“John Yunker is the quintessential expert on web and content globalization and Think Outside the Country proves it. Wonderfully engaging and packed with practical guidance on how to thrive in the translation economy.”

“This book is a rich collection of global web design recommendations, best practices and plenty of interesting screenshots to help readers gain a more nuanced understanding of key cultural and user interface issues when connecting with online users worldwide. It is a must read for content marketers, localization professionals and almost anyone interested in global digital media communications and global marketing.”

Succeed globally. Passport not required.

You don’t need to travel the world to take your company global. What you do need is an open mind and the desire to become a global generalist. This book will help. Based on 15 years of experience helping companies go global, author John Yunker provides:

In the information economy, information is power. In the translation economy, translation is power. Thanks to translation and localization, companies like Apple, Nike, and General Electric now make more money from outside the US than from within it.

This book helps marketers, designers, and executives develop sound strategies for going global—and avoid costly and embarrassing mistakes along the way. In addition, you’ll find the ultimate globalization checklist that your web, marketing, and product teams can use to make sure you go global the right way.

Who this book is for

This book is for marketing, sales and web teams, PR execs, business development and product managers, localizers, translators and project managers. In other words, this book is for anyone who wants a better understanding of the global internet and how to make the most of it.

“Think Outside the Country is a primer for those starting out on their globalization journey and a useful refresher course for those who think they know it all. Crafted by a seasoned copywriter and industry insider, the book is a fun read while providing some serious food for thought.”

Table of Contents

• Welcome to the translation economy
• The translation economy timeline
• Why this book?

  New Rules of the Translation Economy

  • Rule 1: The internet connects computers; language connects people
  • Rule 2
  • Rule 3
  • Rule 4
  • Rule 5
  • Rule 6

  Think Globally

  • If the world were 100 people
  • Websites speaking in tongues
  • Thinking beyond .com
  • How to take anything global
  • Conflicting names
  • When going global, be flexible
  • Crossing the mobile divide

  Think Locally

  • Think locale
  • With translation, less is less
  • You say Czech Republic; I say Czechia
  • When in doubt, geolocate
  • All commerce is local
  • Avoiding abandoned shopping carts
  • Spanish: The second language of the US

  Think Culturally

  • Cultures visible and invisible
  • Holidays
  • Lucky numbers
  • Why translate when you can transcreate?
  • The obligatory lost in translation chapter
  • Some brands are foreign by design

  Think Visually

  • Global design is less design
  • When colors clash
  • Local models
  • The language of the body
  • Taking icons global
  • The evolution of an icon
  • Wave flags with caution (if at all)
  • Visually managing language expectations

  Think Outside

  • Think .cn
  • Think .br
  • Think .de
  • Think .th
  • Think .in
  • Think .uk
  • Think .ru
  • Think .au
  • Think .ar

  Becoming World-Ready

  • We are more alike than we are different
  • We’re all translators
  • Globalization is a journey, not a destination

  Resources

  • The ultimate globalization checklist
  • A few global resources

“Websites are 'Born Global' and thus can be accessed instantly worldwide. But this also means that we have no room for cultural blunders, functional errors or mistranslations. The book "Think Outside the Country" by John Yunker is a quick guide to assist readers with fine tuning websites for global audiences. This book is a rich collection of global web design recommendations, best practices and plenty of interesting screenshots to help readers gain a more nuanced understanding of key cultural and user interface issues when connecting with online users worldwide. It is a must read for content marketers, localization professionals and almost anyone interested in global digital media communications and global marketing.”

About the Author

Co-founder of Byte Level Research (www.bytelevel.com), John has helped hundreds of companies and organizations improve their global websites and marketing efforts. He wrote the first book devoted to the emerging field of web globalization, Beyond Borders: Web Globalization Strategies and has written a number of landmark reports, including 14 annual editions of The Web Globalization Report Card.

John is a regular speaker at industry events such as Unicode Conference, Internet Retailer and Localization World. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and an MS from Boston University. He blogs at GlobalbyDesign.com.