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With Partner Japan, you can make the most of business opportunities in the Japanese market without hitting the wall of Japanese culture and language. Our Japanese web site design, Japanese language and translation support, and knowledge of Japanese business methods will help you capitalize on all the opportunities for your business here in Japan. |
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Put yourself, for a moment, in Jim Bear's shoes. Jim runs the New England Teddy Bear Co. that hand-makes premium and collectible teddy bears. Jim has managed to get his growing business established in the New England area, and has been making a modest impact across the US with his website. Now a friend's comment about how the Japanese adore anything cute, along with a survey of retail outlets showing the popularity of his products among Japanese tourists, has piqued his interest in launching directly into the Japanese market.
An associate's recommendation leads him to Internet Support. So what can we do for him? Well, Jim wants to sell directly to Japanese consumers, but he is not yet prepared to set up a bricks-and-mortar operation in Japan. On the other hand, he knows that while there are a few adventurous types who order via his English-language site, this is not a comfortable experience for most Japanese. Of course, he could simply get his current content localized, but something tells him that a uniquely Japanese site is going to have a far bigger impact. So Jim rightly decides to connect with his new customers in their own way in their own language.
Right away we start working with Jim on creating this site. Unlike his US-based one, we design the Japanese pages with predominantly female consumers in mind. Again, unlike the US site, which focuses on older collectors and well-heeled grandparents, we give the Japanese pages a much more cutesy flavor to appeal to his younger audience over here.
At the core of this site is where he interacts with his customers through their enquiries and orders. Get this part wrong and the whole business will fail to get off the ground. Our design makes sure this doesn't happen: Firstly, we have an FAQ page using real questions generated by real Japanese consumers. Then, there is the enquiry feature that gets his email responses back to the customer within 3 working days _ and all that mediated between two languages and two time zones. We also contract with a call center here so customers can have their questions answered in person, if necessary. Finally, there is the ordering system that allows the user to input information in Japanese characters - while making sure Jim gets it in a form his employees can understand.
Good design and careful promotion pay off and soon Jim is pleased to see the Japanese site have a healthy effect on his profits. And it's not just individual consumers who are flocking to his site: A couple of large retail suppliers have also shown an interest in purchasing from him. This is very good news. While single sales through the website are great, this is on a different scale altogether.
The one problem is that he can't manage these shipments through his present site - it just isn't geared up for these kinds of transactions. His good experience with InternetSupport brings him back to us for help with this new challenge: Again, we create a system that allows Jim and his Japanese clients to interact in their own languages. Where this business-to-business system is more advanced is the way it allows detailed tracking of orders and shipments. Not a mean feat considering the distances and numbers involved.
His business has come a long way. A brave new idea has become a great success. All of this without ever opening an office in Japan! Now, what to do about that department store chain that wants a New England Teddy Bear Co. section in each of its stores....
Maybe your business is quite different, but perhaps you can see parallels in the challenges you face in Japan. Thank you for taking the time to read this far. Now you can continue our conversation now by clicking here. We're looking forward to hearing from you.
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