Four obstacles in going global and how to get over them

อัพเดทล่าสุด : 23/08/2021 - 11:31:34

Global e-commerce reached US$2.3 trillion in 2018 and is expected to reach US$4.5 trillion by 2021. These numbers are so huge that they are practically meaningless. For you as an e-commerce business owner, this might simply mean more sales and higher earnings.

All types of enterprises may now reach out to new markets and customers all around the world thanks to online trade. If you foresee a 'but,' it's this: you're practically guaranteed to run into difficulties since we’re in a world of 220 countries and territories, not to mention different languages spoken. We divide the obstacles into four categories.

1. Receiving payment

Payment options that are widespread in your country may not be so widely used in another. While certain modes of payment are proud to call themselves worldwide, in reality, they might not be as what they claim to be. The studies reveal that up to 59% of customers would abandon their cart if their chosen payment method is not available. If this tends to happen with your business, it's important to think about a variety of payment options, for example, Alipay in China or online bank payments in India, etc.

Try these:

Make sure your e-commerce site is localized enough to detect your customers' location and show the appropriate currency and location.
If consumers want to pay with a credit card, show them how much they'll be spending before they pay.
Consider collaborating with a secure international payment gateway, such as WorldPay, PayPal, or Stripe, that enables multi-currency transactions. The more cross-border trade you do, the more valuable this alliance becomes.
Be cautious of internet scams. Learn about well-known fraud locations and the tactics used by scammers. If your scam radar begins to twitch, don't be afraid to demand a bank transfer before shipping your products to the customer.

2. Sending your shipments across borders

Shipping physical goods overseas may be a difficulty in and of itself. Shipping costs can wipe out any potential sales of low-margin commoditized items and eat into the profitability of more specialized businesses.

Then there are issues like height and weight limits, customs regulations and documentation, and regional rules and norms to contend with, that possibly change.

When you factor in the risk of products arriving damaged in hundreds of miles away or not arriving at all, it's easy to see why some E-commerce businesses prefer the concept of doing cross-border E-commerce to actually executing it. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Try these:

There’s one answer. Make contact with DHL Express. Seriously. Nobody has greater hands-on experience or useful advice in international logistics like we do, whether for multinational companies or bedroom-based startups.
DHL Express provides you with access to over 400,000 certified international specialists in more than 220 countries and territories. We have what it takes to help you ship internationally easily, enter new markets, and expand your business. We’ve been doing this for over 50 years.

3. Being viewed as ‘foreigner’

This appears to be a problem that mostly affects businesses based in nations where English is the primary language. While many individuals across the world understand English, E-commerce businesses who neglect to translate their material into local languages miss out on significant potential.

According to a poll conducted by the Common Sense Advisory in 2014, 59% of 3,000 customers from ten countries would never make a purchase from an English-only website. That could be a big loss.

Try these:

As previously said, accept payment in the local currency.
Use a local country code, such as.au for Australia or.my for Malaysia.
Select photos that are suitable for each market. In many cultures, a ‘thumbs up' sign signifies ‘OK,' yet it is considered an indecent gesture in the Arab world, as well as portions of West Africa and South America.
Don't take your website's translation literally (or even worse, use a translation engine). Rather, use a professional ‘transcreation' firm to adapt your website to other markets while keeping its objective, style, tone, and context intact.

4. Using the wrong platform

Selecting the proper platform for your E-commerce shop is just as important as picking the right location for a bricks and mortar store. An older legacy system, especially one that was custom-built for you when you were just getting started, might severely limit your development potential. As you grow into new markets and regions, you may notice that platform issues arise.

It may struggle to handle different currencies, rely on an increasing number of third-party applications to perform basic operations, or be unable to operate with sophisticated technology such as chat bots or artificial intelligence.

Changing platforms is disruptive, and the longer you wait to switch to one that is more suited to your needs, the more disruptive it will become.

Try these:

Begin by imagining how you want your company to grow in the future. Be prepared to do a lot of homework, not just in the next 12 months, but in the next 12 years.
The e-commerce platform industry is competitive, with names like Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and Volusion just a few of the options.
Security, customisation, flexibility, and scalability should be your top priorities.
Think whether you'll need a platform with content management capabilities.
Consider whether increasingly popular features like AI and chat systems are included in the platform bundle or if they're available as plugins with monthly fees.
Verify that the platform supports all of the different payment options you'll need, such as Intuit, Skrill, and PayPal.
Confirm that the platform can optimize your site for mobile devices, which currently account for more than half of all e-commerce sales.

If you think you can handle these obstacles, congratulations, you’re more than ready to expand your business internationally and let DHL Express take care of international logistics for you. We’re happy to help you grow your business and reach your customers no matter where they are in the world!

Three ways to ship internationally with DHL Express

Visit our DHL Express ServicePoint near you. Click here to find the nearest location.
Book your shipment at mydhl.express.dhl
Call our Customer Service at 02-345-5000 (24 hours).

DHL Express Thailand is committed to providing logistics assistance to individual and business customers of all sizes and drive global trade. If you have regular shipments every month, click for more details about membership privileges or follow us on Facebook.