Walk onto any street in Japan and you are instantly blinded by a plethora of neon advertising. Flashy ads that easily grab attention are quite the norm. Therefore, it isn’t surprising that even web marketing in Japan uses the same strategy to attract customers.
Japan is one of the leading economies in the world but it has retained its cultural identity irrespective. Look at the strategies and structures in Japanese businesses and you will understand how to apply this identity in web design.
- Consistency is important – The Japanese are very meticulous when it comes to doing business. Rather than jumping the gun and taking quick decisions as in the west, they take time to understand and learn business strategies. Any error or mistake is taken as an embarrassment. For marketing on the web, designers should ensure every aspect of the marketing entity is perfect without error.
- Build relationships first – The Japanese come from a culture where importance is given to the individual rather than revenue. They are more concerned about forming relationships in business. When it comes to customers, this behavior magnifies tenfold. They value customers beyond investments. Japanese web designs are meant to reassure customers by describing and documenting the company’s services. In addition, they also use a lot of color to draw attention to specific ads and promotions, encouraging customer traffic to the site.
- Maximum utilization of space – The limited geographic area of Japan has enabled its population to utilize every inch of space available to the maximum. Similarly, a Japanese website will use even the smallest pixel to push an ad rather than allow it to go to waste.
- Avoid risk – One aspect of Japanese culture that is vastly different from the west is that it prefers conformity. This is evident in numerous similar-looking Japanese websites, which carry the same design that was used since the beginning of web design itself. The main reason for this is that Japanese customers are used to these designs. And anything that works in Japan, stays in Japan.
- Homogeneity – It is common for Japanese companies to be owned, organized, and run by the natives unlike companies in the U.S. and U.K., which are multicultural. There is, thus, better understanding and communication among peers and, by extension, customers. Therefore, web marketing in Japan primarily focuses on its immediate audience.
The ‘less is more’ design philosophy does not apply to web marketing in Japan. It is a mix of quality and quantity. More columns, more color, more information, and more assurance clearly equal more customers.
