Home Page Dilema

Hi all.

I would just like to ask for some of your thougths - any comments would be
deeply appreciated.

I have a multi-language site, since I try to communicate with clients in
English, German and Croatian. Majority of my visitors are Croatians, but the
number of other is rising.
For a long time I had home page in Croatian (http://www.mediamarketing.ba)
and it was pretty competitive on Google and others (mediamarketing,
media-marketing), not only for Croatian pages but ALL!.

Since I do not want my visitor to unvilingly see the page in different
(unrecognisable) languages I put up homepage that just had an "choose your
language option" - (see sample http://www.mediamarketing.ba/index2.htm).

Since having high ranking is everybody's goal - and I know Google (for
example) does not like white text on white background - could you please
share your toughts on usability and give some recomendation how to organise
index page.

Also would be thankfull on any other thoughts on
http://www.mediamarketing.ba

Kind regards

Nije Nego wrote:
> Since I do not want my visitor to unvilingly see the page in different
> (unrecognisable) languages I put up homepage that just had an "choose your
> language option" - (see sample http://www.mediamarketing.ba/index2.htm).

Language selection for multilingual pages seems to be one of the
"wheels" that people feel compelled to keep reinventing; there's a
technique of content language negotiation built into the HTTP protocol.
More info:

http://webtips.dan.info/language.html

--
Dan

"Dan" <dan@tobias.name> wrote in message
news:1129409446.500446.279750@g43g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
: Nije Nego wrote:
: > Since I do not want my visitor to unvilingly see the page in different
: > (unrecognisable) languages I put up homepage that just had an "choose
your
: > language option" - (see sample http://www.mediamarketing.ba/index2.htm).
:
: Language selection for multilingual pages seems to be one of the
: "wheels" that people feel compelled to keep reinventing; there's a
: technique of content language negotiation built into the HTTP protocol.
: More info:
:
: http://webtips.dan.info/language.html
:
: --
: Dan
:
Thanks very much Dan,
this was pretty helpfull, do not know will actually serve as a solution but
I bookmarked your page for later review.

Kind regards.

Nije Nego (nijenego@net.hr***) wrote:

: I have a multi-language site, since I try to communicate with clients in
: English, German and Croatian. Majority of my visitors are Croatians, but the
: number of other is rising.
: For a long time I had home page in Croatian (http://www.mediamarketing.ba)
: and it was pretty competitive on Google and others (mediamarketing,
: media-marketing), not only for Croatian pages but ALL!.

: Since I do not want my visitor to unvilingly see the page in different
: (unrecognisable) languages I put up homepage that just had an "choose your
: language option" - (see sample http://www.mediamarketing.ba/index2.htm).


I don't think you need a language selection home page.

Personally I find it easiest when you arrive at a web page and it simply
lists the alternate languages in the alternate language's native format.
(In addition to what ever automation happens using http content
negotation.)

If I see the word "English" on a chinese page then I know what it means,
and if I see chinese hieroglyphics on an english site then I'm not
surprised when it links to a chinese site.


HEUFFIP!

Wekom he dihked sdyhjed hkijed ui
dehket kusdyht?

Shikj wie ne wehj 87C gut!


English Francais Espanol Deutsch
Portugues Nederlands Norsk Italiano


(I can't show them correctly here)


$0.02


--

This programmer available for rent.

"Malcolm Dew-Jones" <yf110@vtn1.victoria.tc.ca> wrote in message
news:4351d9b5$1@news.victoria.tc.ca...
: Nije Nego (nijenego@net.hr***) wrote:
:
:: I have a multi-language site, since I try to communicate with clients in
:: English, German and Croatian. Majority of my visitors are Croatians, but
the
:: number of other is rising.
:: For a long time I had home page in Croatian
(http://www.mediamarketing.ba)
:: and it was pretty competitive on Google and others (mediamarketing,
:: media-marketing), not only for Croatian pages but ALL!.
:
:: Since I do not want my visitor to unvilingly see the page in different
:: (unrecognisable) languages I put up homepage that just had an "choose
your
:: language option" - (see sample http://www.mediamarketing.ba/index2.htm).
:
:
: I don't think you need a language selection home page.
:
: Personally I find it easiest when you arrive at a web page and it simply
: lists the alternate languages in the alternate language's native format.
: (In addition to what ever automation happens using http content
: negotation.)
:
: If I see the word "English" on a chinese page then I know what it means,
: and if I see chinese hieroglyphics on an english site then I'm not
: surprised when it links to a chinese site.
:

I do have the same opinion, but us two are not everybody. I use Firefox &
Opera, (IE just for checking) and I would think that you'd also have tool of
your choice, unfortunately, most of the computers dies with the same
preinstalled browser ... these people would probably be shased away by the
Chinese symbols.

Anyhow, thanks for sharing.