The great thing about online businesses is that you have the opportunity to reach more customers than you can in a traditional physical store. But with that extended reach, you need to remember that you also need to create your site with international visitors in mind. There are many things you should never do on your website when you are trying to bring in international business. Here are four of the biggest mistakes you could make when dealing with your global customer base.
Use Clichés and Slang
When it comes to getting lost in translation, clichés and slang are the two things that you need to avoid. While you might think that you are being clever on your website, these phrases can often be interpreted as disrespectful and even crass to some international visitors. Your website should contain plain and simple English that will be simple to translate and to understand. Your sentences should be short and filled with basic words, but still rich with descriptions of your business and your products.
If you are writing your own website content, you will want to go back to reread what you have written down to be sure that everything is easy to read in a literal sense. For example, if it's not actually 'raining cats and dogs,' don't say that it is. Have a few people read your site before you post it up on the internet to be sure you are being as clear as possible.
Use Other Languages Improperly
The next mistake that many people make with their international website is to try to use a few languages from various cultures they cater to - but this can be disastrous. If you haven't taken the time to be fluent in the foreign language, you should not be using it on your site. The only way that you should use a foreign language on your site is to have a native speaker write the site for you. It's simply better if you avoid trying to add in other languages too because you don't want any international customers to feel 'left out' because their language isn't used.
Not Have a Translation Page
When you don't have a way for your page to be translated for your customers, this can spell problems for your business. True, there are websites that profess to be able to translate pages for you, but they're not always reliable. What you will want to do is create a simple English website and then hire a translator to translate it into the languages that you want your site in. That way, you can have customers click onto a new link to get the site in their native language. When you don't offer this, it can look as though you're simply not interested in helping your non-English speaking contingent.
Forget about Currency Exchange Rates
Of course, if you are selling anything, you need to be able to price things as the customers will be paying for them. Have a currency exchange calculator built into your shopping cart experience so that you can easily help your customers. That way, you can get the money in the currency you wish to be paid in and your customers have a clear idea as to how much they will be spending. You might also want to have a currency exchange calculator on the pages with your products if you don't have the prices clearly adjusted.
When you are trying to woo international customers, you need to make sure you have everything they need for the transaction to go smoothly and respectfully.
Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a tool for saving or retaining updated information on websites that you frequently visit or websites that are your favorite. RSS utilizes an XML code which scans continuously the content or subject matter of a certain website in search for new informations then transmits the information updates by way of feeding the information to subscribers.
RSS feeds are generally being utilized in blogs or news sites, though any website wanting to broadcast and publish information can use them. Once new information is sent, it will contain a headline, a little bit of text, and either a rundown or a brief review of the news or story. A link is needed be clicked upon to read further.
So as to accept RSS feeds, a feed reader is needed, called an aggregator. Aggregators are widely and freely available online, and all that is needed is a bit of searching, you will be able to locate a certain interface that best interest you. What's more, RSS feeds can likewise be read and retrieved from cell phones and on PDAs.
Once you encounter upon a website that you want to add or insert to the aggregator, the process can be done in two ways. Almost all sites offering an RSS feed displays an 'RSS' or 'XML' button in their homepage and with one click, it promptly add that particular feed to one's aggregator. Some aggregator however, requires the need to copy and then paste the URL of the feed unto the program.
Whatever the method used, you can be certain that the feed will be accessible soon as you have inserted it, likewise, in just seconds, the next update can arrive. In the event that you do not anymore would want to accept or take in updates, you may simply delete or erase the feed from the aggregator.
Through e-mail subscriptions, you can receive newsletters. RSS feeds on the other hand, can be more convenient in keeping up with newsletter updates since they are prompt and available in an instant; you no longer have to wait for a scheduled time or day to obtain a news summary, plus, these news will never be detained through a spam filter. RSS feeds are widely used everyday by individuals who understand and appreciate the accessibility of fast reports and news that can be readily read and only read certain updates that appeals to them.
Aggregators
Aggregators are popular use of feeds, having several kinds. Web aggregators or portals as they are sometimes called, create this view which is then made available in a Web page. Also, Aggregators have been incorporated into e-mail patrons, users of desktops, or dedicated and standalone software.
Offering a collection of special features, such as combining more than a few related feeds in just a single view, hiding certain entries or statements that has been already viewed, and classifying entries and feeds, the aggregator is a versatile component.
Why make a feed available?
You will have more viewers, since now, your viewers can conveniently see your site without even going out and looking for that certain site. While at first, it may seem corrupt, it will in fact enhance the visibility of your site; this is so because users can easily keep up or keep tract with your site, to allow them to view in a way that they want to; it's more probable that guests are aware should something that is in their interest is available or accessible on your site.
For instance, every month your website broadcasts a new feature. Having no feed, your viewers will always have to keep in mind to go to your site in a certain time to see if they discover something new; that is, if they can remember, and if they still have the time. However, if you supply a feed for your viewers, they can just point to their aggregator and it will instantly provide them a link along with a description of happenings or events at your site immediately.
What format to choose?
Syndication is very confusing as it uses a lot of formats that can usually be come across in the web. However, this can easily be solved as in general, syndicated libraries are used by aggregators which conceptualize a particular format that a feed is in, in order that they can utilize a certain syndication feed.
With this, whatever format to pick is just a matter of personal preference. RSS 1.0 is far reaching, and practical should it be integrated into Semantic Web systems. RSS 2.0 is very easy and simple create by hand. And atom is an IETF Standard, does it brings constancy, stability and a natural and accepted community to support its usage.
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