Going Global With Your Online Store

Opening up your online store to the rest of the world could dramatically increase business. However, there are obstacles to contend with including having to negotiate different currencies, different laws and different languages. This guide explains more as to some of the steps you’ll need to take before accepting business from other countries.

Set up international payment processing
To be able to accept foreign currencies, you will need to set up an international online payment processor. These payment gateways are able to process transactions in a variety of popular currencies from around the world. You can then store these currencies in a multi-currency account. International payment processing is available here and via many other payment processing services. Some even allow the option to accept crypto payments. Discover options for your business to complete financial transactions, it will help your bottom line while minimizing delays. Investigating other payment processing companies may show reduced transaction fees, lower exchange rates, and quality invoice protection. Using these features as guidelines, you can choose a service that offers the most value and convenience in handling cross-border payments. Not only that but many payment processors also provide various tools and integrations to make the payment process more streamlined for you and your customers, which can help significantly in managing and tracking transactions across different currencies. It is a careful and very secure manner of processing all the methods of payments that you can use in your global market and ensures that you are using the most effective form of doing so.

Consider international versions of your website
There are two approaches to website design when it comes to attracting international customers. You can either create a single responsive website that displays differently depending on what country a customer is visiting from. Alternatively, you can create international versions of your website with different content. The latter option can allow you to completely redesign your website for those in other specific countries to appeal to them more. This can be useful if you want to target a specific foreign country such as Germany or Japan.

Compare international couriers
There are specialist couriers out there that can help you find the cheapest, fastest or greenest shipping route. They can also help you when it comes to shipping duties and tax. It is important that you connect with one of these couriers before you start accepting international orders. Spend time shopping around for couriers to find the best rated and most affordable option.

Consider drop-shipping
Drop-shipping involves storing products in overseas warehouses where they can be more easily and quickly shipped to foreign locations. These warehouse spaces are outsourced and staff there are able to handle packaging and shipping for you. Drop-shipping could help you to attract customers by reducing shipping fees and times for customers. It is worth drop-shipping products in several key locations around the world if you plan to sell to customers all over the globe.

Adjust pricing for additional fees
There could be additional fees required when selling to other countries including shipping fees or VAT. Make sure to adjust pricing for customers in other countries so that you’re still making a profit on each purchase. Using the right couriers and using drop-shipping services could help bring down fees so that you don’t have to charge foreign customers too much.

Make sure your products comply with international laws
Some products cannot be sold in certain countries. It is important to make sure that each of your products complies with local laws before introducing them to another country’s market. If you are selling food products within packaging, consider that there could be different labelling laws – which could mean investing in new packaging.

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