The fastest-growing group of people online today don't access the Internet in English.
Over the last four years, the number of non-English speaking users has gone from less than 10 percent to nearly 50 percent, said Bill Dunlap, author of a study released this week by Global Reach.
"I've been tracking the non-English part of the Internet since late 1995," Dunlap said. "Back then it was minuscule, some 4 to 5 million out of a total of 40 million users. Now it's 80 to 81 million out of 180-182 million."
According to Dunlap's survey, about 100 million of the Internet's 180 million subscribers still speak English, but Spanish and Japanese usage have each risen to 14.2 million users.
As more users access the Internet in languages other than English, businesses marketing on the Web need to change their tune too, Dunlap said.
"It's important for Web sites who need international exposure to know how many people are in each language group, since a company can analyze their current sales activity there and decide where to invest in promoting their Web site.
"If, for instance, they have very little sales to German, Japanese, or Spanish-speaking countries, and they understand that there are huge numbers of people online in these languages, then it's logical to put more attention there in their online strategy."
Just building a Web site that can speak in four languages won't cut the mustard, said Gordon Jessop, an online marketing consultant.
"As geographical borders become increasingly irrelevant, companies with global aspirations who wish to compete effectively will need to localize their Web presence," Jessop said. "Mere translation will not cut it."
