Service Design via the Global Web: Global Companies Serving Local Markets

Design Management Review, Winter 2008 by Gillespie, Brian

For international companies, the Internet is an essential but inherently complex interface. In the framework presented here, Brian Gillespie critiques a range of options related to gateways, scope, user research, uniform versus local presence, language, content development, design, site implementation, domains, and URLs. It is an enlightening overview for both executives and managers.

A few years back, a colleague of mine was doing research on global brands. In the course of interviewing a senior marketing manager at Microsoft, he raised the topic of the company's global web presence. The manager mentioned that Microsoft had 180 websites worldwide, of which he absolutely knew around two-thirds to be "on-brand." He was relatively satisfied with this state of affairs. After all, it had been and could still be a lot worse. Today, I expect that manager has made sure that all Microsoft sites are on-brand, but the issue at the core of his observation-the difficulty of maintaining a consistently on-brand web presence-is something that many global businesses struggle with.

The challenge is not simply a global website design and branding issue; it's much larger than that. It's about how companies approach the globalization of their businesses and brands, and the tangible manifestations of their business and brand as experienced by different markets throughout the world. Often, the crux of the matter has to do with how global a company actually wants to be. How a company positions itself-as a national company operating in foreign markets or a global company operating in local markets-will have a big impact on its globalization strategy. There is a spectrum to globalization, the range of which can be seen in how the balance tips between the desire for uniformity and the desire for diversity, between international and national, between strict standards and looser guidelines that companies may choose to adopt. Where a company fits within this spectrum is often determined by the very nature of the business itself.

Before launching a global web presence, a senior manager has to answer the basic question of what globalization means for his or her company. Does the company possess a uniform global persona, or a diverse persona that means different things to different people? How can the company balance catering to the diversity of markets with desires for consistent application of the brand and corporate persona? What shape of web architecture best reflects not just the brand architecture, but also the expectations of web audiences worldwide? All these decisions have ramifications for marketing and design teams tasked with implementing a globalization strategy.

As the role of the web in servicing the needs of customers throughout the customer lifecycle grows with each passing year, managing the design of online services becomes a critical task. This paper provides a broad overview of the challenges that companies face when launching a global web presence aimed at servicing current and future customers, including issues that affect the design and branding decisions that must be made along the way. It also offers practical suggestions and strategies for overcoming these challenges.

The scope of globalization

One of the many problems companies encounter when launching a global web presence is the issue of scope. How extensive should web-based services be? Many websites are designed with a closed-loop marketing approach; they are meant to attract, convert, and retain prospects and customers. Attracting prospects can be accomplished through a basic, information-based site that is optimized for search and contains content clearly written for target audiences. Adding transactional capabilities, such as product/service selectors, contact forms, and e-commerce, provides opportunities to convert those prospects into paying customers. The implementation of added-value services that help customers manage their businesses and their relationship with you in an efficient and easy-to-use manner (such as a client extranet) builds a loyalty that often lasts longer than similar analogue-based services.

The extent to which you require your global web presence to serve all stages of the customer lifecycle-from initial customer attraction through to retention-will determine the size and scope of your globalization effort, and indeed account for the resources it will take to establish such a total infrastructure and to roll out the functionality worldwide. To effectively manage scope, most companies start with information-based sites with basic information transactions before rolling out the more technologically robust platforms required for customer relationship management (CRM) and e-commerce. Keep in mind that big-bang total solutions take time, money, and massive commitment. Don't be afraid to start small, as long as your efforts are the first steps in carrying out a larger, longer-term service strategy.

How global? How local? Look to your brand.

Going global compounds the number and types of interactions the market has with your business and brand. The web experience is just one of many analog and digital interactions, and beyond experiencing an actual product or personal service, it can be one of the most accessible and defining experiences your customers have with you. As such, the site design and online experience should be built upon the solid foundation of the global business and brand strategy, and should reflect the values, attributes, and other aspects of the overall brand personality. In addition, it requires a clear understanding of the customer, the markets in which they transact, the differences between markets, and the competitive landscape in each.