Are You Ready To Go International?

Although North Americans were the dominant population on
the Internet, that has now changed, and the rest of the world
has caught up rapidly. And while English is still the most
widely used Internet language, it's not the language of choice
for many, many Internet users.

So are YOU ready to communicate in this international medium?
Whether you're building your own Web site, taking part
in discussion groups, visiting a chat room, or just sending
and receiving e-mail, you'll meet more and more "foreigners"
on the Internet - and vice versa, of course.

Let's look at some tips for communicating effectively in this
new global village.

1. Write in plain English

Write clearly, with small words and short sentences.
If you're writing long messages or creating long Web pages,
include a simple summary at the top.

Be very careful to write exactly what you mean.
If you're writing for a general audience, avoid sarcasm,
colloquialisms and other things that rely on a certain tone
of voice or cultural background.

2. Watch out for phrases with two meanings

Although English is the de facto international language
of the Internet, differences abound between, say, English and
American English. It's easy enough to allow for differences in
the way that we spell "colour", "apologise" and "organisation",
but other - more subtle - differences can easily
lead to misunderstandings.

For example, does "bi-weekly" mean twice a week or once every
two weeks? It's different for Australians and Americans.
Similarly, when Australians "table an issue", they are raising
it for discussion, but for Americans, "tabling an issue"
means putting it aside.

3. Include area codes in phone numbers

Any time you quote a telephone, fax or mobile (cell) phone
number on the Internet, ask yourself whether your readers reside
outside your local area. If you're potentially addressing
distant readers, include your international code and area code
in these numbers.

4. Allow for variations in postcodes

American zip codes and Australian postcodes use numbers only;
U.K. postcodes contain letters and numbers; Singaporean
postcodes use numbers only, but appear in a different place
in the address; all have different lengths from each other.

If your Web site includes an order form or a demographic survey,
allow for postcodes that fall outside your own local format.

5. Include your full postal address

If you're addressing an international audience, include your
country in your postal address. Don't expect people to just
figure it out. This seems obvious, but a surprising number
of businesses on the Internet forget it.

6. Include international postage costs

If you're selling anything through e-mail or your Web site,
cater for international orders, whether you expect them or not.
Find out the cost of international postage and shipping,
and publish the costs for your customers.

This is a complex area because of the variety of options,
depending on the source and destination countries, methods and
speed of delivery, customs and duties, and more.

Simplify this as much as possible for your customers.
It's better to start with something very simple
(for example, one postage price for all international orders,
regardless of destination) and adapt it with experience.
Or eliminate postage costs entirely, as Rachel Green does
on her site by offering free postage anywhere in the world:

http://www.rachelgreen.com

7. Explain your currency

If you use a currency that's common to other countries -
such as dollars - make it clear which version you mean.
Some Web sites quote their prices in American dollars as a kind
of "universal currency", but most use local currency.

Include a link to a currency converter on your Web
site to make it easy for your international visitors.
Here's one to use:

http://www.xe.com/ucc

8. Be aware of time zones

If you're writing a time (for example, the time when
you're available in a chat room) for people in specific
time zones, include their local times as well.
When writing for an international audience, include the time
in GMT (Greenwich Mean Time).

Include a link to a time zone converter on your Web site
- for example:

http://www.timeanddate.com

9. Use icons carefully

Choose icons on your Web site carefully. For example,
not everybody understands what a "STOP" sign means;
and a "thumbs up" sign can offend people from some cultures.

In fact, it's so easy to misunderstand icons - even within
a culture - that you should always supplement them
with clear descriptions.

10. Tolerate mistakes

The more you use the Internet, the more you'll communicate
with people who don't speak or write English as well as you do.
Be tolerant of poor spelling, bad grammar and typing
mistakes when you receive e-mail or take part in Internet
discussion groups.

Of course, this is just common courtesy, but again it's
surprising to see how many people attack others when they
think they can hide behind the safety of their keyboard.