When you go abroad, it’s never long before you see a McDonald’s. It’s unlikely that a day will go by without some advertisement for Google. You might even spot telltale Amazon packages when the mail comes.
That’s because these companies realize that success comes from operating in as many countries as possible. Let’s face it; the most significant businesses today have international reach. And, if you’re looking to grow your company, you could benefit from the same.
The goods news is that most companies now have access to a global audience thanks to the internet. The bad news is that many struggles to get those international customers looking their way.
A look at your website and social media analytics will show precisely where your leading custom is coming from. Often, customers will browse your site from a variety of countries. Why is it, then, that you aren’t currently able to secure sales overseas?
Your shipping rates are too expensive
High shipping rates are often the main reason for lack of international orders. If customers have to pay as much for shipping as your products themselves, why would they bother?
No one would pay that much for a product they can likely find closer to home. Even if customers like what you offer, then, they probably head right off your site into the hands of competitors.
Don’t let that happen by making sure your shipping rates are reasonable. There are a few ways to do this. One would be to ship items in bulk so that you’re able to pay less each time.
Another would be to work with an overseas company to distribute your goods, meaning that customers can buy from them for less.
You don’t support international payments
In some cases, it may be that customers physically can’t pay for your products. If you only have a basic website shop, the chances are that you only accept local credit cards.
This can do you out of a whole load of business. And, it’s an easy enough issue to overcome. In some cases, paying a little extra to your website provider should see you with increased payment capabilities.
Failing that, you could simply turn to online accounting software which allows you to transact in multiple currencies. Either way; the more payments you accept, the better chance you have of going global.
You don’t offer global access to customer services
While English is one of the most widely spoken languages, only offering English-speaking customer service reps could be a mistake. If customers are going to buy from you overseas, they need to know that they’re able to communicate any queries or problems with ease.
One way around this would be to seek multilingual customer service representatives, but that could be long-winded. Another option, then, would be to hire on-the-ground customer service individuals on a remote basis within the countries where you gain the most attention.
Take care of these simple factors, and you could soon start doing a roaring global trade.
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