Cultural Differences in Web Site Design

Let’s face it, business websites always aim to reach a wider audience in the different parts of the world. Going online is the easiest and one of the most effective ways to go global. By developing websites, companies have a great chance of drawing more visitors who can become their potential customers.

This going global thing is called internationalization and a vital part of this is understanding the varied cultures of the world. Of course, one of the best ways to do this is to use the language of your intended market. This is critical since not everybody speaks the universal language which is English.

When applied to websites, going international means using different languages of your target audience for their benefit. This process is called localization in web design and it is here where the website translation tools prove very useful. Forrester Research, in their study of multilingual websites, found that international web users are three times more likely to browse through a site and buy a product from a site in their native language.

Specific terms should also be carefully studied for better understanding of your target audience. An example is the shopping cart used by most e-commerce websites in North America. Shopping cart literally refers to a container that holds the items being purchased by people but the term may confuse Europeans who are used to shopping with a basket and not a cart.

Language is just one factor, though.
Another aspect to consider in website localization is the shopping habits of online users which vary by culture. Not everybody uses a credit card when doing online transactions like buying a certain product. Americans may be used to this but not the Germans and the Chinese, among many other races. Germans use cash or money order while the Chinese prefer haggling.

Colours are also important.
They play a significant role in a website’s design but more than that, they mean different things to different cultures. Red, for instance, signifies danger in North America while other cultures use the colour green or black for similar purpose. If black means mourning in Western culture, Asians use the colour white. It is then vital that colours are well chosen when creating international websites.

Conversion of currency, weights and measures are essential.
This is to provide convenience to your target audience especially when they shop online. You would not want them to use a separate calculator, would you? Otherwise, you would only lose your visitor. But with an automatic conversion facility on your site, your visitors will readily know the correct information they need.

Finally, being sensitive to your international audience and their values can go a long way in establishing trust and confidence on your site as well as building favorable business to customer relationships. While the culture in North American may be informal such as in their greetings, web designers should research on the appropriate ones used in other cultures to avoid offending your visitors. The Japanese, for example, use formal greetings that usually include the last name of the person being addressed to while the Europeans have their own way.