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The Internet has no borders, which creates a temptation for e-businesses to gain customers in other countries. One in seven e-store owners is trying to do so. However, this is not such an easy task as it may seem. Experts Shoper point out, hint at how to prepare for it.
The Internet has no borders, which creates a temptation for e-businesses to gain customers in other countries. One in seven e-store owners is trying to do so. However, this is not such an easy task as it may seem. Experts Shoper point out, hint at how to prepare for it.
At the end of 2018, less than 5 percent of e-shops on the Shoper platform were selling abroad, but in the recently published "Multi Challenges" report, as many as 14 percent of sellers said they were planning to expand into new markets soon. Not surprisingly, between March 2018 and February 2019 twice as many stores as a year earlier switched to the Shoper Premium package, and there were four times as many stores that launched immediately with such a subscription.
In the past year, the number of new online stores set up under the Shoper premium model increased as much as fourfold. For an effective start in a new market, you need first of all know-how. Proven solutions for payments, courier systems or fulfillment companies, or integrations with auction portals popular in a given country. In e-commerce, entering a new market does not require opening overseas branches, but it is still a lot of work for the seller. When we advise, we make sure it is not in vain," says Artur Halik, Head of Shoper Premium.
How to start selling abroad?
Customer Care Shoper Premium selected 6 areas in e-commerce where retailers should make changes before they set out to conquer foreign markets.
1. tailoring the site to the new market
The store must give the impression of being native and inspire confidence in customers. So it is worth investing in a domain with a local extension, e.g. .de for Germany, .cz for the Czech Republic, etc. The next step is to prepare a language version for the selected market. English for "all over the world" will unfortunately not rank in local search results and will not attract traffic to the store. Precisely for SEO reasons, the translation should also include invisible to users alternative descriptions of images that "read" search engine robots.
2. support for multiple currencies and payments
Attractive prices are one of the main reasons why we buy online, but few foreign customers can convert zlotys into euros or pounds in their minds. A friendly store should do this for him, and preferably also allow him to pay in his own currency. It would also be good if the language version automatically corresponded to the corresponding currency, and the store cooperated with the most popular online payment operators in the country.
3. adjust logistics per country
Delivery time has become an important area of competition in the e-commerce industry. Customers have become accustomed to shorter and shorter waits. Therefore, it is necessary to offer them a delivery method where shipping products abroad does not take much longer than domestically. You can choose between international delivery by a Polish courier, cross-border options (involving a local courier company) or outsourcing through a fulfillment service. A useful feature of the store is the automatic appearance of these delivery options when the appropriate language version of the site is selected.
4. marketing and advertising
When running an e-business abroad, the lack of knowledge of the local market adds to the difficulties. Fortunately, most of the techniques for promoting a store online, e.g. Google Shopping campaigns in other countries work in a similar way All the more reason, therefore, to have access to the most up-to-date knowledge - to be up-to-date with SEO techniques, to know how to attract customers through search engine and social media promotional campaigns and through remarketing activities.
5. store regulations adapted to local regulations
Formalities are easy to forget in the flurry of "more important" matters, but such an oversight can cost a lot. Fortunately, most e-businesses choose European Union countries as the first targets of their expansion, so many regulations are similar to Polish ones.
6. peeking at how others do it
A good way to prepare to sell abroad is also to emulate retailers that have success in this field. Women's clothing and accessories boutique Selfieroom has entered the Czech market, RMD bike shop sells scooters and skateboards in Germany, Lithuania and Russia, while bridal fashion salon Bajabella is available in nine languages including French, Dutch and Italian. Each of these stores uses Shoper Premium software and the expert know-how available with it.
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