Are you contemplating going global? Now, brands large and small can expand into international or foreign-language markets, creating many exciting opportunities.

At Bending Design, we recently had the good fortune of creating a Spanish-language version of a website (www.rnbtitlepanama.com) with the help of a translator. We thought we'd share with you some of the key learnings we had from the experience.

Globalizing Your Website
Whether you're "globalizing" your website—optimizing it for users from many countries or cultures—or "localizing" your website—converting it for users in a specific country or culture, there are many issues that need to be addressed.

• CONTENT TRANSLATION
  Once all the content is prepared in English, work with a translator to ensure it is translated into proper language and dialect. This includes not only text, but graphics and any kind of multimedia you plan to display.
  
  
• LOCALIZATION
  While language translation is key, your graphics, color choices and design layouts should achieve the maximum aesthetic appeal for the target culture.
  
  
• TECHNICAL
  Be sure to display the correct formatting of times, numbers and currency.
  
  
• REGULATORY
  Work with experts to understand the payment practices, payment acceptance, currency conversion and regulations of international e-commerce.
  
  
• MARKETING
  Each culture is different. Be sure your positioning and branding are based on local requirements.
  
  

• Do start slowly and build on what you learn.
  
  
• Do set realistic goals.
  
  
• Don't start too ambitiously by duplicating all the functionality and content of your site.
  
  
• Do ensure your web-based content meets the language, cultural and business requirements for the target market.
  
  
• Do use resources available to you, particularly firms who have experience building foreign websites. In developing the rnbtitlepanama.com site, we worked with a translation company to great success.
  
  
• Do remember that testing, quality assurance and maintenance play huge roles in the launching and ongoing success of the site.

Good planning and doing the necessary homework, in either instance, are the keys. Since your website is the ultimate representation of your brand, you'll want to keep it as well-protected as your good name. Following the guidelines above is a start. The rest is up to you.

Reply to this email if you're interested in a foreign-language website and we can talk more.