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The 2013 Web Globalization Report Card

The Web Globalization Report Card is a must-read for marketing and web teams

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Learn from the best global and mobile websites

Web globalization often leaves people with more questions than answers, such as:

  • What companies are doing the best job of taking their websites global and mobile?
  • What are the top best practices in web globalization?
  • What are the most popular languages across all websites?
  • What websites offer the best global gateways?
  • How are companies integrating and promoting Twitter and Facebook on their local websites?
  • What mobile apps support the most languages — and what languages exactly?

This report, now in its ninth edition, answers these questions and many more. You’ll learn exactly which companies are improving at web globalization — and why. Through detailed website profiles, loaded with screen shots, you'll learn which practices to emulate and which to ignore. An entire section is devoted to the top 20 best practices and top 10 emerging trends in web globalization.

Insights based on a decade of web globalization research

Founded in 2000, Byte Level Research was the first firm dedicated exclusively to the art and science of web globalization. We have consulted with hundreds of multinationals and have learned what works and what doesn't work and, just as important, where their websites are headed. This expertise is carried over into the methodology of the Report Card, the first report dedicated to best practices in web globalization.

We conduct a hands-on analysis of the world's leading websites, analyzing how web designs are shared across countries and mobile platforms, noting languages used on every website, studying local content, social media, and navigation. This information, along with nearly a decade of historical data, will help you benchmark your company against competitive and “best of breed” sites such as Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Hotels.com. A combination of quantitative data and practical, hands-on advice make this report an invaluable resource for any company doing business across borders.

The 2016 Report Card is now available


Purchase Details

The 2013 Web Globalization Report Card
Pages: 155
Exhibits & Visuals: 105
Format: PDF
License: Enterprise

Also included:

  • One Industry Benchmark report of your choice
  • eBook: The Art of the Global Gateway

  • If you would like to purchase please email us.


    New from Byte Level Books

    Global Benchmark Reports

    Select an additional benchmark report with your purchase.

    Each report provides in-depth analysis of websites within each industry, along with key language trends and best practices.


    Diversified Companies
    12 website profiles

    Enterprise Technology
    12 website profiles

    Web Services/eCommerce
    9 website profiles

    Automotive
    14 website profiles

    Professional Services
    6 website profiles
    <
    Travel Services
    8 website profiles

    Consumer Technology
    18 website profiles

    Table of Contents

    Part I: Best Practices and Emerging Trends

    Part II: The Websites and How They Were Scored

    Part III: Website Rankings and Key Findings

    Return to Top

    Companies that have purchased the Report Card over the years

    Panasonic
    FedEx
    Cisco
    Apple
    Intel
    3M
    eBay
    Caterpillar
    Philips
    Adobe
    Thomson Reuters
    Top 25 global websites of 2013

    The Top 25 Global Websites

    Google claims the top spot

    Google is no stranger to the top spot, but this is largely because Google has not stood still. With the exception of navigation (a weak spot overall) Google continues to lead not only in the globalization of its web applications but its mobile apps. YouTube, for example, supports a 54-language mobile app. Few apps available today surpass 20 languages; most mobile apps support fewer than 10 languages.

    Hotels.com has done remarkably well over the past two years and, in large part, due to its investment in mobile websites and apps. Philips improved its ranking due to its improved global gateway. And Microsoft and HP also saw gains due to their website redesigns, which also included improved global gateways. New to the Top 25 this year are Starbucks, Merck, and KPMG.

    Websites Included

    3M
    Accenture
    Accor Hotels
    Acer
    Adidas
    Adobe
    Air France
    Allianz
    Amazon
    American Airlines
    American Express
    Amway
    Apple
    Audi
    Autodesk
    Avis
    Avon
    Bayer
    Best Buy
    Best Western
    BMW
    Booking.com
    British Airways
    Canon
    CapGemini
    Caterpillar
    Chevrolet
    Cisco Systems
    Citibank
    Coca-Cola
    Costco
    Dell
    Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
    Delta
    DHL
    Disney
    Dolby
    Dollar Rent A Car
    Dyson
    eBay
    Eli Lilly
    EMC
    Emirates
    Enterprise
    Ernst & Young
    Expedia
    Facebook
    FedEx
    Ford
    Four Seasons
    GameStop
    Gap
    GE
    Gillette
    Goodyear
    Google
    H&M
    Heineken
    Hertz
    Hilton
    Hitachi
    Honda
    Honeywell
    Hotels.com
    HP
    HSBC
    HTC
    Hyatt
    Hyundai
    IBM
    IKEA
    Intel
    InterContinental Hotels
    Jack Daniels
    John Deere
    Kayak
    Khan Academy
    KLM
    KPMG
    Kyocera
    Lenovo
    Lexus
    LG
    Loréal
    Marriott
    Marsh
    McAfee
    McDonald's
    Mercedes
    Merck
    Michelin
    Microsoft
    Mini
    MSC Cruises
    MTV
    Nestlé
    NetApp
    Netflix
    Nike
    Nikon
    Nissan
    NIVEA
    Nokia
    Oracle
    Panasonic
    PayPal
    Pepsi
    Pfizer
    Philips
    PricewaterhouseCoopers
    Procter & Gamble
    Radisson
    Ramada
    Reebok
    Renesas
    Royal Caribbean
    Ryanair
    Samsung
    Sanofi
    SAP
    Siemens
    Sixt
    Sony
    Staples
    Starbucks
    Starwood Hotels
    Steelcase
    Symantec
    Texas Instruments
    Thrifty
    TNT
    Toshiba
    Toyota
    Toys R Us
    Travelocity
    TripAdvisor
    Twitter
    UNIQLO
    United Airlines
    UPS
    Visa
    Volkswagen
    Volvo Group
    WalMart
    Western Union
    Wikipedia
    World Bank
    Xerox
    Yahoo!
    Yelp

    Frequently Asked Questions


    Who analyzes these websites?

    Report author John Yunker reviews every website — and has done so for all 10 editions of the report. No work is outsourced. This historical understanding of each website (combined with one-on-one interviews with many of the executives who manage these global websites) provides valuable and actionable findings and recommendations.

    How do you select companies for your list?

    We survey a wide swath of global companies across all major industries to provide a well-rounded overview of the state of web globalization. Within each industry, we include the leading companies with a focus on brand leadership. We include more than 30% of the Fortune 100 companies and 70% of the 2013 Interbrand 100 Best Global Brands.

    What’s the value of comparing companies across different industries?

    Web globalization best practices may emerge in any industry. By keeping a broad focus on all major industries, we are able to point executives to those companies and industries that are doing the best job of presenting themselves to the world. Every company included does have peers by which it can be evaluated. In the end, our goal is to provide a truly global perspective on which companies and industries are the most active and successful in web globalization. Only through casting a wide net do we achieve this goal.

    What companies purchase this report?

    Many of the companies benchmarked within this report have purchased the report for multiple years. Purchasers include Cisco Systems, Deloitte, Panasonic, FedEx, Philips, The World Bank, and Yahoo! There are companies not included in this report that also use it regularly, such as global consulting and IT firms and various government agencies.

    Do companies pay to be included in this report?

    Absolutely not. We have never and will never accept money in return for inclusion within the report. Some of our consulting clients over the years have been included in one or more reports and we have used our methodology to help drive positive change within these organizations. That said, we take pride in creating a report that is self-funded and completely independent in focus, content, and findings.

    Scoring Methodology

    The Report Card analyzes each website according to the following four criteria:

    • Global Reach (Languages): The website supports enough languages to reach a wide global audience. To receive a maximum score, the website must support 43 languages.
    • Global Navigation: Web users can quickly and easily find their localized content, regardless of what language they speak.
    • Global/Mobile Architecture: The website leverages global templates to support global branding while still allowing room for local customization. The website is also accessible via mobile devices, and language parity is maintained with the PC website. Responsive websites and mobile apps are also noted.
    • Localization & Social: The website is relevant to the user's locale and culture and provides functionality on par with the global website. Local-language social media are also supported and well promoted on the local websites.

    About the Author

    John Yunker

    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 as well as the newest, Think Outside the Country.. 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.

    The Web Globalization Report Card is a copyright of Byte Level Research LLC. Trademark pending.



    A Web Globalization Pioneer

    Founded in 2000, Byte Level Research was the first agency devoted to website and content globalization best practices. Over the years we have helped hundreds of companies improve their global content, websites and software through our reports, consulting, speaking and training sessions.




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