So you’ve just established your very own online business internationally. Your website is finally live and your friends and family are madly sharing around the URL. Congratulations. You’re officially one step closer to living the dream lifestyle of a digital nomad. Expanding your online business internationally offers exciting opportunities for growth and diversification, but it also comes with unique challenges.
Views, clicks, and shares start rolling in. Your vision has come to fruition in all its glory. You’re beside yourself as you manifest a hypothetical idea into your new source of income, fleshed out and embodied for the entire world to see.
The first few weeks were a dream. After a while, you begrudgingly notice that numbers are dwindling. Sales are either low or at the same humble level, constantly. You still need a steady amount of sales to break even on spending. You start to become overwhelmed by the stress of being self-employed.
After settling into the sole trader lifestyle, you quickly learn that there’s a whole lot you need to know, even if almost anyone can start their own online business internationally provided they have a good idea.
You start researching endlessly in your free time for tips and tricks for operating your own e-commerce business. You learn a lot but realize that your learning is becoming a part-time job. Please consider further education, preferably online so you can continue in your digital nomadic ways. An Australian online MBA, or Masters of Business Administration, is an option for gaining the knowledge and skills to leverage your own business.
In the meantime, let’s examine how you can grow your online business on an international scale, all from the comfort of your own home.
What is your Niche?
At the forefront of any e-commerce business is a specific niche and its corresponding demand. It’s likely you’ve already established your niche, however, it’s important to remember its role when it comes to marketing your online business internationally.
Your clients have come to you to seek a very specific product or service. Put yourself in their shoes at all times. What kind of service would you like to receive? How would you feel if you received personalized marketing for a specific product or service you were looking for?
Understanding your niche product or service likewise involves thoroughly understanding your specific audience and consumers.
Who is Your Audience?
Understanding your audience and clients applies on a plethora of different levels. Firstly, you ought to have developed your product or service with a clear picture of your specific consumer’s needs in mind. Secondly, you should provide a product or service you, as a customer, would be thrilled to purchase. Thirdly, utilize the world of data that the online realm presents.
It’s commonplace to measure data about your consumers to understand customer behaviour and preferences. Use this to create your buyer persona, or the personality traits typical of your specific target audience. Once you have a transparent understanding of what that person looks like, use it again when it comes to marketing your business.
Ensure You Have Interactive Options
Did you know that in February 2023, 80.4% of the Australian population had an active social media account? What’s more, in the same month, 38.3% of Australians said they use social media when searching for information about a brand.
Ensure you’re up to date by allowing your brand to build a social media presence. Allow an interactive, two-way communication channel between you and your customers. Build rapport and watch as customer reviews impact the reach of your brand. A 2022 study found that a whopping 98% of Australians read online reviews before they made a purchase. Customer service is now a two-way street. Providing exceptional service and the experiences of past customers will impact that of your future ones.
Utilise Video Content
Building on the previous note on the importance of social media and its growing role in e-commerce, video content is rife across social media. In 2021, 85% of all Internet users in Australia consume online video content on any device. Video is an engaging audio-visual platform that can convey abundant meaning in mere seconds. Though it may require a lot of hands-on work, video content is the key to engaging audiences fast, especially the younger Gen Z audiences or the ‘Tik Tok generation’.
Video content can be utilized for direct or indirect marketing. In the latter case, think of casual conversational-like company blogs, podcasts, and lifestyle channels that provide more nuanced content marketing. Content marketing is centered on topics, hobbies, and interests that relate directly to your product. It’s less in-your-face, soft suggestions in the context of the viewer’s interests, rather than the hard pitching that consumers have frankly seen enough of in this day and age.
When it comes to growing your online business internationally, consider who you are selling to and why. Your niche and your audience are your be-all and end-all. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes at every opportunity. Also, consider the channels and forms of your marketing content. Social media is a routine communication platform that should be utilized in some shape or form. Video content packs a punch across social media and beyond. Though involving more work, video content for marketing and specific content marketing is a great way to engage a wider audience.
