Learn How the World’s Leading Multinationals Manage Web Globalization Interviews and case studies shed light on spending plans, content management software and best practices. Table of Contents List of Exhibits About the Author

Web Globalization Is Back on the "Front Burner"

The Web globalization industry is primed for significant growth as major multinationals expand the number of country-specific Web sites they offer and improve upon the quality of their existing Web sites. This finding, and many more, were the result of an in-depth survey of a number of global companies, including Deloitte, Dow, IBM, Microsoft, MGM, Starbucks and Wal-Mart.

Valuable Insights Into the Future of Web Globalization

The world’s largest corporations are bellwethers for the state of Web globalization and where it is headed. Yet analyzing what goes on behind the scenes of global Web sites is challenging because so few companies release this type of information.

Over the past two months, we conducted phone and electronic interviews with executives at 15 large, multinational corporations. This report sheds light on how these companies approach Web globalization internally, how much money they spend, what types of software tools they use and much more. Among the many findings are:

• The Breadth of Languages Will Increase 20% Over Next Three Years
  Most executives said they expect to add languages to their Web sites over the next three years. Find out what the future's hottest languages are.
• Lots of Room for Improvement
  Most executives believe their global Web sites could be improved greatly. Byte Level reveals major hurdles and analyzes selected multinational sites, illustrating how Web sites such as Wal-Mart, SAP and GE can be improved.
• Companies Are Not Spending Enough on Web Globalization
  Companies are generally spending half of what executives think they should be spending. Find out what companies are currently allocating, on average. Byte Level provides a handy benchmark that relates total company revenues to Web globalization spending.

Case Studies Highlight Best (and Worst) Practices

In addition to hearing what executives have to say about Web globalization, you’ll hear what Byte Level has to say about seven major Web sites. In Part II of this report, we analyze the Web sites of companies such as Wal-Mart, Ikea, SAP and GE, highlighting best practices and innovations along the way.

This Report Is For:

• Marketing and IT executives who need insights into how other companies are tackling Web globalization.
• Web designers and project managers who need to know best practices in Web globalization.
• Software and translation services vendors who need to understand what companies allocate for Web globalization and their overall internal priorities.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Web Globalization: Bouncing Back
• Executive Summary


• Part I: Web Globalization Survey
  • Survey Overview and Participant Profiles
  • Executive Insights
  • Web Globalization Trends
  • Web Globalization Spending
  • Localization Workflow and Web Site Usability
  • Content and Globalization Management Software
  • Customer Support
  • Return on Investment
  
  
• Part II: Web Globalization Case Studies
  • Best Practices in Web Globalization
  • Wal-Mart: Room for Improvement
  • GE: Another Year, Another Redesign
  • SAP: A Model of Consistency
  • Ikea: Going Global Gracefully
  • Starbucks: Going Global Quickly
  • IBM: The Old and the New
  • Home Depot vs. Lowe’s: Spanish-Language Showdown
  
  
• Appendix A: Web Site “Weight” and Global Usability
• Appendix B: Best Practices in Global Navigation
• Globalization Terminology

List of Exhibits

Part I: Web Globalization Survey

• Additional Languages Planned For Next Three Years
• Total Company Revenues and Web Globalization Expenditures
• Total Company Revenues and the Percent Allocated for Web Globalization
• When Is Content Localization Planned?
• Amount of Content Created Locally
• Most Popular Content Management Software
• Most GMS Deployments Are Developed Internally
• How Important Is Localized Customer Support Documentation to Sales?
• Content Type and Number of Languages Localized
• Metrics Most Commonly Cited For Measuring Success of Local Web Sites

Part II: Web Globalization Case Studies

• Wal-Mart Global Gateway
• Wal-Mart Germany, China and Korea
• The Evolution of GE's Global Gateway, 2001 to Present
• GE Germany, France and Korea
• SAP Global Gateway
• SAP Brazil, France and Japan
• Ikea Global Gateway
• Ikea Norway, US and Taiwan
• Starbucks Global Gateway, 2002 and Present
• Starbucks Japan, Korea, Germany and Switzerland
• IBM France, Brazil and Russia
• The IBM Global Gateway "Shortlist"
• Home Depot and Lowe's Web Highlights

Appendix A

• Web Page Weight and Download Time in Seconds

Appendix B

• The Global Gateway in Action
• How to Modify Browser Language Preferences
• The E*TRADE Splash Gateway
• 3Com Splash Gateway
• The FedEx Global Gateway: Why Is U.S.A. on Top?

About the Author

John Yunker is president and chief analyst of Byte Level Research and author of the widely acclaimed book Beyond Borders: Web Globalization Strategies. Over the past decade, John has helped hundreds of companies improve their global Web sites through consulting engagements and custom reports.

He has written (and been quoted) about Internet development and globalization issues for publications such as:

• The Boston Globe
• Business Week
• Internet Retailer
• MultiLingual Computing
• The Wall Street Journal