Marketers Prioritize a Globalized Digital Presence

Companies around the world are looking outside their home countries for new markets to penetrate, and digital channels can make doing so easier. A website can reach potential customers around the world—as can a presence on Facebook, Twitter or other social networks. But without content customized for different regions and languages, a digital presence can seem lacking.

According to research from online presence management firm Limelight Networks, a customized presence is difficult to create and maintain. In a May survey of US-based marketing executives, Limelight found 28% of respondents were currently managing six to 10 regional websites, while 32% managed even more. Many planned to add further regional sites as well as additional language support.

But resources are a major constraint. The marketers surveyed said their biggest challenges included the multiple platforms needed to manage such a wide-ranging digital presence, as well as staffing and budgetary issues.

Further, much content that has already been created is out of date or otherwise behind. Simply creating a globalized presence is difficult enough—maintaining it is a continuous affair.

“Globalizing a web presence entails more than simply translating a company’s primary site—it also includes developing, deploying, localizing, and regularly maintaining sites with regionally specific content,” said Jeff Freund, vice president and general manager for web content management at Limelight Networks, in a statement. “Marketers face the challenge of deploying multiple regional sites in multiple languages and featuring custom content that is unique to each region—while still ensuring brand consistency worldwide.”

For more information at http://www.emarketer.com