Exploring web language orientation in emerging markets: The case of Serbia and the Ukraine

Abstract

This paper looks at the issue of language selection in international online communications. Traditionally, online communications have primarily been written in English, and justified by the fact that English is the ‘language of commerce’. This assumption ignores the issue that local language use in international online communications could lead to better firm performance in international markets. While English may be appropriate in some circumstances, the effectiveness of online marketing communications may also be compromised. This issue is particularly relevant today as the number of non-English web users has surpassed the number of English-speaking web users, and as web penetration in developing markets continues to expand. While online user preference for English vis-à-vis a native language may vary by country, this paper argues that language selection for online communications must be given more serious consideration by multinationals in developing effective communication strategies, and that English should not automatically be considered the language of choice. The issue of language preference was investigated via an empirical study of web user preferences in two emerging markets: Serbia and the Ukraine. Seven psychographic scales were selected from the literature on the basis of their likelihood in differentiating between types of internet usage. The results suggest that country-by-country orientations are likely to vary — even within a region — and that these differences must be considered by international firms in devising effective internet communications.