In this article, we’ll show you how to increase your international sales through Marketplaces, what you need to know to get started and/or ensure your future, the factors to take into account and the pitfalls to avoid.
Opening up to international e-commerce is a real challenge for all merchants. And with good reason: the stakes are high! They need to set out to conquer the world without losing massive amounts of time and money, and to ensure their long-term profitability.
Marketplaces, whether in France or abroad, are an indispensable solution. They offer unrivalled leverage and make it easier to penetrate international markets. And with good reason: according to Forrester, 67% of global e-commerce sales in 2022 will be made via Marketplaces.
But you still need to be able to meet the performance requirements they demand, and above all… to be as well prepared as possible! It’s true that international e-commerce requires a sound knowledge of international markets, and in particular of the specificities of each country (languages, administrative procedures, currency management, e-commerce maturity…).
Perform a check-up before taking the plunge
If you’ve decided to start an international e-commerce business, it’s important to ask yourself the right questions first:
- Where would you like to set up?
- Which countries can you deliver to?
- Can you manage customer relations?
What criteria should you take into account when preparing for international e-commerce?
For you, Shippingbo has defined 5 criteria that your company can rely on to prepare itself in the best possible way. Discover all these criteria, as well as a list of players you can rely on to help you launch your international e-commerce business.
- The first criterion to take into account for your company is the choice of country in which it wishes to establish itself:
- What are the constraints? For example, what languages will the assembly instructions be in?
- How does delivery work in this country? Types of accommodation, addresses and, above all, payment
- What are the legal rules? Regulations governing the sale of products in certain countries.
→ Contacts: export-related organizations (CCI, BPI France)
- The second criterion that seems important to emphasize relates to the specificity of the language:
- How do you interact with the consumer?
- Think about language management: translate product data sheets and after-sales service with the contact person.
- Which alphabet is used?
→ Players to contact: translators and feed aggregators and GRC aggregators
- The third criterion to watch out for is the level of maturity of e-commerce markets:
- Check the chosen country’s level of maturity, both in terms of consumers and technological maturity,
- The conditions imposed by Marketplaces.
→ Players to contact: local and international generalist marketplaces (Kaufland/ Amazon) and local and international specialist marketplaces (Manor/Zalando).
Launch with peace of mind thanks to robust, appropriate technology
To ensure your profitability abroad, your logistics need to be up and running. National expansion can already be complicated to manage, and therefore a challenge in itself. It’s better for you to be armed to conquer new markets with peace of mind!
Shippingbo is your ally. An all-in-one solution combining an OMS, a WMS and a TMS, it automates your entire supply chain, from order collection to dispatch. All the manual tasks involved in logistics are eliminated, order pickers are much more efficient, and shipping your orders is greatly simplified, whatever the carrier(s) used or the number and location of your warehouses. And that’s a guarantee that your delivery promises will always be kept!
A channel and warehouse management solution for merchants
From omnichannel sales to hybrid omnichannel logistics: no longer choose between in-house and outsourced logistics. Shippingbo enables you to manage all your warehouses, whether internal or external. Each merchant can then both create and evolve his logistics in a “Logistic as a Service” spirit, to perform in his omnichannel e-commerce strategy.
Watch out for marketplaces’ performance indicators
Marketplaces are imposing ever-higher performance standards on their sellers, in order to deliver the best possible quality of service to consumers. Sellers’ performance is crucial to the reputation and notoriety of marketplaces: they are therefore uncompromising about the quality of service they provide, and impose very strict rules on their sellers.
For example, the Amazon marketplace has invented a scoring system called “Perfect Order Percentage”, which defines a perfect order according to a number of criteria:
→ 97% of deliveries made on time
→ < 4% late delivery rate
→ < 72h delivery time (the norm: D+1 delivery)
→ 97% traceability (parcel tracking)
→ < 2.5% cancellation or refund rate
→ 90% customer response time within 24 hours
→ Customer reviews: a maximum of 5 stars
On the other hand, consumers are becoming increasingly demanding, requiring merchants to be ever more efficient and to differentiate themselves in the experience they deliver (personalization, proximity, recurring communications, order tracking, etc.).
Success in International E-Commerce: Practical Advice
- Delivery and payment management Delivery management is crucial to any online business. Offer different delivery methods, adapted to the needs of consumers in each market. In addition, allow consumers to pay in their local currency to avoid exorbitant conversion charges.
- Optimize communication Communicate with your customers, taking into account the linguistic and cultural specificities of each country. For example, French consumers often prefer to buy from websites in French, with clear information on delivery and payment terms.
- Optimization for SEO Make sure your website is optimized for SEO to attract as many visitors as possible. This means having clear and precise product descriptions, with relevant keywords for each market.
- Compliance with regulations Find out about the laws in force in each country and comply with them scrupulously. Regulations concerning personal data protection and consumer rights may vary from one country to another.
- Adapt to local needs Adapt your strategy to the specific needs of each market. This may involve adjusting your product offering, payment terms, or delivery options.
By following these tips, you’ll be able to optimize your international e-commerce business, while respecting the specificities of each market and meeting consumer needs.
Sell e-commerce internationally with Shippingbo
Marketplaces are therefore an excellent springboard for international sales, provided you are well prepared in advance and meet the criteria of excellence they set. If you’d like to get started in international e-commerce, we hope this article has helped you to see things more clearly and to prepare yourself as well as possible.
If you’d like to find out more about this topic and benefit from further advice, don’t hesitate to watch the replay of our webinar “international e-commerce: how to boost sales through marketplaces.”
Learn how to :
- Carry out in-depth market analysis,
- Set up a coherent deployment plan,
- Have a list of players you can rely on for international sales.
