Even though globalization seems like something for large corporations, small businesses do have a pretty good chance too. In the US, countless small businesses make the leap every year. The secret is to thread with care and access markets that are familiar, like Canada and Mexico first. This way, you will get familiar with the idea of selling over borders and you will be able to slowly grow in other corners of the world.
The best way to extend over boundaries is to make use of the advantages offered by the online environment. If you know how to use the Internet to your business’s advantage, the world will be your oyster. This is why today we will discuss a few basic online strategies that will put your business on the map.
The first rule in business: a fantastic website
Nowadays, if you don’t have a business website, you don’t exist. People are so used to looking up things online, that they don’t even bother with businesses who didn’t take the technological leap. But how do you use the site to extend globally?
Well, the best way is to make sure you create a multilingual website. If you don’t want to translate the entire site, you should, at least, have sections for the countries you sell products in. This way, you will have the great advantage of addressing your customers in their native language.
If you want your business to grow, you must hire professional bilinguals to create the sale pages for your site. This is a great way to avoid any language mistakes or confusions which will keep customers away. You must be very careful with this aspect as misunderstood cultural and language differences usually lead to business failure.
Use the existing platforms
Ecommerce is, by now, an old practice. People buy and sell online regardless of the country or continent. The best part of this aspect is that you can benefit from the experience and tools offered by online platforms which are already established as authority leaders in their niche. Amazon and eBay are the most popular names that come to mind, but there are other platforms too.
Using these platforms, you can extend the market and increase the sales for your products without investing in a separate infrastructure. Still, you will have to share your profit with them for using their tools and structure.
Use popular online channels
Yes, this means the regular channels: social media and email marketing. People in other countries use Facebook and Twitter too so you should make sure your products show up on their feed. Newsletters are also a fantastic way to present your offer to a larger audience.
All these tools are amazing in developing a global business, but you must implement them correctly. For instance, in a non-English country, you must make sure you reach the audience by speaking the native language. Also, you should learn how to approach the audience on a culturally different market.
In the end, everything resumes to how you create the content marketing strategy for each market you want to conquer. It is essential to understand your audience and address their immediate needs in order to increase your sales. This may take a bit more effort than it would on a market you know, but it will also be more rewarding.
