Thanks to the digital age, the world has become a smaller place. While a small business used to only serve the local community, nowadays, it’ll often serve people from around the world. But it can be difficult to bring in clients from overseas. How do you make them aware of your business? How do you offer a better service than their local businesses? There are a number of steps you can take to bring in clients from different countries.
Offer your website in a number of languages
Many customers who visit your site may have limited or no English, so they may find your website confusing. While they can use Google to translate, this is often inaccurate and doesn’t work as well as you may think. This can put people off buying from you, or even make false claims about your product or service. You should use Global Citizens Translation to translate each page carefully, so that all phases are in context, and there’s no ambiguity or confusion.
Know how to deal with different cultures
Not every business culture will be the same as your own. It can often be a challenge to work with people overseas, as they may simply have a different view on things to your own. It’s always good to know how to deal with difficult clients, whether they’re local or from around the world, but you should appreciate the nuances when dealing with others.
Offer fast shipping
Shipping is another issue when it comes to overseas transactions. People will still expect fast shipping, even if you’re on the other side of the world, and there may be custom duties for sending things overseas. Don’t just consider the local postage service. Couriers are often a lot better, especially if they have branches in different countries. This ensures a much smoother service and that things get to your customers faster. You may also want to put distribution centres abroad, which means you can ship things locally.
Work on digital marketing
People from overseas will usually find your business either via the website or social media. This means you need to work on your digital strategy above all else, which may include:
- SEO – you want to be top of search results, even for those searching overseas
- Social media – social media is universal and enjoyed around the world, so advertising to people overseas is easier than ever
- Content strategy – this may vary from country to country and may need to be tailored
- E-mail marketing – why not reach out to clients directly? E-mail marketing can be useful if properly applied
Digital will be one of the most important parts of your marketing strategy, so make sure you invest in it and have a solid plan.
Why settle for just the local market? Working with people around the world opens up a whole new market and means you can bring in a lot more money. It also gives your company the prestige of being international, which means you can take your business to new places, and not just geographically.
