Cecilia Barella, a Definition 6 Account Coordinator, recently discussed an article she read on Forrester...

The Hispanic population is one of the fastest growing population in the US however they are still underserved online. Companies should know that while only one-fourth of Hispanics must be served in Spanish, more than half of online Hispanics would prefer to be served in Spanish. Often due to the uncertainty over the benefits of creating a Spanish-language site, many marketers miss out on this market that is full of opportunities in email marketing, search engine optimization, and website development.

Cecilia focused on a few key points in the article:

1. Spanish-preferring online consumers fit at least one of four criteria . The more
criteria they select, the more likely they are to prefer Spanish over English. More than half of online Hispanics fit into one of these four criteria, and 23% of them fit into three or four of them. The four criteria are as follows:
 
• “I am more comfortable visiting Web sites that are Spanish-language.” Thirty-two percent of
online Hispanics agree with this statement.
• “I get more of the information I need when using a Spanish-language Web site.” Almost 30% of Spanish-preferring Hispanics agree with this.
• “I am more likely to trust companies that have Spanish-language Web sites.” Twenty-eight percent of Spanish-preferring Hispanics agree with this notion, revealing that a Spanishlanguage site is not just about reach but is also about brand trust and customer goodwill.
• Spend at least half of their Internet time in Spanish. Twenty-six percent of Spanish-preferring Hispanics fall into this group.   
 
2. Understand your existing and potential customers to see if their needs match your product or service. For example:
• Attitudes. More than half of Spanish-preferring Hispanics would be more likely to research products online if they could do it in Spanish, and they are more concerned about price than English-preferring Hispanics.
• Demographics. Online Spanish-preferring Hispanics have larger households and more children than English-preferring Hispanics, meaning that messaging around kids and family will have high impact with this group.
• Acculturation.  82% of Spanish-preferring online Hispanics are first-generation in the US. Some sites should not only focus on pushing products to this Market but also educating them in certain processes.

3. Make A Multichannel Spanish-Language Commitment.
Make sure that your Hispanic consumers have a seamless experience across all the channels in which they need Spanish.  Also, make sure that the content is culturally relevant and updated frequently.

Cecilia's concluding thoughts were that competition for Spanish-preferring consumers will accelerate, and companies that get in early with a Spanish language site have an advantage when it comes to building greater brand awareness and relationships within the Hispanic community. There are also multiple ways to do this.  Some examples are: using translator services, having a spanish-language minisite, having a landing page, or a second site.  An Interactive Advertising Agency, like Definition 6, can help you create a winning multi-cultural strategy for long lasting results.  The full article can be viewed at: http://forrester.com/Research/Document/0,7211,42066,00.html