere.ก

Next, he turned his attention to the plural form of simple words. Just about any word ending in กs,ก indicating that there was more than one object of whatever unit was being counted or measured, he turned into, you guessed it, the possessive form.

Words or terms such as, buyers, software tools, ingrown toe nails, battering ramps, fools, attractive girls, dumbascanbeguys, and many, many others, became: buyerกs, software toolกs, ingrown toe nailกs, battering rampกs, foolกs, attractive girlกs, dumbascanbeguyกs.

As hard to believe as it may seem, Butcher reign of terror is still not only alive and well, but from what Iกm going to show you, itกs expanding frighteningly. Please have a look at the following three additional examples, and cringe in terror:

1. If your interested, just sign up from the link below.

2. Just click here, and your done.

3. Simply load email addressกs into your autoresponder.

Obviously, in the first two sentences, Butcher and his followers have cleverly used the secondperson possessive pronoun กyourก as a substitute for the abbreviated กyou’re.ก Their thinking being, ‘the heck with that commalike thing which is supposed to go on top. Nobody will even miss it. And, we can get away with chopping off the last กeก, also.ก (So, once again, the apostrophe gets the shaft).

As regards the third sentence shown above, quite frankly, I have no comment; I wouldn’t even know where to begin defining or deciphering it…Iกm afraid to look at it. Itกs just a stroke of genius from the hand of our hero, Butcher, who must have found the inspiration for this little morcel during a wrenching psychotic episode.

Now, I don’t know how other people feel about the sinister, pervasive, and, yes, viral damage caused by this one crazy guy, but I, for one, hope he has gone to his final resting place. Let him drive them crazy over there if (God forbid) he finds himself near a typewriter; as it is, Butcherกs handiwork makes me go nuts practically every day here in cyber space.

If only we could go back to that time in the past, 1962 comes readily to mind for one reason or another, when spelling and a little attention to grammar counted for something.

But, as they say, in Bolivia, กDude, tกain’t no use complaininก, กdem กdere dayกs is long gone.ก

Copyright 2004 Jorge M Vega

About The Author

After struggling for years trying to figure out what worked and what didn’t work online, the author, Jorge M. Vega, has started to กbring home the baconก marketing on the Internet. Quietly, he has found a few select, surefire ways that anyone can use to begin making a comfortable homebased living, starting today: http://www.earnlarge.com/pbi

This article was posted on April 04, 2004

by Jorge M Vega

Ten Major Tips to Develop a Multilingual Web Site

Ten Major Tips to Develop a Multilingual Web Site to Work

by: Mahmood Bashaash

If you are living in a country that its native language is something rather than English language, then you may like to develop your website to offer content in the language of your own country.
There are millions of websites on the Internet that are all in English language but there are billions of people on the earth that speak in a different language and are not familiar with English language.
However, most of the Internet users are basically familiar with English language and could use the Internet but there are many subjects that are hard to understand for those people whom their language is not English.
One example is websites related to pharmaceutics. There are tons of very difficult to understand phrases in the content. The other example is educational websites that basically should provide content in the local language not English language.
You may have many clients and business partners that wish to read your sales copy and product information in their own language.
So, having a website that provides the content in a language rather than English language is necessary for you. Chinese, Arabic, Persian, Dutch, France and many other languages are general samples of most used languages on the Internet. For you to start a multilingual website, it is vital to consider some tips before starting to design and develop your websites:
1 The Code Page
The best code page that you should choose for your web pages is Unicode. Unicode is a kind of numeric presentation of characters that is two bytes and so can contain up to 65535 characters to show. Until now, there have been no human being languages in the universe that have had more than these much characters. So, by using Unicode, you are able to show all characters of your language. To represent your web page as a Unicode page, add below line of code in the head part of your page:
2 Tools For Development
For creating web pages in Unicode format, you should have a tool to be able to type in your language. One of the tools that are widely used by web developers is Microsoft Front Page.
If this tool is installed on Windows XP then you have the most powerful set of software to create Unicode documents. FrontPage is a WYSIWYG tool for creating web pages and you can easily choose the language of your web page in options of the page and appropriate HTML tags would be automatically inserted in the code.
3 Nature of the Language
If your language is RightToLeft like many of Asian and Middle East languages, for example, Arabic, Persian and Hebrew, you should tune your operating system to be able to switch from LeftToRight to RightToLeft typing method to be able to type from Right and from Left. If you are a Microsoft Windows user, you can configure your system for multiple languages and keyboards, each of them having different kind of input methods. For example, you can add Farsi as the second language of your Windows and then switch from English to Farsi by pressing a combination of keys and start typing in Farsi. Also switching from RTL to LTR would be possible by another key combination.
4 Navigation and Design Considerations
Some languages force to apply some changes in the design and navigation of your website. For example, if you have a vertical menu bar, you may put it in the left of your pages for English pages and in the right for Arabic pages because Arabic is a RTL language and people are used to start reading pages from right to left. However this is not a rule, but it is better to consider it in designing pages.
Other issue is the entrance page. If your website is in two languages, you may add an entrance page that makes client choose the navigation language of your website. This page could be a very nice graphical page with two options for choosing desired language and then enters the web site in that language. In some cases, you may consider one language as the base and eliminate entrance page. In this case, you assume most of the visitors may use a language that is dominant and they enter automatically the web pages of your web site that are in that language. However, visitors would see a small icon in web pages that lets them switch to the other language.
Other method is to use IP2Country services that can find the country of the visitor from its IP address and by adding some simple dynamic code to your pages, you would be able to switch to the language of the visitor. However, this method is not %100 accurate and you should consider some percent of fault in recognizing the country of the visitor.
5 Font Face Considerations
When you are creating your web pages in a language rather than English, you would be limited in using font faces. There are a few font faces in windows that are installed automatically and can show multilingual characters. If you like your visitors view your pages correct without any need to install fonts, you have to use those minor number of multilingual fonts. One of the best font faces is Tahoma that is somehow easy to read and contains all Unicode characters also is included in Windows.
6 Database Driven Web Sites
If your web site is a database driven and you have forms that clients may fill and be posted to database, there would be lots of very technical issues that you should consider to be able to collect and retrieve data in different languages. This part is beyond the aims of this article.
7 Search Engines
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a major issue for multilingual web sites and you should be aware that not necessarily all major search engines and directories handle multilingual web pages perfectly and your web site may not be listed in many of them. Google is a search engine that indexes multilingual web pages too. However there are some issues and difficulties but it works well enough for your web site to be indexed in your language.
8 Domain Name
No matter in which language is your web site, the domain name of your web site should be in English because at this time, having a domain name in other language is not a very easy thing to have and multilingual domain names are a new issue and is under development. There are some solutions but are not yet set perfectly. So, I suggest you forget those solutions and choose an English name for your web site.
9 Web Server And Hosting
However major web servers, like Microsoft IIS and Apache both support multilingual web pages, but I strongly recommend you to ask the hosting company for this issue and make yourself sure that there wont be problems for your web pages to be served by the hosting company.
10 Name Web Site Files
Never use Unicode characters in the name of your web pages. However your operating system, like Windows, lets your choose the file names in Unicode characters but be %100 sure that theses web pages would have serious difficulties both server side and client side.
In many cases, you won’t be able even to upload your web pages to your host space and client’s browsers also won’t be able to recognize the name of page and would generate error. This is true for name of images, flash files, scripts and other pages. Just use English names.
However I have tried to cover major issues in developing multilingual web sites but this issue is something that needs experience and you should yourself discover many of new issues that are not included in this article.

About The Author

Mahmood Bashaash is the owner of SGNetway Company in web address of www.sgnetway.com which is focused on developing web sites and web applications and is the author of MahmoodB web site and newsletter that reveals hundreds of killer Internet marketing tips and tricks. To access his articles, visit: http://www.mahmoodb.com.

[email protected]

This article was posted on June 04, 2004

by Mahmood Bashaash

El Marketing, Das Marketing, Le Marketing

El Marketing, Das Marketing, Le Marketing

by: A. Raymond Randall, Jr.

While reviewing site stats, I noticed 18 foreign countries as domain origins. This prompts my curiosity. Should I hone my marketing efforts to serve these visitors effectively in their native tongue? My college age daughter studies French, German, and Spanish simultaneously. The Word กmarketingก is an กAmericanก word she informs me; distinguished in Spanish, German, and French with slight nuance. Although my daughter learns conversations in Spanish, German, and French, much more talk is in Chinese.

Despite this fact, Kenji Kitao, a professor of English at Doshisha University in Japan, points out, กEnglish is the major language of news and information…business and government…maritime communication and international air traffic control….ก English headlines and text appear on more than half of the newspapers published in the world. Three thousand magazines publish in English for Indian readers, according to Kitao. If so many read so much English, what reason would a webmaster have for providing multiple language translations for web sites?

Well, web marketing seeks global participation by its nature. Every villager, whether dressed in a Brooks Brothers suite or shorts and sandals may click a favorite URl, and each villager speaks a unique language. Marshall McLuhan, a communication visionary, says กOur new environment compels commitment and participation.ก That new environment includes the Internet.

So, what questions does this idea present? Perhaps just one: should a webmaster consider multiple languages for a website? If no, stop reading here, but first consider the fact that Yahoo provides local (or village) site translations for 24 countries and ethnic groups. Further, Yahoo provides state specific sites for every state in the U.S. Local marketing matters. Just take a look at Yahooกs home page. In fact, a study by IDC informs us that only 45% of online surfers speak English, yet 85% of Web pages appear in English.

Most webmasters work solo, or with a very small staff, and our budgets are smaller yet. We don’t have a Yahoo staff of international writers. So, what do we do if this concept matters? Here are 7 rudimentary steps you may consider.

1. Check with your site design company. Many web designers provide provide foreign language support. Here is an example of one designers commitment, กOur templates support the following languages: English, Danish, Dutch, Faroese, French, German, Icelandic, Irish, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish. We are planning to translate our site in several languages in the future as well. We have already started doing translation into Spanish.ก

2. Really small budget? See if a language department of a college anywhere in the world would consider using your site as a class project. Inquire about college foreign language interns. Find a student with a passion for language and a commitment to accuracy with a professor looking over their shoulder.

3. Don’t use on line translators. As one writer points out, the Swedes will laugh while the French excoriate you for your aloof effort. On line translators work for a phrase or a word, but not a sentence or paragraph. Nuance is the essence of meaning, and all words have various shades of meaning. You don’t want to be standing under a palm tree when you should be under an oak. However, if you must, the University of Maryland recommends two sites: Systran and Transparent Language

4. Be very aware of graphics that please in one culture and offend in another. If fact, less is best when it comes to graphics; itกs all about content. Local and effective communication matters the most, not fancy graphics. Additionally, most people around the world access the Internet using dial up.

5. If your site offers multiple language pages, be prepared to respond to inquiries in that language.

6. Research and manage all currency exchange and local tax issues when marketing offshore.

7. Be certain that your product or service provides a relevant resource to your prospective foreign customer or client.

English may not remain the leading language of commerce, but even if it does, we have an obligation to consider the importance of global marketing in a local way. In the long term, success may mean el marketing, das marketing, and le marketing, and the results may be grande, Großartig, or grandioso! Just something to think about.

About The Author

Ray Randall serves clients as a registered investment advisor with his firm, Ethos Advisory Services, Essex, Massachusetts http://www.ethosadvisory.com . He has wide experience within the financial services industry, writes a weekly newsletter for Ethos Advisory Services, and coordinates the developments at Echievements . Ray holds a Masters Degree from GordonConwell Theological Seminary, Hamilton, MA. You may email him or call (8778953756).

[email protected]

This article was posted on February 04, 2004

by A. Raymond Randall, Jr.

Are You Ready To Go International?

Are You Ready To Go International?

by: Gihan Perera

Although North Americans were the dominant population on the Internet, that has now changed, and the rest of the world has caught up rapidly. And while English is still the most widely used Internet language, itกs not the language of choice for many, many Internet users.

So are YOU ready to communicate in this international medium? Whether you’re building your own Web site, taking part in discussion groups, visiting a chat room, or just sending and receiving email, youกll meet more and more กforeignersก on the Internet and vice versa, of course.

Letกs look at some tips for communicating effectively in this new global village.

1. Write in plain English

Write clearly, with small words and short sentences. If you’re writing long messages or creating long Web pages, include a simple summary at the top.

Be very careful to write exactly what you mean. If you’re writing for a general audience, avoid sarcasm, colloquialisms and other things that rely on a certain tone of voice or cultural background.

2. Watch out for phrases with two meanings

Although English is the de facto international language of the Internet, differences abound between, say, English and American English. Itกs easy enough to allow for differences in the way that we spell กcolourก, กapologiseก and กorganisationก, but other more subtle differences can easily lead to misunderstandings.

For example, does กbiweeklyก mean twice a week or once every two weeks? Itกs different for Australians and Americans. Similarly, when Australians ‘table an issueก, they are raising it for discussion, but for Americans, ‘tabling an issueก means putting it aside.

3. Include area codes in phone numbers

Any time you quote a telephone, fax or mobile (cell) phone number on the Internet, ask yourself whether your readers reside outside your local area. If you’re potentially addressing distant readers, include your international code and area code in these numbers.

4. Allow for variations in postcodes

American zip codes and Australian postcodes use numbers only; U.K. postcodes contain letters and numbers; Singaporean postcodes use numbers only, but appear in a different place in the address; all have different lengths from each other.

If your Web site includes an order form or a demographic survey, allow for postcodes that fall outside your own local format.

5. Include your full postal address

If you’re addressing an international audience, include your country in your postal address. Don’t expect people to just figure it out. This seems obvious, but a surprising number of businesses on the Internet forget it.

6. Include international postage costs

If you’re selling anything through email or your Web site, cater for international orders, whether you expect them or not. Find out the cost of international postage and shipping, and publish the costs for your customers.

This is a complex area because of the variety of options, depending on the source and destination countries, methods and speed of delivery, customs and duties, and more.

Simplify this as much as possible for your customers. Itกs better to start with something very simple (for example, one postage price for all international orders, regardless of destination) and adapt it with experience. Or eliminate postage costs entirely, as Rachel Green does on her site by offering free postage anywhere in the world:

http://www.rachelgreen.com

7. Explain your currency

If you use a currency thatกs common to other countries such as dollars make it clear which version you mean. Some Web sites quote their prices in American dollars as a kind of กuniversal currencyก, but most use local currency.

Include a link to a currency converter on your Web site to make it easy for your international visitors. Hereกs one to use:

http://www.xe.com/ucc

8. Be aware of time zones

If you’re writing a time (for example, the time when you’re available in a chat room) for people in specific time zones, include their local times as well. When writing for an international audience, include the time in GMT (Greenwich Mean Time).

Include a link to a time zone converter on your Web site for example:

http://www.timeanddate.com

9. Use icons carefully

Choose icons on your Web site carefully. For example, not everybody understands what a กSTOPก sign means; and a ‘thumbs upก sign can offend people from some cultures.

In fact, itกs so easy to misunderstand icons even within a culture that you should always supplement them with clear descriptions.

10. Tolerate mistakes

The more you use the Internet, the more youกll communicate with people who don’t speak or write English as well as you do. Be tolerant of poor spelling, bad grammar and typing mistakes when you receive email or take part in Internet discussion groups.

Of course, this is just common courtesy, but again itกs surprising to see how many people attack others when they think they can hide behind the safety of their keyboard.

About The Author

Gihan Perera is the author of กMake More Money From Your Web Siteก. Visit http://www.firststep.com.au and get your free ebook ‘the Seven Fatal Mistakes That Almost Every Business Owner Makes on Their Web Siteก PLUS free resale rights.

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

[email protected]

This article was posted on September 30, 2004

by Gihan Perera

Making Cultural Differences Work in Your Business

Making Cultural Differences Work in Your Business

by: Kit Lum

Advancements in technology have made the world so much smaller, don’t you think? We used to be separated by mountains and oceans, color and culture.

But now on the highways and byways of the internet, we’re but a single mouse click away. Think about this for a moment. You and I may be thousands of miles away at opposite ends of the globe, but on the net, we may as well be sitting across a coffee table.

The internet’s really one huge melting pot of people, ideas, culture. Just take a look at any forum or message board and you’ll see what I mean. So if you’re going to be doing business on the internet, you should consider that your business will be open to the world, and you’re going to be serving customers from the West Coast to the Far East, and everywhere in between.

I know many of us have this idea about starting small, and so we start out thinking weกll only be dealing with local or domestic customers, the people in our neighborhoods, our city, our country. So the issues of cultural and business differences were not something we spent too much time worrying about.

Sure, as a startup, the bulk of your business may initially come from your local marketplace, and your customers are likely people who speak like you, live near you and do business the same way you do yours.

But hey, wait a minute, take a good look around your community and chances are youกll see a pretty diverse group of people. Unless, of course, you live in some place like the South Pole where the only other person in your neighborhood is… well, yourself!

Running a business on the internet is not quite the same as operating a small retail shop at your local shopping mall. On the internet, you are for all intents and purposes opening your business to the world. Like it or not. And when that happens, itกs important to note some points about international business.

Not every one speaks English. While itกs impossible to give a simplistic figure for how many people in the world speak English, estimates put the percentage of people whose mother tongue is English at 7% of the worldกs population. The percentage of the worldกs population who speak English as a second language is estimated at 30%.

A quick bit of math here tells us that over half the people we come across in our business dealings may not even speak English.

When dealing with people from vastly different cultural backgrounds and business practices, itกs best to remain patient and polite at all times. It never hurts to pepper your communication with ‘thank youกsก and กpleaseกsก. Common courtesy can go a long way in customer relations.

Keep your language simple at all times. No jargon, no fancy sentence structures please. Just say what you mean as clearly and as simply as possible. The objective is to be understood, not to win the Nobel Prize for creative communication.

In times when itกs not clear to you what the other party means, itกs best to seek clarification. Paraphrasing can be quite handy in confirming your understanding of what the other person means simply rephrase what you think is being said with a simple question at the end asking if youกve understood right.

If you’re on the phone, speak slowly and clearly. Itกs entirely okay to repeat, paraphrase, and ask. Make allowances for the other party to do the same as well. Misunderstandings can be costly in terms of time and money, so save yourself the inconvenience and profit margin.

Not everyone is in your time zone, so do allow for slight delays in terms of timing. If you’re planning something in real time (such as an online event), find a time thatกs convenient to all or at least the majority. For example, if you’re planning to call someone in another part of the world, itกs good customer service not to plan to call someone at some unearthly hour.

So there, we’re all set to hit the international business scene. And when the going gets tough, it helps to remember three things:

someone somewhere is having or has had a similar experience,

itกs all part and parcel of business,

once you get the hang of working around cultural differences, you can only get better.

And the best part about all of this is you get to reap the rewards of the global marketplace.

Copyright 2004 Kit Lum. All rights in all media reserved.

About The Author

Kit Lum publishes Go Get Global Ezine which features advertising and web design services, and business and cultural resources to help small and homebased businesses profit from growing globally. Get more FREE tips like these at http://www.GoGetGlobal.com

This article was posted on August 24, 2004

by Kit Lum