5 Tips for Building Global Websites (based on Automotive Industry)

You don't have to go into this procedure blind, which is a good thing.

Both the localization and continuing maintenance of international websites are things we at Reffine have experience with.

We condense that information into five essential suggestions in this video that your company may utilize to direct its web strategy:

1. Adapting your text is about more than translating
2. Local websites must fit local interests and expectations
3. Consider how different markets will engage with your products
4. Be ready to develop a strategy for working across time zones
5. Adopt local currencies.

Following each step to create a global strategy can seem like a massive hurdle, but we’re here to help.

Source: https://youtu.be/r3Dd0z4Kjrw

Hi, it’s Tom from Reffine.

Building a single website is tough, right? Now think of global brands creating dozens of websites locally. It’s a puzzle with a ton of pieces that all have to fit together perfectly.

At Reffine, we build local websites for global brands. I’m here to share the 5 most important tips for localizing global automotive websites.

Tip 1: It’s much more than just a language

You might think, how difficult can it be? You just need to translate the text, choose the right font, and publish. Easy peasy. Not so fast.

Your options are going to vary from one language to the next.

The availability of fonts in languages like Thai, Greek, Chinese, Arabic, or Vietnamese, each of which possesses specific visual aspects, is limited.

For example, Arabic tends to render text smaller and many words are shorter than their English counterparts. This means that you may need to increase the size for readability and alter the layout.

There are a lot of differences between languages and there is no one rule to fit them all.

Tip 2: Be country-specific

Cars are often displayed in various settings that might or might not be relevant to a particular country. While images featuring snow might be impactful in Europe during winter, these would be totally irrelevant for a Middle Eastern audience. Think about culture, weather, and political conditions, and localize your website accordingly.

Tip 3: Take car differences across the world into account

The automotive industry is pretty complex. Different types of cars are sold in different countries, such as diesel in Europe, mostly electric cars in Norway, and petrol cars in the United Arab Emirates. You cannot copy products across regions without understanding the market and adjusting your offer accordingly.

Tip 4: Time zones are not so simple

If you manage websites across different continents, managing the timing of launches and updates is difficult. Let’s say you want to premiere a new car model in multiple countries. What time zone is best for the launch? Once you’ve made that decision, you need to consider that there are different time zones for the website and the server, and there is often a couple hours’ difference between them.

Tip 5: Mind the currency

Something as simple as pricing can be a challenge at scale. There are various price formats to choose from and some currencies are placed before the value while others come after. There are countries with dynamic prices depending on the exchange rate and others where more than one currency is available.

Individually, these challenges can be pretty simple. Together, they can cause issues, especially if you are implementing and maintaining dozens of websites.

That’s where we come in. Our platform enables you to quickly and easily create, launch, and optimize websites globally and at scale. Are you planning to launch new websites in various markets? Let's discuss how Reffine can support you.