Making a Global Business: 4 Steps to Digitalize Business
Steps to Digitalizing for Global Growth
In the dynamic landscape of today's economy, global market expansion has become an increasingly vital aspect of growing a business. It is a strategic move that can lead to new customers and diverse sources of revenue, helping merchants move beyond their reliance on just one country or region.
The benefits of global expansion are undeniable, but it is a challenging endeavor. The key to success lies in selecting the right tools for digitalization. Merchants should consider these four steps to optimize their resources in ways that support secure and steady growth.
1. Prepare for international website traffic
Merchants preparing to enter global markets will need to ensure their eCommerce website is ready to accommodate international customers. Both user experience and backend website management should be top priorities, and this can be accomplished by working with developers who have proven global capabilities.
Look for a development team with experience using global eCommerce engines that allow for composable solutions; this technology will enable merchants to deliver a best-in-class user experience for website visitors from across the globe.
A good partner can recommend and implement components that easily integrate with each other to provide the features and functions required to serve a global audience, such as:
- Displaying the correct language, product catalog, pricing, currency, and shipping rates for customers in different global regions
- Using a web hosting service that enables a smooth and efficient shopping experience with minimal page loading times
- Displaying regionally specific shipping options at checkout and selecting a platform that can automate returns
In addition to optimizing a website’s functionality for global eCommerce, a search engine optimization (SEO) specialist can help merchants review existing website copy and make sure that all new copy includes industry- and audience-relevant keywords and phrases.
2. Implement a digital marketing strategy
For merchants entering international markets, paid marketing helps build brand awareness, reach specific audiences, and deliver measurable results that can be used to inform and optimize marketing efforts as business grows.
Merchants who are ready to invest in digital marketing can consider a strategy that includes a mix of touchpoints that they can scale up or down as their objectives and goals evolve:
- Social media marketing: A robust social media presence can help merchants actively engage with their audiences and ensure they invest in the platforms most relevant to their regions and markets.
- Email marketing: Targeted email campaigns that include personalized messaging based on regional and cultural preferences can deeply resonate with a merchant’s target audience and help make impactful connections.
- Paid advertising: Platforms that offer paid advertising to help merchants amplify their reach and attract a wider audience to their eCommerce sites.
3. Get help with customer support
One challenge businesses face during periods of growth is ensuring that customer experience remains consistently positive. Factors like supply chain disruptions and global events can put a strain on businesses that may impact customer experience—but there are tools available to merchants who want to ensure they are doing everything in their power to deliver on shoppers’ expectations.
eCommerce helpdesk software streamlines customer support operations by centralizing customer data and orders. Everything is stored in one place to ensure consistency and efficiency, and the data captured can provide valuable customer insights. Most helpdesk systems are scalable, providing merchants with a customer service solution that can adapt as their business grows, and many now include artificial intelligence capabilities that can quickly identify and resolve customer inquiries.
In the global marketplace, multilingual customer support can be a powerful way for businesses to communicate their commitment to customers in different regions. One way to achieve this is with employees fluent in multiple languages. However, not all merchants may be ready to invest in hiring. When that is the case, another option is to use a multilingual chatbot that can detect a customer’s locale or language via their browser or provide an option to choose the language they prefer. Some helpdesk software packages include this feature.
4. Accept multiple forms of payment
Similar to international currencies, different countries and regions have different preferred payment methods. Accepting multiple forms of payment at checkout makes merchants accessible to more international customers in lucrative global markets.
Payments in multiple regional markets can be challenging to manage, but a payments provider like Discover® Global Network can help merchants navigate payments innovations , work with local acquiring banks, and understand the locale’s permitted and popular payment methods to decide which to offer in each market.
Card acceptance is another critical consideration. Discover Global Network connects merchants to a fast and seamless network that ensures they are ready to accept the cards used by customers worldwide.
The information provided herein is sponsored by Discover® Global Network. It is intended for informational purposes, and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice.