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| Paid Research - Membership Required |
| Can't Read, Won't Buy: Why Language Matters on Global Websites |
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| Keywords |
| website globalization, translation, localization, ROI, target marketing, market research, global consumer, language preferences, e-commerce, online buyer, shopping cart abandonment, China, Germany, Chinese, German |
Abstract |
| Many firms still debate whether it makes business sense for them to globalize their online marketing, online commerce sites, and call centers. Why? There is a longstanding assumption that users web feel comfortable with English, especially when buying high-tech or expensive products. Nonetheless, research dating back to 1998 indicates a high propensity for people to buy in their own language. Until now, there has been no large-scale behavioral study of consumers to validate either argument. Our goal in undertaking this research was to establish connections among language, visitation to English-language sites, and the likelihood to purchase various goods and services from these sites. At least 300 online buyers completed the online surveys conducted in their own language -- in Brazil, China (PRC), France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Spain, and Turkey. |
Benefits |
| In General: Until now, there has been no large-scale, independent behavioral study of consumers to validate assumptions about visitor preference for mother-tongue content when buying on the web. This report provides corporate executives, planners, and other international marketing professionals with the information they need to make strategic decisions about website globalization. |
For Buyers: This report provides critical data that will help you make informed decisions about website globalization, international marketing, and where to spend your money.
|
| For Suppliers: System integrators, website development agencies, language service providers, and technology suppliers can use the information in this report to better serve the needs of their international clients. |
Physical Details |
| Authors: Donald A. DePalma, Benjamin B. Sargent, and Renato S. Beninatto |
| Date: 29 September 2006 |
| ISBN: 1-933555-30-0 |
| Pages: 28 |
Table of Contents |
- Executive Summary
- Does Language Matter?
- The Survey Demographics: 2,430 Consumers in Eight Countries
- English-Language Sites Attract Foreign Visitors
- International Visitors Spend More Time at Sites in Their Language
- Consumers Prefer Buying from Sites in Their Language
- How International Consumers Buy from English-Language Websites
- International Buyers Express Their Language Preferences
- International Buyers Almost Evenly Split on Home-Language Purchases
- Most Consumers Feel Discomfort in Other Languages, But May Still Buy
- All Other Things Being Equal, Consumers Prefer Buying in Their Language
- Mother Tongue Content Becomes More Important over Product Life Cycle
- More than Half of All Visitors Sometimes Turn to Machine Translation
- Brand Trumps Language, But Language Beats a Lower Price
- Why Foreign Visitors Abandon Websites
- On the Global Web, Language and Localization Matter More Than Ever
- Figures
- Figure 1: Countries Surveyed for this Report and Language Competence
- Figure 2: English Sites Draw Visitors Regardless of Linguistic Competence
- Figure 3: Nationality Affects Visitation to English-Language Sites.
- Figure 4: Consumers Prefer Spending Time on Sites in Their Own Language.
- Figure 5: Most Foreign Visitors Do Not Buy on English-Language Websites.
- Figure 6: Nationality Affects Purchases from English-Language Sites.
- Figure 7: Language Matters Most When Buying Complex or Expensive Things.
- Figure 8: Non-Anglophone Visitors Most Likely to Buy at Sites in Own Language.
- Figure 9: Most French and Japanese Consumers Buy Only in Their Language.
- Figure 10: Actual Buying Behavior Aside, Some Are Comfortable in English.
- Figure 11: Most Consumers Prefer Products in their Own Language.
- Figure 12: Most Buyers Will Pay More for Their Own Language.
- Figure 13: Language Becomes More of an Issue When Buyers Need Help.
- Figure 14: Bad Translations Are Better than No Translations.
- Figure 15: Some Nationalities Tolerate Bad Translations More than Others.
- Figure 16: Most Visitors Use Online Machine Translation Sometimes.
- Figure 17: A Global Brand Trumps Language and Price.
- Figure 18: Perceived Value of a Global Brand Varies by Nationality.
- Figure 19: People Leave Websites for More than Language Issues.
- Figure 20: Necessity Drives Purchases from English-Language Websites.
- Figure 1: Countries Surveyed for this Report and Language Competence
- Figure 2: English Sites Draw Visitors Regardless of Linguistic Competence
- Figure 3: Nationality Affects Visitation to English-Language Sites.
- Figure 4: Consumers Prefer Spending Time on Sites in Their Own Language.
- Figure 5: Most Foreign Visitors Do Not Buy on English-Language Websites.
- Figure 6: Nationality Affects Purchases from English-Language Sites.
- Figure 7: Language Matters Most When Buying Complex or Expensive Things.
- Figure 8: Non-Anglophone Visitors Most Likely to Buy at Sites in Own Language.
- Figure 9: Most French and Japanese Consumers Buy Only in Their Language.
- Figure 10: Actual Buying Behavior Aside, Some Are Comfortable in English.
- Figure 11: Most Consumers Prefer Products in their Own Language.
- Figure 12: Most Buyers Will Pay More for Their Own Language.
- Figure 13: Language Becomes More of an Issue When Buyers Need Help.
- Figure 14: Bad Translations Are Better than No Translations.
- Figure 15: Some Nationalities Tolerate Bad Translations More than Others.
- Figure 16: Most Visitors Use Online Machine Translation Sometimes.
- Figure 17: A Global Brand Trumps Language and Price.
- Figure 18: Perceived Value of a Global Brand Varies by Nationality.
- Figure 19: People Leave Websites for More than Language Issues.
- Figure 20: Necessity Drives Purchases from English-Language Websites.
|
| Paid Research - Membership Required |
| Can't Read, Won't Buy: Why Language Matters on Global Websites |
| |
| Keywords |
| website globalization, translation, localization, ROI, target marketing, market research, global consumer, language preferences, e-commerce, online buyer, shopping cart abandonment, China, Germany, Chinese, German |
Abstract |
| Many firms still debate whether it makes business sense for them to globalize their online marketing, online commerce sites, and call centers. Why? There is a longstanding assumption that users web feel comfortable with English, especially when buying high-tech or expensive products. Nonetheless, research dating back to 1998 indicates a high propensity for people to buy in their own language. Until now, there has been no large-scale behavioral study of consumers to validate either argument. Our goal in undertaking this research was to establish connections among language, visitation to English-language sites, and the likelihood to purchase various goods and services from these sites. At least 300 online buyers completed the online surveys conducted in their own language -- in Brazil, China (PRC), France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Spain, and Turkey. |
Benefits |
| In General: Until now, there has been no large-scale, independent behavioral study of consumers to validate assumptions about visitor preference for mother-tongue content when buying on the web. This report provides corporate executives, planners, and other international marketing professionals with the information they need to make strategic decisions about website globalization. |
For Buyers: This report provides critical data that will help you make informed decisions about website globalization, international marketing, and where to spend your money.
|
| For Suppliers: System integrators, website development agencies, language service providers, and technology suppliers can use the information in this report to better serve the needs of their international clients. |
Physical Details |
| Authors: Donald A. DePalma, Benjamin B. Sargent, and Renato S. Beninatto |
| Date: 29 September 2006 |
| ISBN: 1-933555-30-0 |
| Pages: 28 |
Table of Contents |
- Executive Summary
- Does Language Matter?
- The Survey Demographics: 2,430 Consumers in Eight Countries
- English-Language Sites Attract Foreign Visitors
- International Visitors Spend More Time at Sites in Their Language
- Consumers Prefer Buying from Sites in Their Language
- How International Consumers Buy from English-Language Websites
- International Buyers Express Their Language Preferences
- International Buyers Almost Evenly Split on Home-Language Purchases
- Most Consumers Feel Discomfort in Other Languages, But May Still Buy
- All Other Things Being Equal, Consumers Prefer Buying in Their Language
- Mother Tongue Content Becomes More Important over Product Life Cycle
- More than Half of All Visitors Sometimes Turn to Machine Translation
- Brand Trumps Language, But Language Beats a Lower Price
- Why Foreign Visitors Abandon Websites
- On the Global Web, Language and Localization Matter More Than Ever
- Figures
- Figure 1: Countries Surveyed for this Report and Language Competence
- Figure 2: English Sites Draw Visitors Regardless of Linguistic Competence
- Figure 3: Nationality Affects Visitation to English-Language Sites.
- Figure 4: Consumers Prefer Spending Time on Sites in Their Own Language.
- Figure 5: Most Foreign Visitors Do Not Buy on English-Language Websites.
- Figure 6: Nationality Affects Purchases from English-Language Sites.
- Figure 7: Language Matters Most When Buying Complex or Expensive Things.
- Figure 8: Non-Anglophone Visitors Most Likely to Buy at Sites in Own Language.
- Figure 9: Most French and Japanese Consumers Buy Only in Their Language.
- Figure 10: Actual Buying Behavior Aside, Some Are Comfortable in English.
- Figure 11: Most Consumers Prefer Products in their Own Language.
- Figure 12: Most Buyers Will Pay More for Their Own Language.
- Figure 13: Language Becomes More of an Issue When Buyers Need Help.
- Figure 14: Bad Translations Are Better than No Translations.
- Figure 15: Some Nationalities Tolerate Bad Translations More than Others.
- Figure 16: Most Visitors Use Online Machine Translation Sometimes.
- Figure 17: A Global Brand Trumps Language and Price.
- Figure 18: Perceived Value of a Global Brand Varies by Nationality.
- Figure 19: People Leave Websites for More than Language Issues.
- Figure 20: Necessity Drives Purchases from English-Language Websites.
- Figure 1: Countries Surveyed for this Report and Language Competence
- Figure 2: English Sites Draw Visitors Regardless of Linguistic Competence
- Figure 3: Nationality Affects Visitation to English-Language Sites.
- Figure 4: Consumers Prefer Spending Time on Sites in Their Own Language.
- Figure 5: Most Foreign Visitors Do Not Buy on English-Language Websites.
- Figure 6: Nationality Affects Purchases from English-Language Sites.
- Figure 7: Language Matters Most When Buying Complex or Expensive Things.
- Figure 8: Non-Anglophone Visitors Most Likely to Buy at Sites in Own Language.
- Figure 9: Most French and Japanese Consumers Buy Only in Their Language.
- Figure 10: Actual Buying Behavior Aside, Some Are Comfortable in English.
- Figure 11: Most Consumers Prefer Products in their Own Language.
- Figure 12: Most Buyers Will Pay More for Their Own Language.
- Figure 13: Language Becomes More of an Issue When Buyers Need Help.
- Figure 14: Bad Translations Are Better than No Translations.
- Figure 15: Some Nationalities Tolerate Bad Translations More than Others.
- Figure 16: Most Visitors Use Online Machine Translation Sometimes.
- Figure 17: A Global Brand Trumps Language and Price.
- Figure 18: Perceived Value of a Global Brand Varies by Nationality.
- Figure 19: People Leave Websites for More than Language Issues.
- Figure 20: Necessity Drives Purchases from English-Language Websites.
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