The world of e-commerce is indeed just that: it covers the world. Or at least, potentially it does. While it’s more likely that a majority of the business that you will do will be in the country in which you originate, it’s likely better for business if you expand your online footprint to other countries.
That’s when cross-border e-commerce comes into play. Systems that make this possible are out there and are relatively affordable, but it’s important to think about some factors before using these types of systems.
Experts who talk about using cross-border payments in The Paypers tech news website note that a localized approach is needed to make it work. That means getting to know the language and cultural differences of each audience and having a space on your commerce website to meet those needs.
Navigating different types of currency
It’s also best to have systems that will take and covert different types of currency, for example, from U.S. dollars to Canadian dollars to the British pound or the Euro. Having options that go beyond just a single type of credit card will be helpful to prospects and customers.
Having a subject-matter expert around — or becoming that expert yourself — will be key to helping with international e-commerce. Knowing what tax laws, compliance and regulations are key in different countries is essential to set up the system in which you are working. This also includes data regulations, which can sometimes vary from country to country. Finding out how this works on your own — or using a trusted expert to help — can be important to managing success.
According to a stat cited on the news website Pymnts, global cross-border payments are estimated at $156 trillion for 2022. One company cited as an example was the cosmetics retailer 100% Pure, which is based in the U.S., but now sells to everyone an ecommerce portal.
“It was a big deal when we finally combined the websites and figured out, we can have our U.K. customers, our European customers, our Canadian customers,” says company founder Ric Kostick.
Transparency is important
The best idea is to have the e-commerce transactions online feel seamless, no matter your home country. A huge part of this is transparency. That means making sure that customers know specifically how they can pay, how long it will take for them to receive their goods and how they can contact the company or its partners for questions or concerns.
ARO can also be there for you when it comes to customer contact. Among our offerings are customer care and cure programs, where we can provide technical support, welcome call programs and tailored inbound or outbound customer contact programs depending on the situation. Find out more on our website.
