Analyzing the local market
Companies that want to sell abroad online cannot ignore the knowledge of the cultural context, consumer habits and competitors' offerings.
Studying the local context in which you intend to operate will therefore be a fundamental element to calibrate your offer adequately, taking advantage of the growth e-commerce sectors: you will have to overcome language barriers by adapting your online store with a translation of the content and all aspects related to the sales methods. It will then be important to know habits and customs to intercept particularly favorable moments for your business in order to organize marketing activities such as promotional campaigns and targeted offers. Even the identification of possible local partners to collaborate with could be a useful advantage to shorten the distances between you and consumers.
Study the regulations of the reference countries for e-commerce
Among the most important aspects to consider when you want to sell online abroad are the reference regulations. These are the laws and rules of the country where the consumer resides that must be complied with to avoid running into delays in deliveries, blockages of goods at borders or sanctions. Let us examine some examples:
If the objective is online sales abroad in European Union countries, the reference legislation is unique and homogeneous. This is EU Directive 31/2000, which through the Geo Blocking measure protects consumers residing in the European Union by preventing geographic blocks between countries, discriminatory forms based on nationality or the application of different conditions of access to goods and services depending on the place of residence.
The situation is different for non-European countries, for which it is necessary to know the customs regulations and to inform yourself carefully to know if there are restrictions regarding your business. China for example, one of the largest online markets in the world, has released the List of CBEC Retail Imports, the so-called Positive List, which collects all the products that can be marketed in the Asian country.
However, there are some universally valid general rules to take into consideration and which concern the clarity of e-commerce sales contracts abroad, the guarantees related to the conformity of the goods, which must meet the requirements of the laws of the country in which you intend to operate, the payment methods, the rules relating to returns. You will then have to carefully evaluate whether there are particular shipping costs, taxes or the presence of any customs duties.
Marketplace or proprietary e-commerce to sell abroad?
There are various ways to sell abroad via e-commerce and they can influence the weight of the initial investment. Here are the main ones:
If you intend to leave with a minimum amount, the advice is to rely on the numerous marketplaces present on the web, such as Amazon, eBay, Spartoo, ePrice and others. These platforms, which have millions of users, play an intermediary role in B2C: they provide sellers with a space to propose their products to a vast clientele by exploiting their structure and reliability. In exchange, the marketplace retains a percentage of the transaction of the item sold. This sales method represents an excellent tool for testing products and pricing policies in foreign markets.
To avoid that a part of the sales is absorbed by intermediaries, it is possible to base your business on a private platform, opening a proprietary e-commerce business. In this case, it is necessary to invest economic resources to be allocated to the setup of the site, programming and management of the online shop. It is also advisable to activate a collaboration channel with specialized companies for the logistics part in order to make the warehouse management and shipping operations smoother and faster.
Outsourcing logistics management
If the role of logistics appears fundamental when operating in the local market, it is essential in activities that aim to expand their offering and sell online abroad. The quality of transport, professional packaging of the goods and the possibility of providing updates on the status of the shipment are fundamental elements for adequate customer service.
In a context characterized by sales in foreign markets, a partner specialized in logistics can provide a contribution of considerable importance, since it knows the regulations of foreign countries and provides adequate support to the needs of sellers first and then customers even in the event of delays, problematic shipments or customs obstacles.
To start an e-commerce business abroad, rely on MBE: the wide range of solutions for international shipping allows companies to be accompanied during the management of the entire process, from warehouse management to packaging, from order shipping to returns management, documentation and parcel tracking.
Thanks to automated processes and the experience of qualified personnel, MBE Centers help companies that want to sell online to efficiently manage e-commerce shipments, thus saving resources and precious time.
