…. is that you always have to deal with a French-English duality. True we’re not the only one struggling with that reality (think Belgium, Switzerland…). But reality is above languages, we’re talking to two different mindsets and web usages. We never build a single website! It’s also the law that requires both languages – at least if your company is based in the Quebec province.
But question is… Why don’t we never adapt the user-experience and messages? Back in the days, the proof was made more than once that Quebec market was a unique culture that deserved her own messages and strategies. So why don’t we do the same online? Why do we stick to a unique representation of the web surfer? Why driving a single message when brand perceptions probably differs from the French and English market?
My guess is that the main is reason is the cost. Producing various iterations of interfaces implies user tests and changes that might not be included in budgets. But I would think that if you’re doing eCommerce adapting your online messages (website + ecosystem) might really pays of.
Have you ever experienced a bicephalous strategy for a Canadian client?
Post by Isabelle Quevilly, Oct 2nd
Tags: localisation, online retail canada, websites
I think the duality goes far beyond that. Although it is true that most of this comes through the Quebec market, whenever you consider the global Canadian market, you have to keep in mind that there are numbers of French communities outside of Quebec that have also their own way of thinking, which is very different from Quebec residents. So where does this end, or start? How can you make sure that your message is received and perceived the way it is intended to, for each of those groups? Do we have to consider both language and geo targetting for the website content and design?
Thanks for your input Michele, you’re right that question goes far beyond the language question. It ends or starts based on your business objectives, the level of adaptation is impacted whether you’re a transactional site or brick-and-mortar, and the role of your website in your marketing objectives.
For testing messages relevance, I’d say that it’s a test-and-learn, we should always track effectiveness and focus on most effective messages based on actual user’s behaviors.
I do believe that language and geo targetting should be included in your website conception. and I would imagine that in the future we will be able to put together the interface based on IP and languages in order to create a personalized experience for every single user. For example, we could display promotions or CTA based on user’s zip code, that would be awesome!