Thinking Globally, Acting Locally

How important is tailoring your site for a culturally diverse audience? To some extent it depends on who your target market is; but Web users are increasingly likely to speak languages other than English. For instance, research firm Global Reach predicts that by 2004 only one-third of Web users will be native English speakers. Combine this with IDC's estimate that in three years, Internet spending outside the U.S. will top $914 billion -- two-thirds of the world's $1.64 trillion in e-commerce -- and globalization begins to look less like a nice-to-have than a mandate.

Benett, Gordon. Intranet Journal. Articles>Web Design>International