Develop your Shopify store internationally

It is now official, they are 57% of French e-retailers to sell internationally (confers joint study New Oxatis / Fevad). It must be said that e-commerce has seen a strong rise internationally lately with an increase in online sales of 24.9% in the first half of 2021. And doing Shopify International is therefore a very good opportunity. for any business that wants to stand out.

The activity should reach 245 billion euros in this year 2022. A very attractive sector that any entrepreneur would like to exploit. So, how to develop your e-commerce site internationally? The three keys to success can be found in this file thanks to our Shopify International agency advice.

In this article, we will see the three steps to take to break into the international market and what is international e-commerce and international development.

What is international e-commerce? ?

International e-commerce means any online sale that is exported abroad via an order from a website. It allows citizens and other residents of a country to access products that would be difficult for them to find in their own country.

Or to acquire items of better quality than what is sold in their territory of residence. According to FEVAD, almost 70% of consumers have already purchased at least one international product on the internet. Generally, the prices are quite competitive and quite attractive, although sometimes the delivery time is longer than ordering locally.

It is therefore a business that represents a real opportunity for Shopify e-commerce owners. In essence, international e-commerce must be tied to the specificities of each country, whether by culture or by consumer budget.

English consumers do not behave online in the same way as Italians, for example. The latter are reputed to prefer advantageous tariffs while the former have more exhaustive preferences.

Do a study of the competition in the desired market?

The study of the target market is essential before the launch of any commercial activity. It is she who allows the seller to implement the marketing strategy that suits the target market. To do this, special emphasis must be placed on the actors in place.

Who are your main competitors in this market? These competitors can be counted both locally and internationally. If you are prospecting the Indian market, for example, it is good to know what e-shops that do in your sector of activity already offer customers. Find out if this market is sufficiently developed there or growing.

Also find out if Indians are used to ordering the types of products you offer internationally, if so on which sites, at what price, etc. To help you, there are a number of digital tools that can analyze markets based on SEO (keywords) and competition. These include “Google Trends”, “Google Analytics”, “Semrush”, “Google Keyword Planner” and “Ubersuggest”.

This strategy is important for you to put in place because it allows you to be referenced on the keywords in the language of your target, and also to be referenced on the cities of your target.

Adapt to the country culture?

If you want to win the attention of a foreign population, you have to be able to marry their way of life, their language, their language, their behavior with your brand in the local market.

In web marketing, we talk about “taking into account the digital culture between countries”. This ranges from popular expressions, popular slang in the target localities, semiotics (sign language, images, illustrations, etc.), various popular festivals, national holidays, traditional festivals, etc.

You must include all these elements in your site creation process and your Shopify online store. Remember that your international customers should have the same user experience as your local customers.

So many elements to integrate into the design of your e-shop depending on the country. For example, the Germans place particular emphasis on reinsurance elements (delivery conditions, return conditions, GTC, etc.). To capture their attention, it will therefore be necessary to make these elements more visible.

Based on the above, you have the choice between designing a single site with a multilingual directory, or a site by domain name (country/language). Internet users from different countries will thus be able to connect to their country and find the related cultural elements by clicking on the sub-directory or on the domain name that concerns them. This choice is particularly important for search engines that prefer a domain extension such as this: www.yoursite. country extension: www.tamaragency.fr or www.tamaragency.de etc etc.

You will also need to use a professional translator to translate your site effectively into the different official languages ​​of the target countries. Thus, the home page, the product sheets, the terms of purchase and delivery will have to be translated so as not to cut short the user's experience.

In addition, the handling of your customers' requests via customer service must also be multilingual. The main media, namely telephone, e-mail and live chat, must therefore be available in several languages.

Partnering with locals?

The localization of the business strategy is an element of reassurance that reassures online buyers. It helps them not to feel that they are buying abroad. To achieve this, you can bet on local influencers.

These have the advantage of being widely followed on social networks (Facebook, Youtube, Instagram etc.) by target populations and they can constitute a base of profitable and effective consumers. They will be able to promote your products and services, thus playing on your brand image abroad.

Those accustomed to seeing your offers will quickly become familiar with them and will not hesitate to place orders on time. You can also choose to open offices in the target countries or forge quality partnerships with local companies.

Whichever option you choose, rest assured that you have a robust supply chain that allows your local partners to make regular deliveries to your customers.

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Finally, international e-commerce...?

What is international e-commerce?

It appears that international e-commerce is a profitable and fluorescent activity. It can boost your turnover and make you embrace fortunes in a short period of time. Only, it is a fairly popular sector where it will be necessary to have the essential keys to get out of the game.

How to develop your brand internationally?

We have provided you with the three main keys in this file, in particular "carry out a study of the competition of the target market", "adapt to the culture of the countries prospected" and "make partnerships with the locals".

How to reach your target audience internationally?

Take an interest in your international prospects, discover their areas of interest. Do a market study and above all make partnerships to establish a brand image in the minds of your potential prospects.