Outdoor power equipment manufacturer Shindaiwa, has launched its first-ever multi-lingual public Web site.
Introduced at the company’s recent Global Summit distributor meeting in Kona, Hawaii, the new communications tool will allow visitors to view site material in their preferred language, and enable delivery of tailored content to international customers in five geographic regions – North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Australasia.
“Our company is becoming ever more international and our product mix varies by region,” said Mike Nichols, Shindaiwa’s vice president of marketing & business development. “As a result, we needed a globally harmonized platform, where each visitor can access localized products, technical, and marketing information.”
Initially, six languages are being utilized: English (American dialect), Spanish (European dialect), Italian, French, German, and Portuguese (Brazilian or European dialect). When a customer selects a geographic region from a global graphic, they can select a language and then review Shindaiwa products and other content applicable to that region. Creatively, the idea is to provide both a background template for data, and a cosmetic “skin” for appearance. This “skin” will be applied to all regional sites to retain a consistent Shindaiwa brand look. As needs develop, sub-layers will be added, some password-protected to control access.
One audience that received particular attention in establishing site content was Shindaiwa’s international dealer corps. These are the people who sell and service Shindaiwa’s products worldwide, and they had some requests for their dealers-only section: (1) Shindaiwa product specifications vs. competitive models, (2) a chat room or dealer blog for discussion of issues and opportunities, (3) an attendant to reply to hot-email service questions, (4) service training and machine tear-down demos, and (5) technical certification training. Shindaiwa’s dealer-only website section will soon accommodate all of these.
“We’ve tried to structure content to be clear and concise, to answer the real needs of our customers, and to reinforce Shindaiwa’s brand by delivering a website experience that matches the professional image of our company,” Nichols said.
A world leader in producing commercial-grade outdoor power equipment and environmentally-friendly small engine technologies, Shindaiwa products are distributed exclusively through clean two-step distribution and independent servicing dealers. For more information, please contact Shindaiwa, Inc. Tualatin, Oregon 800/521-7733. Or visit www.shindaiwa.com.