Localisation recommendations

Hello,

Firstly, apologies if I'm asking in the wrong place - my research has
thus far drawn a blank on this.

The business I work for is currently in the process of helping a client
to provide a much better localised web experience for their
international audience. I am looking for some supporting information or
research that will form the basis of our recommendations.

In a nutshell, our client operates in 22 European territories, but
cannot practically support all of them, so they focus on 9 core
territories. In these core territories, fully localised content is being
generated, rather than simply a translation of English language content
(indeed, the English language content is being localised for the UK). As
a retailer, our client sells products in non-core  territories via an
English language "European" site.

My question is, are there any guidelines or recommendations as to how
this should be handled? We are happy, for example, to provide a page of
content to explain (in the local language) why there currently isn't a
fully localised site, but that there is an English language (or other
core languages) available to the visitor. Would this be deemed to be
current best practice?

Any useful links or documentation would be most welcome.

Many thanks,
 
Jim Moran
Account Director
D: +44 (0)113 394 4355
W: www.awadigital.com 
The Round Foundry Media Centre, Foundry Street, Leeds LS11 5QP

Alasdair Wightman Agency Ltd. is a company registered in England and
Wales with company number 05063460

Received on Wednesday, 11 February 2009 08:49:28 UTC