One of the best ways to reach Canadian consumers is via online sales.
While third-party platforms (like Amazon or Walmart’s) can offer entry into a new market, many foreign businesses opt to sell their products through their own websites. However, customizing your website for your target market is vital for success. Below are some things you’ll need to address when building a Canadian web presence.
- Country-Level Domain Code. Every country (and some territories) has reserved two-letter country code domains; in Canada, that code is ‘.ca’ (although there are presence requirements for registering a ‘.ca’ domain). A locally branded domain can increase awareness, web recall, brand sales, and loyalty. And most local search engines prioritize content by location. More information can be found at Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), and a list of Internet country domains can be found here.
- Language. Companies building their websites for foreign markets must also ensure they communicate with their target market in their native tongue. Canada is officially bilingual (English and French), and you will need a translation function to reach the entire country. Many Canadian English words cleave to the British spelling (i.e., colour, centre, paediatric), and this should be reflected in your Canadian landing page.
- Currency. Canadians expect to be quoted in Canadian funds when they shop or engage services online.
- Culture. When creating a website for a foreign market, it’s essential to be aware of cultural nuances such as colour, symbol associations, and even turns of phrase. Although Canada and other English- or French-speaking countries may have similar cultures and a shared language, slight differences are noticeable to Canadian audiences. Canada primarily uses the metric system; distances should be stated in kilometres, although dimensions and weights may appear in both metric and imperial.
Below are some resources to help you localize your business’s website for a Canadian audience.
- 5 Things to Consider for Making Your Website Internationally Friendly
- Steps to Create a Globalized Website
- How to Make My Web Site International
Want more Canada market updates? Sign up for our monthly newsletter!