Discover how to effortlessly expand your online store for international sales, streamline payments, customize shipping, and engage customers worldwide. Step into international markets with perfect strategies listed below!
Shopify has changed the online retail industry since 2006. Nowadays, Shopify is one of the most user-friendly and cost-effective ways to sell your products to the world. Shopify markets allow you to sell directly to customers in multiple countries with single integration.
Today top brands are using international ecommerce to reach global customers. International ecommerce means using global payment systems and shipping methods to make buying and delivering goods easy, even with different customs and import rules in each country. It involves handling currency exchanges, managing duties and taxes, and ensuring fast, efficient delivery.
The goal is to offer customers worldwide a smooth shopping experience, despite varying local regulations. This helps businesses sell products across borders, reaching new markets and growing their global presence. Keep reading to find out how to set up shopify markets for internal selling.
How to Know If Your Business Is Ready to Expand Internationally?
You need to know that your business is showing the right indicators to take on the challenges of hitting the global market. The two biggest indicators are that you have saturated your domestic market and website international sales have started to pick up organically.
These are the clear indications that your business now demands global reach. However, you need to make sure that your business is financially stable, with a solid revenue stream to support initial costs associated with entering new markets.
Moreover, your business should have a strong operational framework that can manage shipping, returns, and customer service inquiries across borders. These are the major signs you need to make sure that your business is ready to go global.
How to Create an International E-commerce in 5 Steps
Going global with your shopify store requires a fool-proof strategic approach to make sure you provide the same level of service to international customers as to local ones. Here is a five-step guide to help you create an effective international e-commerce strategy:
1. Identify Your Target International Markets
When you’re thinking about taking your business global, it’s important to be strategic. Different countries have their own shopping habits, so focusing on specific markets can really help your success. A good place to start is by looking at your website traffic. If you’re using a platform like Shopify, you can easily check where your visitors are coming from using location reports.
Start with countries that are nearby, share a language, or have similar shopping behaviors. If your business is based in Canada, the United States could be a logical first step for your international growth.
2. Payment Processes and Tax for International Customers
Simplify your payment process by showing local currencies to your targeted global market. Research shows that nearly 49% of online shoppers might abandon their carts if they can’t pay in their own currency.
If you’re using Shopify Payments, you can automatically convert prices based on current market exchange rates. You can also set custom local prices to avoid fluctuations that could confuse customers.
Different countries have varying expectations regarding how sales tax is displayed. You can configure your Shopify store to accommodate these differences and also offer options for customers to prepay any duties owed or provide a duties calculator at checkout.
3. International Shipping
Shipping costs can impact your international sales. In the Shopify Markets settings, you can personalize shipping rates for each market. This means you can adjust the shipping costs based on things like the weight and size of your products.
Make sure to provide reliable shipping carriers that deliver to your target countries and be transparent about shipping costs. Consider adding shipping costs into your product prices, simplifying the decision-making process for your customers.
4. Localize Your Website for Customers
For international customers, adjusting the layout and creating special subdomains for different markets creates a user-friendly experience. Having country-specific domains helps reassure shoppers that they are visiting a local site and makes it easier to show prices in their local currencies.
If you’re using Shopify, setting up international domains is straightforward. Shopify takes care of some complex SEO tasks, helping your site show up correctly in search engine results.
5. Marketing Content for International Audience
Once you’ve localized your website, it’s time to market your store to international customers. You have to create region-specific marketing campaigns for social media, email, and paid ads to engage your international customers.
Platforms like Meta Ads Manager allow you to segment your ad audiences and create bespoke campaigns that resonate with new buyers. Make sure to localize your ad copy and images, ensuring that destination URLs lead to the correct version of your site. If your audience size justifies it, consider creating separate social media accounts for different markets.
FAQs
1. Can I sell products in multiple languages using Shopify Markets?
Yes, Shopify supports multiple languages. You can localize your store to cater to different languages in various markets, improving customer experience and engagement.
2. What payment gateways are available for international sales on Shopify?
Shopify supports various payment gateways that cater to international customers, including PayPal, Stripe, and other local payment methods, depending on the region.
3. Can I test international markets before fully committing?
Yes, you can conduct market testing by launching a limited product range or running targeted ads in specific regions to evaluate interest and demand before fully committing to the international market for your business.
4. How do I track the performance of my international sales?
Use Shopify’s analytics tools to track sales data from different markets. Set up reports that break down your international sales by region, allowing you to identify trends and areas for improvement.
Conclusion
Expanding your Best Shopify store to international markets exposes you to a wider audience. But, you need to be prepared for it. There are strategies and tools that you need, to create a smooth shopping experience for customers.
Study shopping habits of countries that you are going to target. Understand your customer needs and create campaigns that will help you connect better with different audiences, making them feel valued.
