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Although it’s never been easier to take your business abroad – thanks to the Internet – it still takes some doing. There are plenty of pitfalls in place that stand in your way between now, and a successful future. However, there are some simple things you can do to get off to the best possible start. In today’s guide, we’re going to go through some ideas with you – take a read, and let us know what you think.
Get started early
The sooner you start planning for world domination, the easier it will be for your business to take on the challenge. It’s a good idea to plan for going global or entering a new market at an early stage for plenty of reasons. However, the main factor is that it will give you the focus to spot an opportunity – and to avoid an expensive mistake.
Go where you are wanted
If you are an online business, it’s easy to spot when a particular country or region starts to take more of an interest. It will show up in your traffic analytics, and you might begin to get a regular supply of orders coming from the same place. As soon as this happens, think about how to take advantage, as if you leave it too long, someone else might fill the apparent gap in the market. There are a few things you can do regarding e-commerce that can help you get started. Let’s take a look at that now.
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Sort out your e-commerce
First of all, think about targeting the region in a better way. Perhaps you could buy up a domain name with the right country tag, for example. You should also think about displaying your prices in the currency of the region – it will encourage more people to buy. You can think about hiring translators, too, to make sure that your message is coherent. All of these things – and many more – can lead to more sales activity.
Pay them a visit
Next, book a flight and visit your new market. You will get to learn a lot more about local regulations and customs, and it’s the ideal opportunity to find some contacts. A local distributor, for example, can give you the chance to keep your delivery costs down and give your clients a cheaper service. One thing we would say about travel is to bear in mind how long it takes., Short hops are OK, of course. But, if you are traveling halfway around the globe, we would suggest using business class flights. You might be flying for more than a working day so that extra comfort will allow you to stay productive throughout your trip.
Set up an office
Once you have set up a few contacts, you can think about creating a physical presence in the region. There will be lots of local rules and laws that might restrict you, however, So, make sure that you have a robust protection from any legal issues. Being present in a region can bring a lot of benefits with it. For example, if you have a regional office, people will be far more likely to buy from you than they would if you are only abroad.
OK, so there are our tips for going global. If you have any to add, please feel free to share!
