Russia Localization Report

Russian Web localization the right way

Russia is the second-largest economy in Europe, the eighth most populous country in the world, and it is the destination of an increasing number of multinational companies.

But succeeding in Russia isn’t easy. The Russian language poses unique branding and Web localization challenges and Internet penetration is still largely an urban phenomenon.

Succeeding in Russia requires an effective localization strategy. That's where this report fits in.

This report is designed to give marketing and Internet executives a quick understanding of the Russian culture and consumer.

The report blends Web and marketing localization tips with real-world insights based on our interviews with Russian translators and cultural experts. It also includes a number of in-country translation resources to help you get started on your journey into this emerging market.

Questions this report will answer include:

• What American and European companies already offer Russian-language Web sites?
• What are the most popular Web sites in Russia?
• How to localize a Web page using Cyrillic characters.
• What to know before transliterating your company's brand names.
• What are some of the major Russian brands?
• What are tips for localizing a Web site for Russia?
• Where can I find a translator or translation agency in Russia?
• How much does translation cost?
• What are the major cities?
• What are positive colors in Russia?
• What numbers are considered lucky (and unlucky) in Russia?
• What are the common customs and superstitions in Russia?

Table of Contents

Country

• Bullish on Russia
• Russia at a glance
  
• Cities
  
• Currency
  
  Language
  
• The Russian language
• Russian brands
• Transliterating your brand name

Culture

• Doing business
  
• Colors
  
• Gestures
  
• Personalities
  
• Customs, quirks, and superstitions
  
• Holidays
  
  Russia and the Web
  
• Most popular Russian Web sites
  
• Google vs. Yandex
  
  Web Localization
  
• Who’s localizing Web sites for Russia?
• Web browsing in Russian
  
• Web page localization in Russian
  
• Registering .ru
  
  Translation
  
• Translation costs
  
• Translation vendors
  
  
• Top 10 localization tips
  

About the Author

John Yunker has helped a wide range of Fortune 500 companies improve their global websites and application. He has experience consulting with some of the world's largest companies and has also worked as senior program manager at Microsoft. He authored the first book devoted to the emerging field of web globalization, Beyond Borders: Web Globalization Strategies. John speaks at numerous industry events, including Localization World, Internet Retailer, and the Unicode Conference and has been quoted on global topics in publications including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. He is also editor of the popular web globalization blog Global by Design.