Why limit yourself when you have the opportunity to sell internationally, expand your business, and earn more money?
While selling internationally can be challenging, it can also be an excellent way to expand your business and reach new customers. You can be successful in the global market if you take the time to learn about your target market's needs and preferences and then tailor your business to meet those needs.
To further motivate you to sell globally, we first explained the reasons to sell globally in this blog post. Then we discussed the difficulties you may encounter during this process and how you can overcome them by developing your international eCommerce strategy.
Following that, we went over the steps and details of developing an effective international eCommerce strategy. Let's get started!
Why Should You Sell Internationally?
There are various reasons of why should you take your Shopify brand global, and here they are:
1. Increased Sales and Revenue
Expanding into international markets can help your company's sales and revenue. You have the potential to significantly grow your business by reaching a larger customer base.
2. Diversification
You can diversify your customer base and reduce your dependence on a single market or region.
3. Improved Competitiveness
By entering international markets, you can gain access to new technologies, ideas, and business practices that can help you compete more effectively.
4. More Brand Awareness
Expanding into new markets can help to improve your company's brand awareness and recognition.
5. Potential of Expanding Product Lines
Selling internationally can also provide an opportunity to expand your product line and offer products that are in high demand in other countries.
6. Access to New Resources and Suppliers
International expansion can provide access to new resources and suppliers, which can help improve your business's operations and efficiency.
Overall, selling internationally can provide numerous advantages to companies looking to grow and expand their operations. However, before making any decisions, it is critical to thoroughly research and consider the risks and challenges associated with expanding into new markets.
The Challenges Of Going Global with Your Shopify Store
When expanding their Shopify store to an international market, businesses may face several challenges:
1. Language Barriers
If you're expanding into a market where the primary language isn't English, you may need to translate your website and other marketing materials. This can be a time-consuming and expensive procedure.
2. Cultural Differences
It is critical to understand and respect your target market's cultural differences. This will allow you to better tailor your marketing and sales strategies to appeal to customers in those markets.
3. Shipping and Logistics
International shipping can be more complicated and expensive than domestic shipping. When determining your pricing and fulfillment strategy, you may need to consider factors such as customs fees, duties, and shipping carriers.
4. Competition
You may face more competition in international markets because you will be competing with both local and international businesses.
5. Currency Exchange
If you accept payments in multiple currencies, you must consider how currency exchange rates will affect your business.
Overall, internationalizing a Shopify store can be a complex and difficult process. To increase your chances of success, carefully research and plan for these challenges.
How to Create an International eCommerce Strategy
As with any business strategy, it's critical to monitor and assess the performance of your international eCommerce efforts on a regular basis, making adjustments as needed. This may entail revising your product offerings, adjusting your pricing, or altering your marketing strategies.
Here are the steps to developing an international eCommerce strategy:
1. Identify & Analyze International Target Markets
It is critical to understand the culture, economy, and laws of the countries into which you wish to expand. This will assist you in tailoring your marketing and sales strategies to those particular markets.
2. Tailor the Shopping Experience You Provide to Local Customers
It is significant to tailor the shopping experience you provide to local customers for several reasons:
a. It promotes trust and credibility: When customers see that you have taken the time to learn about their local culture and preferences, they are more likely to trust your brand and make a purchase.
b. It enhances the user experience: Providing a tailored shopping experience can make shopping on your website easier and more enjoyable for customers. This can result in increased conversion rates and customer satisfaction.
c. It can boost customer loyalty: By offering a personalized and localized shopping experience, you can strengthen your relationships with customers and encourage them to return to your store in the future.
d. It can help you stand out from the crowd: In a global market, it is critical to distinguish your brand from competitors. Making your shopping experience more appealing to local customers can help you stand out and attract new customers.
3. Make It Easy for International Customers to Pay
Allow customers to buy products in their local currency. This will make it easier for them to complete their purchases and may increase their likelihood of doing so.
Also, you can offer popular payment methods in your target markets. Because payment preferences vary by country, it is critical to consider the payment options that will be most convenient for your international customers.
Accepting local currencies or providing popular payment methods such as PayPal or Stripe are examples of this.
4. Set up International Shipping
When selling internationally, shipping and logistics can be difficult. Consider collaborating with a trustworthy logistics provider to ensure that your products arrive on time and in good condition.
5. Adapt Your Brand to Your Audience’s Culture with Every Aspect of It
Building trust and credibility with your target market requires adapting your brand to their culture. Here are some points for adapting your brand to your target audience's culture in all aspects:
a. Localize Your Website
It is critical to localize your website and marketing efforts in order to effectively reach and resonate with your international customers. This includes translating your website and marketing materials into the local language and tailoring your marketing strategy to the local culture.
b. Use International Domains to Target Specific Markets
Using international domains to target specific markets and increase your visibility in those regions can be an effective strategy.
Different countries' preferred domain extensions are frequently different. For example, in Germany, the most popular extension is.de, while in France, the most popular extension is.fr. Investigate your target market's preferred extension and consider registering a domain with that extension.
c. Translate Your Store to Make Your International Customers Feel Like Home
To appeal to your target market, your website should use local language and content. This includes using the local language for both your domain name and your website's content.
d. Adjust Your Pricing
When expanding your business internationally, adjusting your pricing for a local website can be a difficult but necessary task. Here are some tips for adjusting your pricing for a local website:
- Investigate local market conditions: Before setting your prices, it's critical to understand the local economic conditions and competition in your target market. This can assist you in determining the right price point for your products.
- Consider the cost of doing business in your target market: In addition to market conditions, it is critical to consider the cost of doing business in your target market. Shipping, customs fees, and local taxes are examples of such expenses.
- Consider currency exchange rates: If you are selling in a different currency, make sure to consider currency exchange rates when setting your prices. Depending on the current exchange rate, you may need to adjust your prices up or down.
- Consider local purchasing power: Consumer purchasing power varies significantly across countries. Consider this when determining your prices to ensure they are affordable for your target market.
- Finally, it is critical to monitor and adjust your pricing as necessary. Adjusting your prices in response to changes in market conditions or the cost of doing business is one example. Maintain flexibility and be willing to make changes as needed to ensure your company's success.
e. Offer Localized Customer Service
Excellent customer service is essential for any business, but it is especially critical in an international context where language and cultural barriers may exist. Consider hiring multilingual customer service representatives or utilizing translation tools to ensure your customers receive the assistance they require.
6. Focus on Mobile
When selling internationally, focusing on mobile can help you reach more customers, improve the customer experience, and increase sales. There are several reasons why it is critical to concentrate on mobile when selling internationally:
- Mobile usage is widespread: Mobile devices are now the primary means of accessing the internet for many people around the world, including many in developing markets. You will be able to reach a larger audience of potential customers if you focus on mobile.
- Mobile payments are more common: Mobile payments are more common than traditional payment methods such as credit cards in many international markets. You can increase sales and reduce friction in the checkout process by making it simple for customers to pay with their mobile devices.
- Mobile optimization can improve search rankings: Google and other search engines now prioritize mobile-optimized websites in their search results, which can improve search rankings. By optimizing your website for mobile, you will increase your chances of ranking higher in search results and attracting more traffic.
- Mobile can enhance customer experience: A mobile-optimized website can improve customer experience by making it easier for them to browse and purchase products from your store. This can result in increased conversion rates and customer loyalty.
7. Promote Your Brand Globally
Social media, email marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO) are examples of digital marketing channels that can be used to reach a global audience. Use these channels to promote your brand and reach out to new customers.
Also, collaboration with influencers or local businesses can assist you in reaching a new audience and establishing credibility in your target market. Think about collaborating with local influencers or businesses to promote your brand.
Final Thoughts on Taking Your Shopify Brand Global
Selling internationally brings many opportunities to your business such as increasing sales, not being dependent on a single region, more brand awareness, access to new resources, etc. These reasons are more than enough to sell globally!
On the other hand, it also has some difficulties including language barriers, cultural differences, shipping and logistics issues, currency differences, and competition. On the bright side, İt is not hard to overcome these challenges if you have an efficient plan to take your Shopify store global.
We explained how you can create this efficient plan step by step above in detail. It is the perfect time to implement these steps & grow your business!
As a global brand, your mobile app should be the cornerstone of your mobile commerce operations. If you don’t have a mobile app yet, turn your Shopify store into a mobile app with Shopney today! Click here to start your 30 days free trial.
