Make Your Website Ready for Global Ecommerce Success -
In all the changes, evolutions, and reinventions of the internet and ecommerce, it's easy to lose sight of why the web has become such a powerful marketing tool: accessibility to, connectivity, and access. If you have an ecommerce website, then every online customer on the planet can walk through your doors.
Consider the size and impact of the market you are targeting:
- It was estimated that there would be 2.05 billion shoppers on the internet around the globe in the year 2020. But less than 12percent ( 256 million) lived in the United States.
- Exporting outside of within the United States isn't just for big brands. In the 300,000 U.S. companies that export items, 97% are small or medium-sized enterprises.
Broaden your brand
Globalizing your business can boost sales, and it's a smart move when making plans for your business's future growth. As an example:
- International sales may help smooth out the seasonal fluctuations in business.
- Businesses that sell outside in the United States are on average 17% more profitable than those that don't sell outside of the United States.
- International sales could assist your expanding business to fill the void if your business has excess manufacturing, service, or wholesaling capacity.
Begin to plan your expansion into the international market
If your international ecommerce to-do list is never ending, keep in mind that you don't have to jump in immediately. Study your website data to find out which countries your customers are located in and then start by incorporating localized website content and experiences that will engage customers. Start by selecting just one or two markets or areas and study how to grow as you proceed. Soon, you'll be able to determine which goods and services are most in the market and which are most popular in particular areas. Additionally, you'll get valuable information about the market as you add more countries to your global expansion checklist.
The front-end: creating your shopper experience
The online storefront of your business is usually the first place where visitors from other countries experience your brand, products, and services. You can welcome shoppers from all around the world by incorporating localization features to give them an optimal shopping experience.
Language
Marketing
Currency
User experience
Sites with interactive content such as videos and gift finders, as well as advanced API integrations, perform well in regions with high-speed online access, but might not look as good or run similarly smoothly in locations that do not have access to this kind of connection. According to a research conducted by Digital, half of online shoppers will abandon shopping carts if they don't load fast enough.
The other end of the spectrum: supporting your business internationally
Internationalization isn't just about what customers can see on your website. You have to provide a simple way for customers to pay for and receive items.
Payments
The payment gateways you choose to use can allow you to make sales in more than 18 countries, allow 135 currencies and allow local payment options. Below are a few points to think about when selecting and installing an international payment gateway to ensure eCommerce success:
- Create trust. Certain customers might be skeptical buying from foreign sellers and those who are more cautious might put your transaction experience to the test. Offering electronic wallets, such as PayPal as well as Apple Pay can help to establish trust.
- Integrate or redirect? Certain payment gateways are well known, even popular in international markets and some aren't well-known. In some countries, redirecting to an external website for payments is considered to be unsecure and is trusted less. However there are countries where it is possible that an external site will be more trusted. Find out which payment processors are reputable and popular with - your international markets.
- Compliance and security. When you connect your payment gateway with intake customer payment information and data, it is important to ensure that the stored data is safe and secure. The PCI Security Standards Council website can be a great place to start your research.
Taxes
Shipping
Your checklist for international success
- Analyze website visitor and customer details to figure out which markets have the highest potential to your company.
- Pick a plugin to help translate your site's content to the language of the markets you are targeting.
- You can enable multi-currency options on your site.
- Select a payment processor that is reliable and widely known in the world's markets.
- Automate tax collection across various countries, ensuring that you are charging customers the correct tax.
- Keep costs transparent, delivery options, packages tracking and assistance for international shipping.