Tips for Small Business Success

Setting Up an E-Commerce Website to Sell Internationally

Jun 5, 2008

Setting up an e-commerce website to reach international customers has never been easier. Even so, there are a few key tips that will help small businesses achieve success

One of the key features of the Internet is that it opens up a worldwide market for buying and selling. This means that with very little in the way of extra effort, a company can reach a massive marketplace that at one time would have been almost impossible without significant time spent in travel and planning.

Planning an E-Commerce Website to Reach International Customers

While this is a great opportunity for small companies and individuals to enter the worldwide market, there are some key elements that often get overlooked. Selling internationally is not simply a case of setting up an e-commerce website and sitting back and waiting for the orders to come rolling in. There are some important pieces of planning and preparation that need to take place first. This is as applicable to the company selling high end and high value products as it is to an individual looking to make a few dollars by selling handmade items through a small e-commerce site. Getting the foundation right will help to build a good, sound international business.

Reduce any Barriers to Purchase

Anything that makes the purchase decision complicated or protracted is putting a barrier in front of the potential customer. In addition to sorting out obvious features such as whether or how to take international payments, there are some other key aspects of setting up an e-commerce website to sell internationally.

Language

Even if the target customer base is solely English speaking, understanding language differences is an important part of the planning process. It is important that the website is clear and concise with any product descriptions and that there is no room for any misunderstandings. The saying, 'divided by a common language', is as relevant today as it has always been. Many countries outside of the US call ´Diapers' by the name 'Nappies'. A website selling baby products would need to know this so international visitors to the site could find what they require quickly. This is also important for SEO (search engine optimization) purposes to ensure that the website is actually found by prospective international customers.

Measurements

Many countries use different measurement values and, as such, providing decimal or imperial equivalent measurements will be a service to prospective customers. While it is tempting to think that a customer can easily find out the information themselves, when building a successful international ecommerce website it is important to make it as easy as possible for the customer. At the very least, when building the website a conversion feature should be included so the customer can make their own conversions.

Delivery

Unless it is absolutely necessary, telling a customer to 'email for a delivery cost' should be avoided. Not only does this mean that the customer may go elsewhere while they are waiting for an answer, it also means that somebody needs to be on hand to give an answer. Many products are a standard weight and giving a delivery options and costs is a significant benefit to international customers.

The copyright of the article Tips for Small Business Success in E-Commerce is owned by Kate Pullen. Permission to republish Tips for Small Business Success in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.