How to Make Your Business Go Global

The world is a significantly smaller place than it used to be. You can reach the other side of the planet within a day, and you can reach it even more quickly if you travel online. You can talk to people no matter where they are, and this means that you can conduct business and connect with them.

Even small businesses have the potential to be international, which means that your customer base just got a whole lot bigger. Here are a few ways to take advantage of it and make the most of your international customers and opportunities.

Benefits of International Business

As you can imagine, reaching out to an international audience isn’t possible for every business. Local service-based industries like small hairdressers and boutiques often cater to locals and people who are willing to travel. 

However, there are plenty of benefits of trading internationally. 

The first and most obvious advantage is that you massively increase the potential amount of customers that you might be able to reach and do business with. This can mean more income and marketing opportunities.

If you’re struggling in a crowded market, this can be a lifesaver for your business. You can switch your priorities and reach different markets that have more of a need for your product. Depending on where your business is based, you may be able to take advantage of currency exchanges. Even if your local currency is suffering, your business can benefit.

An international business is also a marketer's dream. As you achieve success in other countries, your company’s credibility improves. This will boost your reputation and make your company more valuable to shareholders and investors.

An Online Presence

Once, the only way that your business could go international was by physically setting up an office in a different country. Your business could then cover these areas, and expansion was a much slower and more costly process.

Opening up new branches is still a very valuable way to expand your business. You can work locally in an area, which is cheaper, and you expand your company’s ability to meet demand. 

However, a cheaper and easier option for many businesses is to establish an online presence. Earlier, we mentioned that small, local service-based businesses could cater to locals and people who are willing to travel. But how do companies reach this second group of customers? 

Social media and online marketing are incredibly important ways to make your business more international. They can reach people around the world and even people who are nowhere near where your business is based, as well as local customers. 

The internet is essentially a huge worldwide marketplace, which means that you need to set up a stall and make it as visible as possible. Social media reaches people where they are and, if you create content that is interesting and entertaining, you never know who might be watching.

But for many businesses, the most important part of their online presence is their website.

ECommerce Websites and International Customers

While websites were once the domain of huge corporations, it’s much more common for smaller businesses to have a website. 

In many cases, a business website might just be a portfolio and a way to get in touch with your company. People like to be able to look businesses up and learn more about them that way. Google Maps is a fantastic tool for businesses, but only if you take the time to add your business along with its details.

However, this won’t make your business go global. For this, you need to have eCommerce capabilities on your website, turning it into an online store. Technically, anyone around the world can access your website, which means that they have the ability to browse your products.

There is more than just setting up an online store. You should consider where your focus is and how much you want to lean into the international market.

Delivery and Pricing

Setting up a truly international eCommerce website takes a bit of work. The first step is to think about the currency you use. Some payment processors can work with more than one currency, and it’s a good idea to use these services so that people don’t have to pay extra charges.

If you want to focus on international sales, make it easier for your customers. Have options for different currencies depending on the country they’re in, so they can understand how much your products will cost them.

It’s also a good idea to have different languages enabled. Some browsers will automatically change the language to the customer’s preferred language, although bear in mind that translations might not always be perfect. You should also consider the product descriptions and measurements, as some people prefer metric and others prefer imperial measurements.

The most difficult part of operating internationally is probably packaging and delivering the products to customers in other countries.

International Delivery 

First, make sure you use a courier service that can deliver internationally. Otherwise, you will limit the scope of your company. You may have to focus on certain countries depending on delivery costs and the cost of taxes or other charges. Otherwise, it can end up being too expensive to send your product, massively reducing your profits.

You should also consider what to charge your customers. Some couriers will deliver, but at higher costs. In many cases, you can transfer these costs to your customers. However, make it very clear that they are paying for the postage. People don’t like being charged twice the price of the product without their knowledge. The more clear you make it, the better. While this will make people less likely to buy your product, it does make the sales you get worthwhile.

If you’re posting internationally, another thing to consider is how well packaged your product is. Use plenty of secure packaging and materials like polyethylene foam packaging. International delivery is even more tricky than local delivery, so protect your products.

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