basic-guide-to-exporting_Latest_eg_main_086196

An online exporter may choose to purchase web addresses localized for the targetmarkets. Locally branded web addresses may increase brand awareness and webaddress recall, and they may even influence brand sales and loyalty. In addition, localsearch engines may give preference to locally relevant content by filtering searchresults to include only local country-code web addresses. If your company wants tohave a local web address, you must research the rules for the particular country, asregistration requirements vary.If your company is seeking foreign customers, you may also consider aninternationalized domain name (IDN). An IDN is a web address written partially orfully in a language-specific script or alphabet, such as Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic, andTamil, or in English-style letters with features above or below letters, as used inlanguages such as Spanish, French, Turkish, and Vietnamese. For example, a companycalled Bright Light Bulbs that wishes to sell in China could have a web address thatwould use the Chinese characters for “bright light bulbs” in its web address. IDNsallow customers to search and access sites in their native language.Visibility in Search EnginesMost people use search engines to find information on the Internet, so your websiteneeds to be visible in the necessary search engines—including regional/local searchengines catering to local languages.Major international search engines, such as Google and Bing, constantly seek outnew websites on their own and catalog the data they find based on the quality,quantity, and perceived usefulness of content. You should perform your own searchesof your company and products to see where you appear in search engine rankings.If you cannot find yourself easily on major search engines, you may need to reexamineyour website and its contents, either by performing your own search engineoptimization (SEO) or by speaking to a web content or SEO specialist.Additional search engines often cater to either a region-specific language or to amore local population, and are often intended to showcase content in one or morelocal languages or dialects. For example, Baidu, a leading Chinese provider of webservices, runs the most popular search engine in China.Different search engines find and display sites in different ways. Always research thesearch engines used in your target market(s), and if necessary register your site withthe search engines so it will appear in search results.Choosing a Web HostA web host is a company with a server that maintains the files of websites. A varietyof free and subscription-based web hosting services are available, including thoseoffered by many Internet service providers. Web hosting services often go beyondwebsite maintenance to include web address registration, website design, and searchengine registration. For some online exporters, it may be most feasible to use a webhost in their target market to take advantage of all the localized services the host126U.S. Commercial Service • A Basic Guide to Exporting