You live in an interconnected world – one in which it’s not unusual for a product to touch most continents before it ends up on your shelf. As the world of trade and information has become ever-more international, businesses have had the opportunity to open up their stores and their services for global consumers. That’s a tricky thing to achieve, but it’s completely possible for any business with a marketable product or service to seek international clients as well as domestic ones. Here’s how you’ll achieve a position in the international market.
Step 1: Market Research
The first thing to remember about taking your business international is that you won’t know an awful lot about the markets you’re attempting to penetrate. You’ll not know if there are significant competitors in those countries, and it’s unlikely you’ll know the kind of price points that will work in countries with significantly different economies. So research is essential, and should first be targeted at countries with a shared common language and those with effective and efficient shipping or delivery systems. Research a handful of countries in order to decide which you’ll roll out towards first.
Step 2: Partners
Penetrating a new market when you’re based in your home country is difficult. You’ll often want to have a contact on the ground who can help to organize aspects of your delivery system and who might be your representative in the region. You’ll also want to use the services of a telemarketing or telesales team that has an international level of experience, like the professionals at gsa-marketing.co.uk. They’ll get on the phones for you to find your first in-country partners, whether they be retailers who are happy to stock your products, or B2B companies that are keen to partner with you and your set of services.
Step 3: Marketing
Selling to the international consumer is in some senses a simple process. You can upload your products to an e-commerce website, or to your own dedicated website, and open up delivery options to the world, but actually getting seen by international consumers is another matter, and will involve you marketing your brand, products and services to the international audience. Again, it might be simpler to outsource this to professional agencies that are experienced in helping businesses like yours access international consumers. Alternatively, target adverts at regions and demographics you’re trying to reach on Facebook, Instagram and Google.
Step 4: Offices
Depending on the kind of business you’re running, you may eventually be interested in setting up a new office abroad. US companies often set up an office in a major Canadian city, while European businesses tend to have offices dotted across the UK and EU. Opening an office in another country comes with its own challenges and rewards, and is often best done by a local partner or representative. They’ll become the regional manager, reporting back to you in your home country. Or, if you’re interested in working abroad, you could move to oversee the efforts for the first handful of months.
These tips should help any business begin accessing the huge global market of consumers that the internet has brought to your doorstep.