Opening your business up internationally requires a different thought process than the domestic market calls for. Choosing to open up your ecommerce business to international customers is a huge step for a business owner. While this does open doors to a wider selection of customers, it can also make things more complicated if not done correctly.
This piece will delve into what an online business owner should consider before choosing their ecommerce platform. Before taking your business overseas, ensure your company makes the transition as smooth as possible by considering these four things:
Payment Options
When accepting money from people across the world, it’s important that your ecommerce platform is setup to accept a variety of international payments. Not everyone chooses to pay in the same manner. Understanding the payment options of your target audience will only increase your sales.
According to Entrepreneur, studies show that 68 percent of customers have abandoned a transaction because they were dissatisfied with the payment options. Offering a variety of payment choices, including credit card, debit card, PayPal, and even Google Wallet, are a few ways to guarantee every customer has an option they like.
Shipping Choices
Getting your product safely and efficiently to your customers, no matter where they’re located, is a must. Offering the larger shipping services, such as UPS, FedEx, and DHL, are good options. These companies ship worldwide. However, knowing the preferred shipping service for each region will guarantee your customers are happy with the choices.
A good shipping service will offer reliable deliveries for a fair cost. No matter where you are located in relation to your target market, customers want to save money on shipping costs. They also don’t want to wait long for their packages. Drop shipping should be considered if you want to find ways to fulfill orders and have packages delivered as quickly as possible.
Customer Service
No matter where a customer is located, they deserve the best customer service possible. When figuring out how to build an ecommerce website for free, remember to incorporate customer service portals in your target customer’s language. If you are choosing to work in several countries, make sure to have options for all the common languages.
A customer will feel more appreciated if they feel your website is customized to their needs. If you don’t speak a certain language, consider hiring a customer service team that can handle a variety of languages. Being able to answer your customer’s questions and concerns is the best way to close a sale.
Taxes
Depending on where you are doing business, you may be required to pay taxes both locally and abroad. In order to avoid legal trouble down the road, it’s important to learn about the local tax laws before selling anything. Many ecommerce programs have accounting and tax software built into the site, making it easy to keep track of your expenses and payments.
Of course, nothing can beat the advice of a professional accountant when it comes to all things relating to taxes. By working alongside an experienced tax professional, you can feel confident you are abiding by all of the tax laws. If you are ever audited down the road, you can rest assured your records are accurate and that you’ve been paying your fair share of taxes.
Becoming an international business is an exciting decision. Double check that you are offering appropriate payment options, choosing the right shipping companies, providing great customer service, and handling your taxes. Once you can check this to-do list off, you know you will be ready to land your first order with an international customer.
