Create Your Website to be Ready for International Ecommerce Success
Through all the trends of change, innovations, and reinventions of the internet and ecommerce It's easy to forget why the web has become such a powerful marketing tool: accessibility to, connectivity, and the ability to reach. If you've got an e-commerce website, then every online customer on the planet can walk through your doors.
Consider the size and impact of your potential market:
- It was estimated that there would be 2.05 billion shoppers on the internet around the globe in the year 2020. But only about 20% ( 256 million) lived in the United States.
- Exporting to the United States isn't just for large brands. Out of the more than 300,000 U.S. companies that export products, 97% are small - or medium-sized companies.
Broaden your brand
Selling globally can help increase revenues, which is an effective strategy when you are making plans for your business's future growth. Examples:
- International sales are a great way to smooth out the seasonal fluctuations in business.
- Businesses that sell outside within the United States are on average 17% more successful over those who don't sell outside the United States.
- International sales can help your growing business fill the gaps if you're a business that has excess manufacturing, service or wholesale capacity.
Get started on your plans for international expansion
If your international ecommerce to-do list seems never-ending, remember that you don't need to jump in immediately. Examine your website's data to understand which countries visitors are from, then begin by incorporating localized website content and experiences that are engaging them. For a start, select one or two market or regions , and then learn how to grow as you proceed. You'll soon discover which products and services are most in the market and which are most popular in particular areas. You'll also gain information about the market to add new countries to your global expansion checklist.
The front end: building your shopper experience
Your online storefront is often the initial point at which customers from all over the world can experience your brand, products as well as services. Welcome shoppers from many countries using localization components to ensure the best possible experience.
Language
Marketing
Currency
User experience
Web sites that offer interactive content, including videos, gift finders, as well integrated APIs with advanced features are able to perform better in areas with high-speed online access, but they might not look like they do or function similarly smoothly in locations that do not have this level of connectivity. Based on an research conducted by Digital Half of consumers who shop online will drop their carts when they do not load quickly enough.
The other end of the spectrum: supporting your business internationally
It's not just the content that customers see on your website. It is essential to allow customers to buy and to receive items.
Payments
The payment gateways you choose to use can allow you to offer your products in over 18 countries, allow 135 currencies, and enable local payment options. Below are a few points to think about when selecting and creating an international payment gateway to ensure ecommerce success:
- Establish confidence. Some customers may be wary about purchasing products from overseas vendors and those who are more cautious could put your experience with payments in the spotlight. Offering digital wallets like PayPal as well as Apple Pay can help to establish confidence.
- Integrate or redirect? Certain payment gateways are well known, even highly regarded in markets outside of the US however, others aren't so well-known. In some countries, redirecting to an external site for the payment process is seen as unsecure and less trusted. On the other hand there are countries where an external site may be trusted more. Research which payment gateways are known to - and in high demand with the international market.
- Compliance and security. If you are integrating your payment gateway with intake details about your customers' payments be sure that your stored information is secure and secured. This PCI Security Standards Council webpage is an excellent location to begin researching.
Taxes
Shipping
The checklist to ensure international success
- Review website user and client information to identify which markets offer the greatest potential for your company.
- Pick a plugin to translate your site into the local languages of your potential markets.
- Make sure you have multi-currency capabilities on your website.
- Choose a payment gateway that's trusted and well-known across every one of your global marketplaces.
- Automate tax collection across diverse countries to ensure that you're paying customers the correct tax.
- Keep costs transparent, delivery options, package tracking, and support to ship internationally.