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Understanding Cultural Sensitivity in Web Design
Cultural sensitivity as applied to web design is the way of taking the social attitudes of a particular culture into consideration and if necessary – using them.
A conservative Islamic environment has powerfully shapes the Oman social context, and the Omani people’s interacting within it: verbally and nonverbally, interpersonally and systemically, in conventional and ever-evolving virtual environments.
These cultures must be taken into consideration to help make the website feel comfortable to the intended target group of users.
In this regard, Website design Oman specialists should focus on designing the Websites, which will reflect the local culture while offering functions and innovations.
Disregarding these cultural imperatives can lead to loss of customers’ attention and lead to disconnection in between the firm and the people there.
1. Prioritize the Language
Culture is a very important factor when it comes to designing any web page and one of the most important aspects of cultural dimension of web design is a particular language.
Arabic is the official language of Oman, therefore it is crucial for the site to have Arabic as option for the language in addition to English.
Most Omanis especially those living in the urban centers understand English, however, a good number prefer to be communicated to in their local dialect.
Tips for effective language use:
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Make sure that the variant of the website in Arabic is not embarrassing, vague and or outright crude. Do not resort to translating from English since this normally only results in misunderstanding.
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Make sure that the button that controls the change of language is easily visible and accessible on every page of the site.
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Make sure that the web design Oman team you engage to design your website utilizes fonts that are Arabic friendly for display on screens.
2. Incorporate Omani Aesthetics and Visuals
Another way of adding a local perspective to the website design is to use images that would be familiar to Omani people.
This entails integration of cultural sensitivity in relation to the choice of images, colors, and other related aspects that are friendly to the Middle Eastern country of Oman particularly in aspect to architecture and natural features of the country.
Design aesthetics to consider:
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Employ warm colour palettes of the earth such as brown, red and gold which reflects the Oman’s desert scenery and architecture.
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Use various images like Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque or Muttrah corniche smiling image so that people feels familiar responding to the ad.
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Include such features of Islamic art as ornament in the shape of geometric patterns, but do not use images that can be considered as religious or political in nature.
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It is also important not to depict or describe things that are viewed unfitting by Omani women or are unfavorable to Omani culture or traditions such as tight clothing or crude culture representations.
3. Consider User Experience (UX) and Interface (UI) for Omani Audiences
To have a successful culturally responsive website in Oman the ease of use, UX and UI of the site must be friendly for the Omani users. This means that a website is well structured, easy to use, fast in loading and compatible with the mobile phones.
Oman has a mobile first, considering the fact that majority of the country’s internet users access websites through their mobile devices.
Key UX/UI considerations for web design Oman:
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Mobile optimization: It is also important to note that website should be made accessible on the mobile devices with a particular focus on the Oman market as a large portion of the population actively uses mobile phones to browse the Internet or do online shopping.
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Easy navigation: Design as clear and easy to navigate as possible to cater for Omani users many of whom are likely to be unfamiliar with complex structures of websites.
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Call-to-action (CTA) placement: Take advantage of CTAs and use clear, highly visible, and persuasive calls to action to engage the users and make them take action such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or contacting your business. Follow culture sensitivity in the language used in Calls-to-Action.
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Loading times: Make sure that the site load fast, as slow-loading sites are not well received by the users. Such reasons include; As it is evident, Omani users, like the rest in the world, have high expectations in regard to site load speed, more so when using portable devices.
4. Adhere to Cultural Norms and Values
Cultural standards of design should be taken into account, especially when it comes to the Omani target audience, since they adhering to the Islamic culture. This includes knowing what may be considered as obscene or profane in the content that is being disseminated.
Respect for Islamic values:
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It is advisable not to show material which can be regarded as provocative in Islamic countries, alcoholic advertisement, outrageous dressing, or any subject that is considered taboo in Islam.
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Make specific that promotions of product or services should not violate Islamic beliefs. For instance, products promoted during religious fasting period such as the month of Ramadan should be properly displayed.
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Sell but do not be very overbearing or push them too hard into buying from you. Omani culture is highly policed and any aggressive marketing approach or what can be considered as such are perceived as rude and unpleasant.
5. Leverage Local SEO Practices
Any business, whether large or small needs to optimise their business website for search engine visibility; however, when the focus is made on a certain country – Oman, it is crucial to employ local SEO strategies.
Local Oman web design teams should make sure that the website can easily appear in the first pages of popular search engines such as Google especially for local searches.
Local SEO tips:
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To target the visitors from Oman you can also use Oman specific keywords such as; ‘best web design Oman’.
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Another important one is Omani users may use Arabic keywords; therefore, the website must be optimized for Arabic keywords.
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While optimizing your website for searches, make sure you provide your business location in Oman in your site and Google My Business.
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Think about the need to publish materials in the local context, blogs or guides that describe an Omani interest to improve the local SEO.
6. Adapt Payment Systems to Local Preferences
Hence, for eCommerce websites it is essential to localize payment systems in order to attract the Omani consumers. However, some customers who use credit or debit cards in Oman may prefer other payment options such as Mobile Money,COD etc.
Payment systems to consider:
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Accept multiple payment options such as; credit/ debit card that accepts international cards, Mobile money and cash on delivery.
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Ensure that payment gateways used in the country are safe and well known by the Omani customers every time they engage in making an online transaction.
7. Build Trust and Credibility
In a culturally sensitive market such as Oman one is required to cultivate the audience trust. Omanis appreciate organizations that appreciate their culture and this should also be incorporated in the website by respectably positioning them.
Ways to build trust:
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Place their phone numbers and physical address, especially local phone numbers, as this assures that the business is present in Oman.
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Based on the context in the Omani market, incorporate endorsements and success stories from happy customers.
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Ensure you have well spelled out terms of service, privacy policies, and well secured payment procedures to ensure your users are confident in making their purchases.
Conclusion
Designing a website that will be relevant and meaningful to the people of Oman involves sensitive considerations of the design, language and users’ interactions.
Thus, by adapting to the mentioned web design Oman strategies, the businesses can guarantee that their web platforms will be appreciated by users, orientated on the culture and values of Oman and would create a loyal audience base.
By following the above tips, one will be in a better position to design a culturally sensitive website as an Omani business or any business getting a footing in Oman.
