The Web Globalization Report Card 2003 An analysis of 121 global Web sites -- from Amazon to Wal-Mart -- the leaders, the laggards, and valuable lessons for your Web site Table of Contents Web Sites Included About the Author

Secrets of Successful Web Globalization

Browse just about any major corporate Web site these days and you'll find evidence of recent Web globalization. In the past year alone:

• L.L. Bean launched its first localized Web site (in Japanese).
• Amazon launched a Canadian Web site (in English and French).
• Office Depot launched a Spanish-language Web site.
• eTrade added a German site to its existing portfolio of 12 localized Web sites.
• General Electric redesigned its global navigation system.

Learn from the Best Global Web Sites

When taking their Web sites global (or redesigning their sites), marketing and Web executives often look to their competitors for clues on where to begin. But what if your competitor has done a poor job of Web globalization? Too often, companies end up repeating the mistakes made by their competitors instead of capitalizing on those mistakes.

We studied 121 Web sites across a number of industries — focusing on many of the world's largest companies. Our research found that most Web sites leave a great deal of room for improvement. In fact, some of the most poorly rated Web sites represent some of the world's most recognized brands, such as Wal-Mart, Disney, and Budweiser.

This report highlights the very best global Web sites — you may be surprised just how many large multinational companies did not make the cut —- and offers tips on how to make these best practices part of your company's Web globalization strategy.

This Report is For:

• Marketing executives who want to gain a competitive edge in new and existing markets.
• Web designers who want a better understanding of the cultural and technical challenges of developing Web sites for different countries and languages.
• Globalization consultants who need to benchmark their clients' sites against the sites of the world's largest multinational corporations.
• Translation/Localization companies that want to improve their Web globalization skills.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
  • Executive Summary
  • Methodology
• Part I: The Top 10 Global Web Sites
  • Profiles of...
  • Google
  • 3Com
  • Yahoo!
  • Ikea
  • BBC
  • Kodak
  • Saab
  • Eli Lilly
  • eTrade
  • Nokia
• Part II: Key Findings and Trends
  • Speaking in Tongues: Languages Used
  • Best Web Sites: By Industry
  • Global Gateways: The 10 Best
  • Acting Globally: Best Internationalized Sites
  • Acting Locally: Best Localized Sites
  • The Bottom 10: What Not to Do
• Part III: How to Make Your Site the Best
  • 10 Things to Consider Before Taking Your Web Site Global
  • The Art of the Global Gateway
• Appendix
  • Comprehensive Web Site Scores
  • Web Site Language Use
• Globalization Terminology

Web Sites Reviewed

This report includes profiles of the 10 best-rated Web sites as well as scores from all 121 sites reviewed. Sites analyzed for the report include:

3Com	GE	Novartis
Adobe	Godiva	Novell
Agilent	Goldman Sachs	Oracle
Air Canada	Google	Orange
Alcatel	Guerlain	Palm
Alta Vista	Guinness	Panasonic
Amazon	H&R Block	Pepsi-Cola
AMD	Handspring	Philips
Apple	Hertz	Pioneer Electronics
Audi	Hewlett-Packard	Pontiac
Aventis	Honda	Procter & Gamble
Avis	HSBC	Saab
Bayer	Hyundai	Samsung
BBC	IBM	Sears
Bearing Point	Ikea	Siebel Systems
BMW	Intel	Siemens
Boston Scientific	J Crew	Singapore Airlines
British Airways	J.D. Edwards	Sony
Budweiser	John Deere	Southwest Airlines
Cadillac	JVC	Starbucks
Canon	Kodak	Sun Microsystems
Cartier	L.L. Bean	Telefónica
Chanel	Lands' End	Toshiba
Cisco Systems	Levi's	Toyota
Citibank	Louis Vuitton	UPS
CNN	Lucent	Volkswagen
Coca-Cola	Macromedia	Volvo
CSFB	McDonald's	Wal-Mart
Dell	McKinsey & Company	WebEx
Deloitte	Mercedes	Weight Watchers
DHL	Merck	Whirlpool
Disney	Microsoft	Xerox
eBay	Minolta	Yahoo!
EDS	Monster
Eli Lilly	Morgan Stanley
EMC	Nestle
Ericsson	New Balance
Ernst & Young	Nike
ESPN	Nikon
Estee Lauder	Nintendo
eTrade	Nissan
Expedia	Nokia
Federal Express	Nortel Networks
Fuji Film	Northwest Airlines

About the Author

Over the past decade, John Yunker has worked as both a marketing manager and Web developer. He has produced and managed Web sites for a number of clients, in a number of languages, including Harvard University, H&R Block, and Victoria's Secret.

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

He is author of the widely acclaimed book Beyond Borders: Web Globalization Strategies.