Expanding beyond national borders and conquering the global market is a dream for many e-commerce companies. However, going international is not without its challenges. Fortunately, there are technological tools designed to simplify this transition and maximise your potential for success. In this article, we’ll explore 6 solutions that can propel your e-commerce business into the international arena!
International online shops: what’s at stake?
Expanding an e-commerce business internationally involves a host of issues that can radically transform a company’s scope and effectiveness. The main issues to be anticipated include :
- Localisation: this involves not only translating the content of the site, but also adapting products, marketing and customer service to local cultures in order to respond effectively to the specific needs and preferences of each market.
- Regulations and compliance: these vary from country to country, including data protection laws, product safety standards and customs duties. Navigating these regulatory complexities without compromising operational efficiency is a major challenge
- International logistics: this requires careful planning to ensure efficient and cost-effective deliveries. This includes choosing the right logistics partners and managing returns, which can be costly and logistically complicated
- Local payment preferences: offering familiar and secure payment options is essential to maximise conversions and customer confidence
6 essential tools and solutions for developing international e-commerce
1. Multilingual and multicurrency e-commerce platforms
Multilingual and multicurrency e-commerce platforms are key technology tools for companies looking to expand into the international market. They enable companies to offer their international e-commerce and content in multiple languages, which is crucial to attracting and retaining customers from different language regions. They offer integrated translation systems or the possibility of connecting external translation services.
In addition, the ability to process transactions in several currencies is fundamental to facilitating purchases by international customers. These platforms allow users to view prices, make purchases in their local currency and calculate conversion costs automatically. This eliminates financial barriers and increases price transparency, which can significantly improve the shopping experience and reduce basket abandonment rates.
When operating in several countries, the legal and regulatory aspects become complex for an international e-commerce site. Multilingual and multicurrency e-commerce platforms are designed to help businesses deal with these complexities by integrating functionalities that comply with local laws on VAT, customs and other commercial regulations.
2. International payment solutions
International payment solutions are essential for companies wishing to expand into global markets. These tools enable transactions to be managed efficiently across different currencies and regulatory compliances, allowing e-tailers to offer their products and services in their customers’ local currency. This functionality is crucial for simplifying the shopping experience, minimising exchange rate confusion, and potentially increasing conversions by providing price transparency.
Being present in different markets means offering different payment methods. For example, while credit cards are widely used in the US, other countries may prefer payment via e-wallets or even cash on delivery methods. International payment solutions incorporate a wide range of methods to meet local preferences and increase customer satisfaction.
Compliance with local financial regulations is complicated, but essential for operating internationally. International payment solutions ensure that transactions comply with PCI DSS standards, data protection laws such as the RGPD in Europe, and other regulatory directives.
These dedicated international e-commerce tools also help to minimise transaction fees and currency conversion costs, often by negotiating lower rates with payment service providers or using intelligent routing technologies to reduce costs.
3. Location tools
Localisation tools are essential for companies wishing to expand into international markets, as they enable the content of the website and communications to be adapted to the cultural and linguistic specificities of each market. They enable the content of the e-commerce site (including product pages, legal information and navigation aids) to be translated into the language of the target markets.
More than just translations, these solutions developed for international e-commerce help to adapt content so that it resonates with local cultural nuances, which is crucial for avoiding misunderstandings and boosting user engagement. Beyond words, localisation encompasses adapting images, colours and design to match local preferences and taboos. For example, the colour or symbols used in one culture may have different connotations in another, influencing brand perception.
Localisation tools enable marketing strategies to be tailored to the specific expectations and behaviour of local customers. This includes the creation of promotions, special offers and advertising campaigns that respond directly to local market trends and demands.
This is because each market has its own laws concerning trade, consumer protection and data confidentiality. Localisation tools help to adapt sales conditions and confidentiality policies to comply with the legal requirements of each region.
4. Logistics and shipping management software
Logistics and shipping management software (WMS and TMS) is essential for companies embarking on international e-commerce. For an international e-commerce site, they enable the shipping process to be automated and coordinated by integrating solutions for calculating shipping rates, choosing carriers and managing routes.
Faced with the various customs and trade regulations around the world, these systems provide real-time updates and guides to ensure shipment compliance. They can automatically generate the necessary documents such as commercial invoices, customs declarations and certificates of origin. This reduces the risk of delays or penalties.
Also, offering the ability to track parcels in real time is crucial to maintaining customer confidence. These systems offer tracking capabilities that allow customers to see the status of their order at any time, improving transparency and customer satisfaction. And by analysing historical data and performance, these tools help to identify the most efficient and least costly routes.
Finally, returns management, which is particularly complex in international e-commerce, can be simplified with these tools. They organise and automate the returns process, helping companies to maintain customer satisfaction and reintegrate returned products into the inventory efficiently.
5. Customer data management (CRM) platforms
Customer relationship management (CRM) platforms for international markets are crucial technology tools for companies looking to expand globally. These sales pipeline systems enable the efficient collection, analysis and management of customer interactions and data across different regions.
International CRM enables information from different channels and markets to be centralised in a single database. This makes it easier to analyse customer behaviour and preferences on a global scale, enabling better strategic and marketing decision-making. These tools for international e-commerce offer advanced functionality for segmenting customers according to various criteria such as geography, buying behaviour, preferences and income level. This enables your sales force to personalise their marketing campaigns and effectively target different segments of your market.
These solutions often incorporate marketing automation tools that enable the deployment of targeted campaigns based on the data collected. These campaigns can include personalised emails, promotions and social network advertising, tailored to the specific characteristics of each market. You’ll be able to measure sales performance, marketing campaign effectiveness and customer satisfaction across different markets.
6. ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) solutions
Inventory and supply chain management tools, such as our LMB ERP, are essential for companies looking to expand internationally. These systems ensure efficient management of stocks, orders and logistics, minimising the risk of stock-outs and optimising costs.
For international e-commerce, this software enables all stock information to be centralised, whether stored in local or international warehouses. Thanks to real-time tracking systems, companies can have an accurate overview of their stock levels.
Advanced inventory management systems use forecasting algorithms based on historical data, market trends and customer behaviour to predict future demand. This helps companies to plan supplies more efficiently, reducing the costs associated with stock surpluses or shortages.
You can also manage warehouse layout, product layout and stock management in real time. These tools often integrate supply chain management functionalities to optimise the transport, storage and distribution of products. This improves operational efficiency and reduces logistics costs.
