CHOOSING A MARKET

Once you’re ready to go global, you must decide exactly where to go. You can’t cover every country and language at once, so it’s best to set priorities. Keep in mind that borders don’t always define a market. Some companies may choose to target a certain country, but others might pick a language, such as Spanish, knowing full well they’ll be communicating with people across many countries, including the U.S.

For more information on Spanish-language localization, see “Hands-On: Spanish.”

No matter what languages you select, you’ll gain the added benefit of reaching U.S. residents who also speak the languages. According to the most recent U.S. Census, more than 30 million U.S. residents don’t speak English at home (see

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