Thought Starter: Three simple strategies to begin selling globally

Reaching an international target audience online should be a goal for any SME attempting to improve revenue and build more returning customers. With the rise of eCommerce, it’s important to know how to best use digital and online channels.

Here are a few tips, especially for new businesses just entering the eCommerce world and wanting to sell their products globally.

Utilize The Increasing Popularity of Mobile Connectivity

The average person checks their smartphone at least 200 times a day!

Beyond that, most people are also connected to the internet through their desktop, laptop, and tablet devices. According to Capgemini, at least 51 percent of online purchases in the UK were made through mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones.

This means it’s crucial for businesses to create a mobile strategy now.

SMEs can start by developing a more mobile-friendly eCommerce site and improve email templates to fit the small screen. For the site, it is vital that the theme offers a mobile options such as a responsive website or mobile only pages.

For email marketing, the best option is to adapt the messaging to a mobile-first approach ensuring the email looks perfect on a small screen.

Use social media to Build a Connection With Your Target Audience

The increasing activity in mobile use has affected how people utilize social media. At least 50 million businesses are now using Facebook pages to build their company.

Creating highly engaging video content is another great way to increase social media visibility to the target audience.

According to AdAge, it’s expected that mobile devices will drive more than 80 percent of video traffic worldwide by 2019.

UK Trade & Investment even created a YouTube Channel as a central part of the “Exporting is GREAT” campaign in 2016 to help show the international demand for British-made products and services.

Tap Into Various eCommerce Platforms

When choosing between creating an eCommerce store from scratch or using an online marketplace such as Amazon, eBay, or Etsy, SMEs should consider which one will fit their business the best.

Especially for cross-border trade, marketplaces may be the most comfortable option to start with as they provide a lot of tools for international trade.

Eventually, the goal should be a multi-channel approach using as many marketplaces and your own web presence. But if you are just starting out, pick one and go from there.

When creating product pages or listings, it’s important that you keep your international customers in mind. Adapting your site or product pages to their language can increase your site’s appeal to your target audience.

While there are automated translation services, it is highly recommended for complex products to use professional translation services.

Nothing worse than a poorly translated page and as a seller you end up having to pay to get products returned to you from a foreign buyer.

We hope these basic tips help you consider cross-border trade. If you have any questions, head over to our Facebook Discussion Group or use the comments section below.

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