Highly digital population

A developing domestic e-commerce market

National policies that support crossborder e-commerce – for example, duty-free imports³

Translate for the customers you’re targeting

Some 63% of cross-border shoppers globally say having native language availability on websites or apps is important in their purchase decision. 55% also want social media posts in their native language.¹ Use a professional translator to make sure your communications are accurate and culturally sensitive.

Make sure your product imagery and information are accurate

It’s important that the pictures and descriptions on your website give customers a clear representation of the products. If not, you run the risk of higher volumes of returns and refunds to process – which are take longer and are costlier when dealing with international customers. According to a recent survey, 54% of consumers said they’d be less likely to return a product purchased online if there had been a better description, and 43% said better images would have made them less likely to return an item.⁵

Research the customs rules

Every country has its own customs requirements and procedures. Mistakes or irregularities could delay your shipment from reaching your customer on time, so it’s important to understand the rules on imports – plus any other legal requirements – of the country you’re shipping to.

Goods arriving into a country from overseas will all require certain documents to clear the customs process. The documents you need will depend on where you’re shipping to but some common ones include commercial invoices, air waybills and export licenses. For tips on how to fill these in, check out our guide for exporters here. You can find useful information about exporting from the EU here, and about exporting from the UK here.

Offer shipment tracking

Being able to track their purchase topped the list of customers’ considerations when making purchases from sellers overseas, with 78% of respondents saying it was the most important factor.¹ Plus, staying on top of the whereabouts of your shipments can help you to manage missing or delayed packages.

According to a recent survey,

Compete on delivery times

According to the latest International Post Corporation (IPC) figures, almost half (48%) of global customers surveyed waited up to a week for their most recent cross-border purchase to be delivered. However, for 31%, their goods took 15 days or more to reach them.⁴ Having the capability to deliver more quickly could set your business apart.

Tailor your customer service to your market

Customers in other parts of the world most likely keep very different hours to you – but they may still require excellent service if they have a question or a problem. It could help your business if you are able to deal with queries quickly no matter where they come from – and if you have the capabilities (human or technological) to understand customers in their local language.

Be transparent about costs

When shipping to customers overseas, your goods may be liable for import duties or VAT. First of all, do your research to find out how much your products will be subject to in taxes in different markets, and make sure your customers are aware of the additional fees and what they’re for. Remember, shipments can only be delivered if the necessary duties have been paid, so if you are not doing this as the shipper, it’s important to make sure your customers know what they are responsible for.

Compete on delivery fees

Customers are getting accustomed to free shipping. IPC found that 61% of customers received free shipping on their last cross-border purchase.⁴ Meanwhile, popular online marketplace Etsy recently said its customers spend more and are 20% more likely to complete a purchase when free shipping is offered.⁶

If you can, you might want to make delivery free for customers by including it in your costs. However, if this isn’t feasible permanently, consider running the occasional free shipping promotion instead. You could also offer free deliveries to customers who order multiple products or who spend a certain amount.