Expanding your business overseas can be daunting, but starting small can be a great way to test the waters of international e-commerce, according to the team at InterCultural Elements.

For British entrepreneurs considering international expansion, the United States is a likely first target. A large population, similar buying habits, and a shared language all hint at reasonable crossborder success – but the differences in culture are not insignificant. America is as much a foreign domain as any, and accounting for this diversity is key to your success. These subtleties can be difficult to navigate, especially since the American e-commerce market is one of the most competitive in the world. As a first attempt at international e-commerce, it may be worth exploring other options…

PIGGYBACKING

If you’re a British seller on Amazon, you automatically gain access to posting accounts for the rest of the European Amazon locales. Why not take advantage of this opportunity? Of course, translating all of your listings is a pain, but you may not even have to. One of the simplest and most cost effective ways to start selling internationally is to ‘piggyback’ onto existing Amazon listings. It allows you to initiate sales in a new market almost immediately without any major start-up efforts, minimising your risk and allowing your brand to develop a reputation from those all-important ratings.

Essentially, piggybacking is really a taster, giving you a feeling for how successful you could be.

NEWER MARKETS

An alternative is to look into less saturated, up-and coming markets. Two great examples are Mexico and Japan, both of which now have a variety of marketplace options. As most accounts will still be fledgling, the level of competition is likely to be lower: there will be a negligible number of reviews which will therefore not hold as much weight. It’s a great opportunity to gain first-mover advantage and make a name for yourself in these markets.

NEWER MARKETPLACES

Closer to home than Japan and Mexico are more familiar regions with new or growing marketplaces. Even though Amazon and eBay are two of the most familiar names in the world of e-commerce marketplaces, certain consumers are becoming more and more receptive to ‘alternative’ marketplaces.

France, for example, is without any major leaders in the e-commerce field. Call it patriotism or simply a desire to support French-owned business, the

French consumer is often more likely to look past international companies such as Amazon and eBay in favour of French marketplaces like CDiscount, La Redoute and PriceMinister. Each of these home grown marketplaces has developed their own niche and following. In selling through them, you can reach a wider market and get the most out of the resources you’ve put into preparing your listings.

InterCultural Elements helps businesses to start their international expansion.

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