Cindy King
Cross-Cultural Marketer & International Sales Specialist
Over 25 years field experience in aligning cultural offers for international sales.
International content strategy
Custom publishing in English to build international markets B2B international lead generation
40km south of Paris, France - GMT+1
Cell: +33 6 98 91 86 11
Follow me on Twitter
Get International Clients
Some companies feel they have a global market ecommerce with an online presence. But are the international clients coming to your online store? And if they are, how did they find you? Does your online website have a real presence in foreign countries?
Once you have a local or national business operating through a website, there are a few steps you can take to develop your market further abroad.
Targeting international markets still involves the same type of market analysis you needed for your current business. Often a bit more market analysis is needed to allow for the cultural adaptation of your products. This market research is multiplied by the number of countries you would like to do business in.
Assess your communication
Then you must step back and look at your current means of communication. The website you have for your own local market. How would foreigners react to your website?
There are a few general questions to ask yourself.
- Is your website clear and easy to understand?
- Could an 8 year old easily understand what your company does?
- Do you only provide an 800 number? Do foreigners know how to reach you? Put in your local land line telephone number. Give your full physical address.
- Is your order form compatible for international addresses, or does it get stuck if you don't put in an American State code? Make sure your order forms have enough lines for foreign addresses.
- Do you use one specific word for things? - having two or three ways for saying one thing makes it harder for foreigners to follow you. Choose between "car" and "vehicle". It is a good idea to create a glossary of company terms - you will greatly appreciate this later on.
- Do you use specific cultural expressions or slang? Keep your communication easy to understand by everyone.
- Does your website refer to specific national holidays? Is that something you should change?
- Do you have any embedded words in your diagrams? Avoid them and it will make it easy for you to translate any images later on.
Making these changes should not take away the strength of your sales message to your local market. The good practices for an effective website in your local market are very similar. Taking those local good practices a little further will open your website up for international expansion. Your communication will become clearer to your international clients.
Once you make these transitions to your current website you will be on your way to your next transition towards an international business: Localized Websites.
Are you committed to speeding up your international sales cycles?
Learn how to combine cross-cultural marketing tools and international sales strategies for faster sales.
Join us on the International Sales Road Map
Would you like to develop your international business?
Are you a beginner at international sales and marketing?
Read the Beginners Guide Discover Your International Business
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