As we all know, the Internet has completely changed the way transshipment centers go about marketing their installations abroad. Until the nineties, they still relied mainly on advertising, e.g. in foreign trade magazines and specialized publications.
Today, of course, the Web has changed all that, as many portal authorities rely to a large extent on sprawling websites to advertise their installations. Yet, in a new twist, one organization, the Canadian Port of Montreal, has decided to use a hybrid approach in order to achieve its goal of developing the German export market.

The usual and most obvious solution would have been to add a page in German to the organization’s website. Instead, they decided to enhance their visibility in Germany by creating a website entirely in German (www.verschiffungusa.de).

This means that when potential clients in Germany look for ways to send a shipment (‘verschiffung’) to the US, there is a strong possibility that they’ll come across this website.

Prospective German exporters will thus have a chance find out–in German–that Montreal is actually the shortest shipping route from Germany to the US, that it is a major gateway to American markets, and that the Montreal port’s services and installations hold numerous advantages (e.g. as the hub of a fully integrated inter modal transportation system).

A great number of links to the Port of Montreal’s main website also offer additional information in English.

Of course, this strategy does not exclude more traditional means, and we yet need to see the results this type of approach will yield, but having a website in your targets’ native language certainly seems to be a promising way to reach specific foreign markets.

About the Author

The author is an industry analyst who runs his own consulting firm, helping portal industry players develop marketing strategies that are tailored to their goals. She sees websites like Verschiffung USA as a key element in developing foreign markets.