Small Business Resources, Business Advice and Forms from AllBusiness.com
 

Web MarketingWWW; Mark Berghan argues there's a reason it's called the world wide web.

By Berghan, Mark
Publication: Marketing Magazine
Date: Sunday, February 1 2004

Mark Berghan argues there's a reason it's called the world wide web.

Only speak English? You may be heading for trouble. Research shows that over half of all people online don't speak English and this is projected to climb to 75% by 2005.

Not convinced? Then look at where New Zealand

makes its foreign exchange. Non-English speaking countries consume over 60% of New Zealand exports in dollar terms, make up 17 of the top 20 fastest growing export markets, provide over 55% of all inbound tourist income and represent almost 95% of income from international education.

People from non-English speaking countries use the web in their native language, not English. Over 98% of Japanese search the web in Japanese; only 2% search in English. Sounds logical I know, but how many tourism providers continue to present websites in English only?

Even in one of our biggest English-speaking markets, the US, over 13% of the online population uses the web in a language other than English. That's 21 million people.

In addition, make sure to read these articles:

  • Battle of the Search Engines -- Try MSN...and win
  • It's tough for the three big search engines -- Google, Yahoo, and MSN -- to top each other these days in the war to attract ......
  • Is the Internet the New Yellow Pages?
  • A few weeks ago I noted how more businesses are using the Internet for more of their local advertising. It is becoming the new yellow ......
  • Directory Submissions
  • One of the questions I get asked often is, "Is it worthwhile to submit to search engine directories?". When I started optimizing web sites, directories ......
  • Fixing Lame Web Sites
  • Cable operator, have you looked at your Web site lately? Does it have a robust home where small- and medium-size business services can easily be ......
  • MedifocusHealth.com Launches with Extensive...
  • Site exceeds 4 million monthly advertising impressions mark - continues climbing SILVER SPRING, Md. -- Consumers and advertisers alike are flocking to a new, free-of-charge ......
  • SweetIM Celebrates 25th Anniversary of the...
  • SweetIM: WHAT: On September 19, 1982, Carnegie Mellon computer scientist Scott Fahlman introduced the very first emoticon in a message board post. Twenty-five years ......
  • Lost in (cyber)space.
  • QA I have had my small business Website since January. However, I have had very few hits and seem to be invisible online. My ......
  • Endemol grabs stake in MoMedia
  • NEMI, Italy -- Television content producer Endemol has taken a 25% stake in British multimedia production company MoMedia, according to a statement released Tuesday by ......
  • PC-to-phone calls expected to grow
  • Nearly a quarter of Internet users worldwide will he regular users of PC-to-phone IP telephony in five years, according to the consultancy Ovum (www.ovum.com). Drivers ......
  • Are AOL going for web services via iTV?
  • TV MEETS THE WEB-(C)2002 Van Dusseldorp & Partners - http://www.vandusseldorp.com/ The rumour is out that AOL is going to launch a range of its internet ......
  • Table of Contents;
  • Features Cover Story: New Products Marketing The Impossible It's time for new starts, new initiatives and introductions. When Marketing Magazine stumbled upon some rather wacky ......
  • From Russia with results
  • With technology originating in Russia, Quintura (quintura.com) has introduced Version 1.0 of Quintura Search, which, the company claims, finds relevant results from the Web faster ......
  • From Russia with results
  • With technology originating in Russia, Quintura (quintura.com) has introduced Version 1.0 of Quintura Search, which, the company claims, finds relevant results from the Web faster ......
  • Online reading as a nonlinear activity
  • Has the Internet changed your reading habits? It has mine. No longer do I rely on a daily newspaper for news. Instead, I check Yahoo!...
  • The Internet: Slow Growth At AOL
  • T ime Warner's troubled America Online is slowly improving its fortunes, as evidenced by the release of company and division earnings last week, which showed ......
presented by