If your organization has audiences or objectives that extend beyond U.S. borders, have you created a Web strategy that supports them? Have you considered users’ needs and expectations through different cultural lenses? Does your site have the content, functionality, and visual cues that will drive success in international markets? Join NavigationArts and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) for answers to these questions and more – as these experts discuss the strategy, design, and development behind SHRM’s global expansion online. To accomplish their objective of becoming the leading HR member association in India, SHRM realized that the most powerful platform they could leverage was the Web. While their existing Web site was optimized for their core membership base in the United States, they realized they needed to tailor the Web site so that the content and design would be engaging for an Indian audience. Learn how NavigationArts designed and developed an India-focused extension of their global Web presence, and the user research that supported their effort. This presentation will supply key insights on how to create a user-centric Web site for international audiences – how to align with cultural expectations and present an experience that an international community can identify as theirs.

1. Leveraging the Web to Extend Global Reach:
SHRMINDIA.ORG Case Study
Architects of the User Experience
Webcast
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2. 01.27.10 Webcast – SHRMINDIA.ORG CASE STUDY
Presentation Team
• Lisa Diener
Director, Membership Marketing
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
• Patricia Reyna-Wright
Senior Consultant
NavigationArts
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3. 01.27.10 Webcast – SHRMINDIA.ORG CASE STUDY
About
SHRM
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world’s largest
association devoted to human resource management.
www.shrm.org
NavigationArts
NavigationArts is a user experience consultancy that provides Internet strategy,
usability, information architecture, interface design, content management, and
development services.
www.navigationarts.com
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Launched:
June 12, 2009
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Services Provided by NavigationArts for shrmindia.org:
• Web Strategy
• Project Planning
• Information Architecture
• In-Country User Testing
• User Interface Design
• Template Development
• CMS Development
• Launch Support
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Touch Points
• Business Goals
• Marketing Strategy
• Local and Global Considerations
• Project Highlights
• Lessons Learned
• Closing & Remarks
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Business Goal:
Extend Global
Reach
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Why India?
• Research and survey results pointed to India
• “Follow the customer”
• Accessibility and proficiency of technology in the workplace
• At the time of evaluation, India’s economy was growing 6-7% annually
• Increased moves to business globalization and US-India bilateral trade and investment
• India’s business growth means growth in HR professionals
• English language used for business
• Cultural commitment to relationship building
• Cultural bias toward education and qualifications / certifications
• Profession was largely underserved
English is the major language of trade and politics in India, but there are 22 official languages.
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9. 01.27.10 Webcast – SHRMINDIA.ORG CASE STUDY
Marketing Strategy
Inputs
• Reviewing historical trends and member surveys
• Incorporating SHRM Web site as a key component
• Creating evaluation criteria/analytics
Site Goals
• Using Web site as beach head to establish virtual presence, with global reach
• Providing locally relevant news and reference content
• Recruiting members
• Testing trial membership options
• Providing an online community for members residing or doing business in India
• Selling local and international events and educational product
• Determining how to “sell” local and global membership benefits simultaneously
• Accepting payment in local currency
India has 50 million internet users but only 4.5 million do transactions online.
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Local, Global
Considerations
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Local, Global Considerations
Communication
• Consistent team
• Access to materials
• Select the right CMS for your requirements, skills, and budget
Cultural Nuances
• Different tone expected in communication
• Adjusting to consensus building work culture
• Time and turnaround for materials
Logistics
• Impact of time difference for team meetings
• Allow for technical differences
• On-boarding process for web project
The word "no" has harsh implications in India. Evasive refusals are more common, and are
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Local, Global Considerations
Brand Strategy
• Relationship between main and sub-brand
• Context for joining locally with access to global benefits
• Devising a blueprint for future country rollouts
Design
• Colors have different meanings in different cultures
• Symbols and meanings in context
Content
• Language nuances and spellings ( center vs centre, color vs colour, etc.)
• Units of measurement
• Display of date
• Labeling and number of fields for a form
The color red represents anger/danger in the US; in India it represents life/creativity.
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Project
Highlights
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Information Architecture
Flexible Site with Modular Content Elements
• Keep in line with the
larger corporate strategy
• Relationship of content
organization, prioritization
to corporate site
• Start with fundamentals
• Adapt to local needs and
requirements
• Technical feasibility
• Plan for the future in
phases, enhancements
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15. 01.27.10 Webcast – SHRMINDIA.ORG CASE STUDY
User Research
HR Professionals in India
• Focus: User experience design alignment with cultural expectations
• Participants included current, prospective and inactive SHRM members
• Design alternatives tested including choosing adjective descriptors
• Content outcomes:
• Most important reasons for users to visit the SHRM India site:
• India HR News covering contemporary HR issues
• HR case studies and best HR practices in India
• Global HR news and global case studies
• More users were willing to pay for content than not
• Best source for HR information currently: websites
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Visual Design
Relationship to Corporate Site Brand
• Design explorations helped ascertain the relative visual distance of the brands
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High alignment
to main site
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Infused with
local elements
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Distinct visual
representation
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Visual Design
Sensitivity to Local Preferences
• Design was tested with in-country audience to ensure sensitivity to local elements
• Consistent use of elements to serve as icons
• Attention to imagery and photography suitability
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Local elements
Icon suitability
Imagery,
Photographs
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Local elements
Icon suitability
Imagery,
Photographs
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Lessons
Learned
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Lessons Learned
Content is KING!
• Early strategy for content migration and development
• Resources in place for content creation
• Ensuring content remains current and relevant
Cultural Considerations
• Structured U.S. environment vs. India’s entrepreneurial spirit
• Research around attitudes and usage of customer
Resource Allocation / Accountability
• In-country ownership
• Level-set expectations for resource allocation
• Role of marketing in-country
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Closing &
Questions
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Results and Plans
Results
• Since launch, the shrmindia.org site has averaged 14,500 page views per month
• 30% of traffic coming from the parent website shrm.org
• Using heat map technology to determine where individuals are going on various
pages.
• Continued positive response locally:
“I am very impressed with the look and feel of the SHRMIndia Web site.”
– head of an HR Consulting firm in India
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Results and Plans
Plans
• Enhancements are planned in 2010 as the site continues to evolve to meet user
needs
• Evaluate use shrmindia.org site as template for launching future country-specific
sites vs. global site with country-specific sections
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Contact Information
• Lisa Diener
Director, Membership Marketing
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
ldiener@shrm.org
• Patricia Reyna-Wright
Senior Consultant
NavigationArts
pwright@navigationarts.com
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