The Culturally Customized Web Site by Nitish Singh

by Nitish Singh

In The Culturally Customized Web Site, Nitish Singh and Arun Pereira focus on cultural aspects of international website design, honing in on three * First, to present a review and survey results on standardization/localization issues on the web* Second, to present a scientifically tested framework to design culturally adapted international websites, and provide marketers and web designers with practical web localization tools* Third, to show readers the power and effectiveness of culturally customized websitesThis is the first book to address the issue of website standardization, localization—or what the authors refer to as “cultural customization”. Little evidence has been accumulated to show whether international consumers prefer to browse and buy from standardized global websites or websites adapted to local cultures. The Culturally Customized Web Site provides insights into whether the web is a culturally neutral medium of communication or a medium impregnated with cultural values. Also presented is empirical evidence as to whether local consumers prefer standardized websites or websites adapted to their culture.Visit www.theculturallycustomizedwebsite.com

Paperback

First published April 6, 2005

Reviews

[Emily // Mixed Margins · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book might be good as a quick reference, but that's about it. It should be taken with a grain of salt. The main problem is that it relies too heavily on static approaches to culture, which inevitably leads to stereotyping. This is made worse by the fact that it links cultures with countries, which isn't always accurate. And it completely ignores the potential for subcultures.

other complaints:
- the captions on the images are the least helpful thing ever
- the author cites himself too much
- they talked about a continuum for HC/LC cultures but did not provide it to the reader