While you should always pay attention to your local audience, you should never forget the fact that your audience can include people from all corners of the world. This is especially true if you run an online business that sells products and services through a website.
If your business relies on a website, you must ensure that it caters to your entire market, not just those who are geographically nearby. Otherwise, you may prevent other people from properly using your website, which can seriously get in the way of your website’s and business’s performance.
If you want to make sure your website is accessible to a global audience, here are some tips that you can follow.
1. Pick your colors
You may assume the black means professional and white means luxury. However, these colors might mean completely different things in other countries. This means that your website must use colors that do not inadvertently convey the wrong message.
When picking colors for your website, you must be careful when using bold and bright colors. This can be easier if you work with a professional web designer who has plenty of experience working with international clients. They will give you recommendations on what colors you can pick to set the right tone and theme for anyone who visits your website.
2. Check your forms
The forms on your website might work well for your local audience, but have you asked yourself whether they work for the international audience? Forms that require certain information, such as addresses and phone numbers, need to be country-specific and appropriate.
For example, you might have a section in your form that requires users to input their phone numbers. If that is the case, you need to remember that different countries have different phone number formats, and some may be longer than what you are accustomed to. If you fail to take account of this concern, you might prevent international audiences from giving you the information you need.
Be considerate when setting up a form on your website, and make sure an international audience can use it without issue. If you already have forms set up, go back and check to ensure they are not hindering your global customers.
3. Implement translations
While English is a common language used by many people worldwide, not everyone speaks it. Many international customers may prefer to browse a website in their mother tongue. If that language is not in English, and your website does not have the right translation, you will have essentially lost a customer.
To prevent this from happening, be sure to implement translation tools on your website. If possible, offer an option on your website to change the entire language. This may take time to do, so you can start with the most common languages found in the countries your customers are from. For instance, if you see many visitors coming from Thailand, you can consider adding Thai translations for your website.
Conclusion
By following the tips above, you will be well on your way to offering a website that caters to your local audience and global customers alike. It will take a lot of hard work and time to pull off, but once you do, you will soon get to enjoy the benefits of having an international audience. With increased click-through rates and sales, being able to cater to a global audience will allow your business to grow at phenomenal speeds, helping you achieve success in due time.
Fox Web Creations is a full-service digital agency that offers online marketing, graphic design, and more to help businesses succeed. If you are looking for web design services in Kansas City to help your website capture a global audience, work with us today.
