Internationalisation
Oct 12
Ecommerce Internationalisation
SHOPIFY INTERNATIONALISATION EXPERTS
As one of the longest standing Shopify Plus agencies, with over a decade at the cutting edge of ecommerce solutioning, we’ve helped brands of all sizes take on new international markets and thrive in them.
Chapter 1: Knowing when and where to internationalise
Is your business ready to go global? You don’t want to risk taking your brand cross border if there are issues tainting your ecommerce operation on home soil. There are also fundamental financial and logistical considerations to explore when weighing up whether your business is ready to start selling internationally. When choosing where to expand, things to think about include potential return on investment for each region, the overall growth of ecommerce in a particular area, and which markets make a good fit for your product. There are also plenty of practical things to consider, like time zones and language barriers.
Chapter 2: Preparing your Shopify store for international selling
When it comes to preparing your ecommerce site for world domination, there are several things you’ll need to consider. Will you go for a single store, or does the multi-store approach better suit your needs? How will you structure your international domain architecture? How will you ensure customers see prices in their local currency? What type of content do you need to translate and who (or what!) will do the translation? We dive into all the key platform questions, with a focus on store structure, URLs, multi-currency and multi-language.
Chapter 3: Developing an international marketing strategy
Leveraging tactics such as personalisation, email marketing, user generated content, loyalty, subscription, and referrals, you can drive awareness of your brand overseas, build trust amongst a new audience and start cultivating a base of loyal customers who return again and again.Adopting an optimisation mindset is crucial when you start selling internationally. How else will you test the effectiveness of your global strategy? Implementing an ongoing “test and learn” cycle will help you respond to consumer behaviour and make data-informed decisions that drive maximal growth.
Chapter 4: International operations and compliance
As well as optimising your website, you’ll need to expand and adapt your operations. The bigger your business grows, the more you’ll be looking towards automation to streamline and centralise key processes, like order picking and customer support. How does automation software like Shopify Flow help maintain seamlessservice across multiple different regions? There are a whole host of legal regulations you’ll need to be aware of and adhere to when taking your business cross border, as well. By doing your homework and keeping up-to-date with evolving tax and compliance regulations, you can avoid any nasty surprises for you and your customers.
Chapter 5: Managing logistics and fulfilment in multiple locations
Scaling a business across multiple markets requires razor-sharp logistics. How can you fulfil international orders in a timely, sustainable fashion, without eating into your profit margins? You’ll need to get clued up on the intricacies of managing inventory, warehousing and shipping across numerous locations. And, as ever, knowing your market is crucial – what do customers in your new markets value most when it comes to order fulfilment? Make sure to familiarise yourself with customer expectations in each region, so you can focus your efforts and resources exactly where they’re needed.
