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As companies look at expanding their international footprint, using their websites as an essential channel to market, localisation of marketing materials and websites will be an issue that they confront.  We are in the fortunate position to have English as our mother tongue, the most common language on the web. The other most commonly used languages on the web are: Chinese, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Japanese. European markets are there – they are sizeable. Germany, France,…

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Each week I share the articles I enjoyed reading on BizSugar with some of the thoughts they inspired on international business. Here are the articles I read last week. 50% Of Messages On Twitter Are Non-English Like this article? Sweet here. This article on the Online Media Gazette gives some statistics from recent research on the number of languages used on Twitter and only half of the tweets are in English. This is a great reminder to keep a tab on various social media profiles if you are…

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Last week I enjoyed watching a couple of interesting videos and reading several sales articles on BizSugar.  Here they are, as usual with some of the thoughts they inspired on international business. Businesses Adopting Social Media At Greater Rate (Video) Like this article? Sweet here. In this video Abby Johnson explains that small businesses are now using social media to find new ways to attract new business as businesses are recognizing the importance of being social. There are parallels…

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Here are the articles I enjoyed reading last week on BizSugar, together with some of the thoughts they inspired on international business. The Ultimate List: 40 Social Networking Sites Specifically For Small Business, Entrepreneurs, And Startups Like this article? Sweet here. This is a great resource list by Matthew Ringer of the SmallBizBee. The main reason why I like this list is that it reminds us there are more social networking sites out there than the few we use out of habit.  It’s…

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Recently I was speaking with Mícheál Nagle who has just completed an MBS in International Entrepreneurship Management at the University of Limerick where he graduated with first class honours. His thesis explored cost reduction strategies for Irish SMEs in a recession. Mícheál found that many Irish businesses tend to first target marketing when it comes to cutting costs, although academic findings suggest they should do the very opposite to survive the recession and thrive thereafter. …

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Last week I came across a number of articles on BizSugar that highlighted the differences with international business. Here they are with some of the thoughts they inspired. Generating More Leads with Video White Papers Like this article? Sweet here. White Papers are a great content marketing and lead generation tool for B2B businesses to reach audiences abroad. The trouble is that although they are very popular in North America, they are not as popular in other countries. As Jonathan Kantor…

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Last week I came across an interesting selection of articles on BizSugar. Here they are with some of the thoughts these articles inspired on international business. The Value in “Raising The Bar” Like this article? Sweet here. There is a time when businesses are thinking about what they can do to go international when mindset plays a big role in success.  This article from the Five Forces Group shows how to rise to the task. “It’s about standing out in a very crowded space.  It’s…

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In our ongoing discussion on competitive analysis, we consider the role of pricing and how it is managed within the context of brand building. Test The Waters Your natural starting point will be to base your pricing strategy around what you’ve developed within your home market.  In simplistic terms, if you’ve positioned yourself as either a value-for-money, mid-range or premium brand, the pricing models you operate will reflect this.  These can still be used as a benchmark for your…

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Here are the BizSugar articles from last week with the thoughts they inspired on international business. The Simplest Secret To Business Growth Like this article? Sweet here. Many businesses want to get more international clients and it takes a lot of hard work, done consistently. John Jantsch makes a great case here of reminding us to do more of what’s already working. If you are lucky enough to already have a few good international clients or even good international networking connections,…

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Working cross-culturally definitely has its rewards, but it’s important to make efforts to understand the differences between your own habits and the expectations of those where you are doing business. I’ve worked and lived in both the UK and the US. There are more similarities than differences between Brits and Americans, but understanding the nuances helps.  It’s also interesting hearing how foreigners perceive themselves abroad.  An ex American colleague of mine with whom I worked…

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