For many Danish companies, a dot-com web address (rather than the familiar dot-dk) is far more challenging that the companies might think.
Many Danish websites aimed at foreign (and English speaking) audiences struggle unnecessarily with the task of overcoming cultural barriers. One of the problems is that Danes feel that they have a strong command of English. That might even be true. But because they command the language, they often times are oblivious to the cultural differences of the audiences on a dot-com web address. This may be true for non-Danes as well…As is likely well-known to English natives, there are huge cultural differences between English-speaking audiences-- from Ireland to India and from Trinidad to Tasmania-- just to narrow the field to those with English as mother tongue.
But the web editors of a Danish company are often simply ill equipped to handle the complexity of communicating with a multicultural audience. We have found the same to be true in numerous international usability tests where users from Singapore, China, USA or European countries have used the Danish companies' foreign-language websites.
The problem is getting worse by the fact that many companies do not even realize that they have a problem. They think that they are doing well because they assume they’re using the language correctly and look at the usability only on a superficial level, or not at all.
Meanwhile, users wearing turbans, berets, fezzes, sombreros or Stetson hats are scratching their heads in confusion, contemplating other suppliers or websites who better understand their particular background and requirements.
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