Plus500

4 Things To Consider Before Selling Your Products Internationally



If you're planning on selling your products online, perhaps because you run a small or a large business, or because you are dipping your toes into the world of ecommerce, then you might consider going beyond your home country to sell abroad too. 

This is a good idea, as the more customers you can find, the greater your profits. However, there are a few things you need to consider first.


#1: Consider the markets you might target

If you're simply advertising your products on eBay or Amazon, you can wait until customers come to you. But if you are actively seeking to expand into a new market, then you do have to do your research. After all, it's no good wasting money on marketing if the country you want to enter doesn't contain the demographics who are interested in your product. So, research other markets. Find out what products they need. Get to know their online shopping habits. And consider how much competition there might already be. These tips on global market research might be useful to you. 

#2: Consider what payment methods to use

You will need to optimize your checkout process for the payment methods your international customers might use, so to make life easier for them and for yourself, commit to research before attempting to sell your product internationally. There is some advice here on payment methods for global businesses, so you will get an idea of what you might need to implement on your business or ecommerce website. 

#3: Consider how you might ship your products

How are you going to deliver your items to your customers? Find out about each country's shipping regulations, and research the various shipping companies available to you. Find out more about the cost to you, the length of time it will take for your products to get to your customers, and any regulations you might need to follow. Consider the packing cases you will need to, as it's important that your products arrive safely. Somerlap, a specialist in wooden pallets, create bespoke packing cases for global shipping, for example, so you might want to consider their company or one nearer to your locale when thinking about the shipping process.

#4: Consider the amendments you will need to make to your website

While many shoppers around the world are well-versed in the English language, there will be those who aren't. So, you might want to use an app such as Langify to translate your online storefront into multiple languages to ensure your website is readable to others. You will want to display the currencies that your customers are likely to use, as they will need to know how much your products cost in their own currency and not on your own. There will be advice online to help you, as well as widgets you might be able to include on your site, so commit to research. 


Selling globally is easier than ever these days, but you do need to take into consideration the suggestions we mentioned. Keep them in mind and then commit to further research to help you make a success of your international sales.


No comments