3 Kids and Us

4 Common Hurdles to Overcome in Global Ecommerce

by

Accompanying the rise in popularity of online shopping are increasing global ecommerce opportunities. Shoppers can get the latest and greatest products with just a few clicks, even if their favorite store is literally an ocean away. Brands can also pursue an omni-channel approach—offering physical stores and online-only options for shoppers near and far. It’s an exciting time for the industry.

But global ecommerce, while rewarding, is not effortless. It requires handling more moving parts to facilitate smooth, secure international sales. Here are four common global ecommerce hurdles entrepreneurs will have to overcome to be competitive in a worldwide market. 

Payment

Accepting payment on an international scale is a multi-faceted challenge. How can customers pay? How does payment preference vary by location? How can you ensure secure payment regardless of endpoint device or location?

The first step is understanding the needs and wants of your target market. As CPC Strategy writes, consumers prefer different payment methods depending on what they’re accustomed to using. While over half of shoppers in Japan prefer to pay with a credit card online, 70 percent of shoppers in Germany would choose Bank Wire Transfer or Direct Debit as a payment method. Failing to offer the best payment method to customers could cause them to abandon their carts and shop elsewhere.

Global ecommerce payment innovation has progressed in leaps and bounds, and cloud based ecommerce solutions have allowed online stores to expand their range of payment options without sacrificing security. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) becomes even more important when you’re crossing borders. 

Language

To sell to an international customer base, you’ll have to speak their language and a quick auto translation will do more harm than good. Take this cautionary tale courtesy of Business News Daily: When KFC opened in Beijing in the 1980s, its slogan “finger-lickin’ good” translated to “eat your fingers off.”

In addition to accurately translating your online store’s offerings, including the home page, product descriptions and your contact information; you’ll have to implement customer service channels capable of handling inquiries in different languages and time zones. Simple, accurate translation often starts with your platform itself. For example, several of Shopify’s themes come translation ready—all your team has to do is select the language. 

Legalities

What may be legal to sell in your country may be illegal in another. Before you offer any products worldwide, do your due diligence—especially if you sell sensitive products. For example, some countries have strict rules regarding disclosure on nutritional labels. It’s your job to know your industry and how it relates to local laws so your ecommerce store does not accidentally land itself in hot water by violating them. 

Logistics

Logistics like shipping are especially important when it comes to online sales. When a shipment arrives and is cleared by customs, a logistics company driver must then upload items they need delivering and take them to designated pickup stations or delivery addresses. Online stores must set forth a firm shipping and delivery policy so customers know exactly what to expect. According to Ecommerce Guide, here are the staples of a solid policy that aims to prevent misunderstandings and costly mistakes:

–Expected delivery timeframe (so international buyers know when to expect packages)

–Cost (while cost may be higher for global shipping, it’s better to be honest up front)

–Special shipping promotions and conditions (free after a threshold, discounted, etc.)

Global ecommerce is on track to grow immensely in the coming months and years. As you set your sights on seamless international sales, face these hurdles head on to figure out the best solution for your customers and your bottom line.

7 Reasons Why You Should Start a Dropshipping Business

by

Dropshipping is becoming a popular business model that many people are using as a way to start a business of their own and/or earn money on the side. With approximately 96 percent of Americans shopping online, dropshipping has really taken off and there is plenty of opportunity in the space to step in and build a successful business of your own. In comparison to other business models, dropshipping is more affordable to get started, easier to operate, can be run from anywhere at any time, and more. You can even dropship with Shopify sites and through other retail sites like Amazon and eBay.

If you’re looking into starting a side hustle or a business of your own, then here are seven reasons why you should consider starting a dropshipping business:

  1.  Startup Costs are Low

The cost of starting up a business will vary depending on the type of business you want to start, but studies have found that you will generally need at least $30,000 in order to get your business going. Unless you’re starting a dropshipping business, that is. When you opt for a dropshipping model, you don’t have to rent a building, hire on a full staff, find warehouse space and purchase inventory, etc. You simply facilitate purchases between the manufacturer and customer, so all you really need is a supplier, a website and domain name, and some marketing.

  1.  You Can Offer a Wide Variety of Products

When you start a business, it’s generally a good idea to keep control of your product offering and only offer products that are related to your brand and niche. While it’s good advice to follow and you can definitely stick to it with a dropshipping model, you don’t always have to. Dropshipping allows you to offer a wide variety of products from household cleaners and hygiene products to tech gadgets and apparel.

  1.  It’s Scalable

Scalability is a big issue that many businesses face. As they grow, they may not have the systems or tools necessary to meet the new demands being place on their business, which can cause some serious growing pains and sometimes even major setbacks. With a dropshipping business, though, it’s easy to scale. Since you simply take and submit orders to the manufacturer, you won’t necessarily need to upgrade your systems, expand your inventory, etc.

You may need to upgrade the plan on your website to accept more orders, but you shouldn’t have to do a whole lot else in order to scale as your business grows.

  1.  You Can Reach More Customers

Last year, the estimated 1.66 billion online shoppers worldwide spent over $2 trillion. With so many shoppers online these days, it’s important to get your business online too. Since dropshipping is a business that is done through the Internet, it’s easier than ever to get in front of more shoppers than you would if you were simply operating a brick and mortar store. Additionally, when you dropship, you can market to customers all over the nation, or even all over the world, helping you expand your market and reach more customers on a regular basis.

  1.  You Can Dropship from Anywhere

A lot of people dream of starting their own business and breaking free of their regular jobs. One of the biggest reasons people want to start their own business is to take control of their schedule and work on their terms. You do get a certain amount of control and flexibility when you start a business of your own, but when you start a dropshipping business, you have more flexibility than you would if you started another type of business. Since you’re not tied down to an office or a warehouse, you can dropship from anywhere, allowing you to travel, (for business or for pleasure), and get work done on your own terms.

  1.  There’s Plenty of Opportunity and Need in the Space

As more and more people turn to the Internet to do their shopping, there are plenty of dropshipping opportunities that open up. Not only that, but people will often look for niche, or specific items, creating even more need and opportunity in the space that is just waiting to be taken advantage of. Starting a dropshipping business now will give you the chance to get into the market and establish yourself, build up authority, and grow your business over the coming years.

  1.  It’s Easy to Manage

Between the finances, the products, the marketing, the employees, the building, and everything else that goes into running a business, they can sometimes be difficult to manage, especially on your own. When you start a dropshipping business, though, you don’t have to deal with a lot of that stuff, making it easy to manage yourself and keep control of, even as it grows and gets bigger.

In Conclusion

Dropshipping is a great business model to consider if you’re looking into starting a business of your own. From enabling you to work from anywhere on your terms and letting you manage it on your own even as it grows to allowing you to offer a wider variety of products than you might otherwise have been able to, dropshipping is a good way to go for many entrepreneurs.

What other reasons are causing you to consider a dropshipping business?

5 Ways to Improve Your Online Business

by

When it comes to business, you should always be looking to improve as no one has ever been successful by doing the opposite. Online businesses usually have more flexibility than a strictly location-based business; however, many companies are doing both. It’s great to live in a world of options, and you are only limited by your imagination. If you’re looking to succeed, check out these five ways to improve your online business.

VPN’s

A virtual private network should be just private. As the online world grows, so does the online criminal activity. Make sure that whatever company you are using for, your VPN uses an encrypted network. Doing otherwise could easily leave you open to being compromised, an area you don’t want your business to go.

Packaged Services

Rather than buying your services all over the place, it’s likely going to save you money and headache by getting as many services as you can in one place. A good service provider will offer things like custom firewalls, emergency off-hour services, vulnerability scanning, and host-based intrusion protection to name just a few. Doing a bit of research upfront will save your time and money down the road.

Local Support

It’s great to work with a business that is globally diverse; however, when you have a problem, you might find it more beneficial when that problem can be dealt with right in your own country. Using a company that has engineers in your own backyard will likely make it easier to relate to you, and then solve your problem the best way possible.

Dedication

For your online business to run smoother and more efficiently you are going to want to use a dedicated server. Utilizing the right company that gives a completely dedicated server will ensure that whatever you are running is faster and can be configured to your exact needs. As a basic feature, you should also be offered RAM and disk configuration so that you know it’s all about you.

Get The Latest

Don’t mess around with outdated technology, use the best and forget the rest. Put the services of Dell to use for you, pick a company that utilises the latest generation Dell chassis with high-performance Intel Xeon CPUs. When it comes to technology, you are only as good as the latest edition.

There are many hosting companies available out there, but not all are created equal. When you are looking to choose the perfect one that allows the most value for money, it is important to shop around. Look for companies that can offer you more services all under one roof, great security and has support staff that can locally relate to what you need help with now. All of this and more can be found in great companies like Memset.com, a great place to get hosting services and plenty of other services to help with your online business. It always pays to improve your business, for both you and the clients you serve.

Recent Posts

Write For Us

Like What You See?

We left our home in Sydney, Australia many moons ago in May 2012 and, other than a brief stint back in Perth for Christmas and a wedding in early 2014, we have been travelling the world nomadically ever since, running a business from our laptops and we’re here to show you how to do it!