Let’s imagine that you and I are at a UX networking event. After the obligatory small talk about the hors d'oeuvres, we transition to more interesting things, like recent research projects. I tell you how earlier this year, while we were hosting our UX Conference in Singapore, I had the chance to run some usability studies. Then you me ask a question I’ve been dying to answer: “What are some of your favorite findings from your testing there?” I am so glad you asked. Let me rank them for you.

Below are my top three anecdotes of cultural nuances from recent research in Singapore.

1. Don’t Tell the In-Laws

A participant who was looking at home-cleaning services was worried about being caught by in her in-laws:

”I don't think they should put people's photo up there. For example, maybe I just want to clean the house before my in-laws come over. I just want to impress them. Maybe they just so happen to go to the website and see me and know it wasn't [cleaned] by me, but by other people. It would be better without the pictures.”

Testimonials with photos
A participant was alarmed by the photos in the testimonials for this home-cleaning company. She worried that if she used the site and posted a review, her parents-in-law could somehow see the site, thereby revealing that she hadn’t done it herself (as was expected in her family).

Whether the extent of this participant’s concern about her in-laws is representative of a larger cultural pattern would require more testing. But certainly, in cultures where a couple’s parents play a significant role in their lives, it’s not surprising to see their looming presence affect people on the web. For example, in the United States, it’s common for parents to be involved in the college selection and application process, and university websites cater to that cultural reality. Sometimes, designers have to consider the reality of the immediate users and their families.

2. Cultural Impact on Product Descriptions

While shopping on an online grocery site, a Muslim participant wanted to add halal chicken to his cart. However, neither the listing page nor the product-detail page indicated whether the chicken was halal. Eventually, he clicked on the photo, then zoomed and panned around until he could see the halal logo on the packaging.

As with any user group, it’s important to identify the most relevant details about a product and include them in the product listing page and product description. In Singapore, nearly 15% of the population is Muslim, so this is a good example of how a small change could benefit a large group of users.

3. Greater Awareness of Being in a Global Market

Unlike our participants in the United States, our participants in Singapore seemed to be mindful of the fact that sites might not apply to their country. We saw many users go to the About section of a website to see if the company was a Singapore company, or if it had offices in the neighboring countries of Malaysia or Indonesia.

Participants also paid more attention to the URL domains to determine if the site was local or not. URLs ending in “.sg” signaled a local site better than those ending in “.com.” This behavior is more common in places where multiple surrounding countries speak the same language, as is the case with Singapore and many places in South America. It’s more common for people there to see information from neighboring countries, so it’s important for them to know whether the site is local. (The importance of registering a website with a local domain name is an example of URL as UI which can easily be overlooked.)

Google autocomplete results show country
A participant searching for the company Homepay clicked the suggested search “homepay singapore” to bring up those results. He commented, “One thing I notice, is that the word Singapore comes up together with Homepay. So that’s good, because at least I know Homepay is from Singapore.”

Some participants appreciated seeing a link to the other language versions of the website, because they had friends and family who didn’t speak English very well, and they wanted to be able to send them links to pages in their language. (In countries where many languages are spoken, it’s important to increase the salience of the links to different language versions. Place these links in the more-discoverable utility navigation rather than in the less-noticeable footer.)

Global UX: Mostly the Same

Finally, returning to our imaginary UX event and assuming you’re still listening after I’ve babbled on about the testing, I’d be obliged to remind you that our research has consistently shown that fundamental usability principles hold true across countries. Singapore was no exception.

Just like what we see in testing in the United States, people were put off by typos and by login walls. They were frustrated when sites didn’t show samples of prices and required them to request a quote. People liked sites that were straightforward and transparent about pricing. There really were no huge differences in how people in Singapore behaved on websites compared with people in the US and Western Europe.

If It’s So Similar, Why Test in International Markets?

Testing in international markets rarely lives up to the hype of observing dramatic cultural differences. So, why bother? Because we can’t presume to understand the nuances of a foreign culture from our workstations halfway around the world.

Research for product-market fit has long been a priority for global companies. Organizations that understand how their customers think and feel have a much better chance at meeting their customers needs. Ultimately, that makes them more successful and relevant in global markets.

McDonalds menus from France and Chile
In France, McDonald’s calls its Quarter Pounder with Cheese “Royal Cheese” (top). At its locations in Chile, McDonald’s offers cheese empanadas (a delicious staple of the Chilean diet) (bottom).

Beyond these examples of tangible goods, we see companies like Uber adapting to local-market characteristics — for example, you can “uber” a boat in Istanbul and pay cash for your ride in India.

Uber app on iPhone
Did you know that people in Istanbul can use Uber to request a boat? (Left) Or that, in some cities in emerging markets, people can use cash to pay for their ride? (Right)

These companies adapted their offerings in different countries after doing substantial, multimethod research in those markets.

Those designers who aren’t in a position to change the product itself can still do user research to find ways to tailor the digital experience to global markets. Even if most of the findings are similar across populations, every once in a while, you’ll uncover insights that could make an extraordinary difference.

Conclusion: Take the First Step to Testing Internationally

If you have users in global markets, hopefully you’re already doing some kind of testing with international users. If not, getting started isn’t as as daunting as you may think. Even a little testing can reveal insights about your users in locations worldwide.

Arrange to spend a few days in your main markets abroad. Start small, run a usability study in your key countries. If you see something notable, more testing will reveal if it’s a characteristic of the individual, or a larger cultural characteristic. If you’re just launching, start out by testing competitors’ sites. Interviews and focus groups can help you gain insights into people’s expectations, fears (ahem, in-laws), and mental models that you otherwise wouldn’t have been able to predict.

Even if after all your research the big stuff stays the same, your organization (and your customers) will benefit if your site gets the small details right. If you can get the local nuances, you’ll have a better chance at persuading and satisfying your users and at gaining their trust