Globalization (or G11N in special acronym)

Globalization (or sometimes globalisation) is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas and mutual sharing, and other aspects of culture. Globalization (G11N) involves developing a program whose features and code design are not solely based on a single language or locale. Globalizing an application involves two independent steps: internationalization and localization. Globalization aims to address all of the unique challenges an enterprise faces as it expands to the global market.

The goal of G11N is to make the website functional and accessible to a global audience that is not limited to just a few countries or locations. Some of the necessary technical aspects that happen behind the scenes are: Writing code that is flexible for both languages and locations. Ensuring that your fonts are supported for all target languages on all devices. Making it easy for users to toggle between languages. Incorporating responsive web layouts with localization considerations to accommodate changes in text size, direction and shape. Ensuring that you can support your global expansion with international staff either internally or with a partner (we would be happy to serve as your Chinese partner working remotely in China).

Internationalization

Internationalization (or "I18N" in special acronym, as compared to the G11N) is the process of developing code in such a way that it is completely independent of any culture-specific information. Fully internationalized applications can be localized to a particular country or region without any changes in the program code. An application that supports internationalization will have the following characteristics: No code changes are required to support additional languages. Text messages, and icons and images containing text elements, are stored externally to the source code. The application is engineered in such a way that it can be rapidly adapted—or localized—to new languages or regions. Nonstandard character sets are supported. Locale sensitive data such as dates, times, numbers, and currencies are formatted according to the user’s language and geographic region.

Website globalization (G11N) includes cultural adaptation to local standards and measures, as well as local advertising imagery and cultural strategies. Today, most large companies are developing their website in several languages for good reason -- it pays. There is a great deal of leverage in reaching worldwide target audiences in the local language with appropriate customization. Market surveys prove it, and what is true for large companies holds true for every company. If you want to expand your business, reach out to a larger audience in the local languages they are most comfortable with.

All marketers are aware that it's very difficult or impossible to be all things to all people. However, when it comes to a website, global companies that make the effort to reach their target personas in their native languages in their countries will win market share. Making the investment to create localized websites demonstrates that you care about your global audience and that you want to provide them with the best user experience. It also helps you attract and retain more loyal customers across the globe.

We will be happy to hear from you regarding your globalization (G11N) needs for your Chinese products/website.