Plan for your organisation’s success in international e-commerce

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Did you know that 1.6 billion shoppers worldwide are predicted to be online by the end of 2018? This stat alone could transform your small or mid-sized business.

With cross-border e-commerce growing at twice the rate of domestic online sales, your organisation needs a strong e-commerce strategy, and it should be global in scale. If you want to grow and succeed in a competitive, interconnected world, you need to reach your share of the billions of consumers who live beyond our borders.

Remember, your competitors are also global (or may soon be), and they may be based in countries around the world. You need to make sure you are operating on the same playing field, and there is more help available today than ever before to make it happen.

A recent webinar presented by DHL explores some of the ways that small and mid-sized companies can benefit from cross-border e-commerce, and how they can begin to plot a successful global course. The free webinar outlines the speed at which cross-border transactions are growing, and suggests the key elements that businesses need to have in place in order to meet the needs of global consumers.

Were you aware that, according to a MetaPack research report, 68% of millennials around the globe would choose an online retailer solely because of delivery options? Or that one out of every US$10 spent on cross-border e-commerce involves an express delivery option? As the DHL webinar shows, in addition to creating a website and marketing strategy that reflects the demands and cultural concerns of international audiences, you need to understand the kinds of shipping and delivery options that are essential to cross-border success.

Ultimately, to launch a global e-commerce plan, you must research the markets that will work best for your products; understand customs requirements and border clearance processes; communicate in a way that your international audiences will understand, including on social media; and offer the right international shipping and returns options that global consumers want.

Your shipping partner can help guide you, and may offer resources and digital tools to boost your efforts. At DHL a dedicated focus on international shipping and logistics has allowed us to compile a wealth of information for our customers.

Nemer Abohasen is vice president and GM of the Midwest US for DHL Express. This article was originally published on the DHL Expressed blog.