Our Weblog: Excerpts of Exports
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Websites, Marketing Materials and Global Audiences
Clients ask me about their websites as an international marketing tool. Since websites bring orders and inquiries outside the U.S. it is important that you design your site and your marketing materials with a universal message and eye.
Frank Luntz dedicated his book, Words that Work, to Americans but his message is global:
1. Small words.
2. Short sentences.
3. Alliteration is good.
(Notice how I did that so far in this post.) My tagline, experts in exports, incorporates all three.
Other things to consider are color, logo and verbiage:
1. My colors are shades of yellow and red; colors that are universally accepted.
2. While my logo was a defined globe, I changed it to one less obvious.
I also incorporated it in my company name. Less clutter.
3. Use as little verbiage, unless it is technical information, as possible.
There is less to translate and less opportunity for the wrong message.
Don’t even try a play on words; it usually doesn’t work.
4. Pictures are good. You know what they say about pictures.
In updating your website or collateral materials, look at it with a universal eye and incorporate a universal message. Once you have done this, you won’t view your company or your marketing from a local perspective again.