But where do you start?

Expand internationally
In this module...

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Hi! You’ve come to the right place to start the process of expanding your business into new countries.

Before you start selling your products or services abroad, it’s really important to decide which countries make sense for you. Which markets have the most demand for what your businesses offer? Do some pose legal or logistical challenges that you need to be aware of?

We’ll walk you through how analytics and tools can help you decide which markets offer the biggest opportunity for you.

Let’s say you’ve got a online shop selling hard-to-find vintage records. Business has been going really well at home in the UK, so you’re starting to wonder if expanding into new markets could be your next big step forward. The question is: where? From Portugal to Finland, and Ireland to France, there are some markets where your products could be a hit - and others where you’d be less likely to find success.

Fortunately, there are lots of tools you can use to gauge the situation in advance. You could start by looking at Google’s Market Finder. This free tool allows you to quickly analyze search traffic on keywords that are important to your business. For example, where do people do a lot of searches for vintage records? Countries that show a lot of search traffic for terms like these could be markets with lots of demand for your products. On the other hand, countries that don’t tend to generate a lot of searches for these terms probably aren’t your best bet. By using the Google Market Finder, you can make more informed decisions about where to invest in expanding your business.

Once you’ve found some countries that do a lot of searching for your products, use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner or Bing’s Keyword Research Tool to find out how much competition there is for search ads. This will help you know whether you’re entering a market with few competitors, or whether you’ll be entering an already crowded space.

Another handy tool is your web analytics. Whether you’re using Google Analytics or any of the other common analytics tools, you can check whether people in other markets are already showing interest in your business. For example, imagine you’ve only shipped your products within the UK so far. You might notice that you’re getting a lot of website visitors from France. They’re browsing your website and learning all about you, only to realize that they can’t buy your products … yet. This could give you the insight that you might have a customer base waiting for you in France.

So far we’ve looked at tools to help you understand market demand and competition. Of course, there are some other considerations you should take into account when deciding which markets to focus on. For example, some countries may pose more legal, regulatory, or tax issues than others. You’ll want to get an idea of this before you start investing in a project to expand your business. Some markets may seem appealing you to “on paper,” but doing some research into these kinds of issues will help you avoid any nasty surprises. Fortunately, many governments have websites where you can find resources to help you answer these questions.

So let’s recap. Expanding your business into a new market could be a great way to grow. Before you jump straight in, use online tools to help you understand where there’s strong demand for your products. Then, make sure you’re not wandering into any legal or regulatory issues by doing some background research first. Once you’ve done that, you’re well on your way to growing your business in a new market.

Hi! You’ve come to the right place to start the process of expanding your business into new countries.

Before you start selling your products or services abroad, it’s really important to decide which countries make sense for you. Which markets have the most demand for what your businesses offer? Do some pose legal or logistical challenges that you need to be aware of?

We’ll walk you through how analytics and tools can help you decide which markets offer the biggest opportunity for you.

Let’s say you’ve got a online shop selling hard-to-find vintage records. Business has been going really well at home in the UK, so you’re starting to wonder if expanding into new markets could be your next big step forward. The question is: where? From Portugal to Finland, and Ireland to France, there are some markets where your products could be a hit - and others where you’d be less likely to find success.

Fortunately, there are lots of tools you can use to gauge the situation in advance. You could start by looking at Google’s Market Finder. This free tool allows you to quickly analyze search traffic on keywords that are important to your business. For example, where do people do a lot of searches for vintage records? Countries that show a lot of search traffic for terms like these could be markets with lots of demand for your products. On the other hand, countries that don’t tend to generate a lot of searches for these terms probably aren’t your best bet. By using the Google Market Finder, you can make more informed decisions about where to invest in expanding your business.

Once you’ve found some countries that do a lot of searching for your products, use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner or Bing’s Keyword Research Tool to find out how much competition there is for search ads. This will help you know whether you’re entering a market with few competitors, or whether you’ll be entering an already crowded space.

Another handy tool is your web analytics. Whether you’re using Google Analytics or any of the other common analytics tools, you can check whether people in other markets are already showing interest in your business. For example, imagine you’ve only shipped your products within the UK so far. You might notice that you’re getting a lot of website visitors from France. They’re browsing your website and learning all about you, only to realize that they can’t buy your products … yet. This could give you the insight that you might have a customer base waiting for you in France.

So far we’ve looked at tools to help you understand market demand and competition. Of course, there are some other considerations you should take into account when deciding which markets to focus on. For example, some countries may pose more legal, regulatory, or tax issues than others. You’ll want to get an idea of this before you start investing in a project to expand your business. Some markets may seem appealing you to “on paper,” but doing some research into these kinds of issues will help you avoid any nasty surprises. Fortunately, many governments have websites where you can find resources to help you answer these questions.

So let’s recap. Expanding your business into a new market could be a great way to grow. Before you jump straight in, use online tools to help you understand where there’s strong demand for your products. Then, make sure you’re not wandering into any legal or regulatory issues by doing some background research first. Once you’ve done that, you’re well on your way to growing your business in a new market.

Hi! If you’re planning to expand your business into a new market, you’ll need a plan to help you advertise effectively in a new country.

It’s possible that customers in a new market will find you through organic search results, or through word-of-mouth. But investing in advertising can help get your name out there much faster. Let’s take a look at search advertising, display advertising, and advertising on social media, and how they can work together.

Let’s go back to our vintage record store example. If you’re planning to expand your business from the UK to Germany, you’ll probably want to get your website translated and localised into German. That way when people search for terms like 'vintage records' in German, they might come across your website and become your new customers.

But if you want to get your business in front of lots more potential customers, it’s a good idea to advertise. Advertising on search results is a great way to get in front of people who are already looking for products like yours. If you’re already doing this in your home country, great! Just translate and adapt your keywords and ads. Then, make sure that your ads point people to a landing page that’s written in the local language.

If you’re wondering which keywords are commonly searched in your new market, try using a tool like Google’s Keyword Planner or Bing’s Keyword Research Tool. These tools can tell you which keywords are popular, as well as other useful information. Like how much they might cost, and how many competitors you’re likely to face. But what about people who aren’t already searching for your products? Remember, when you expand into a new market, people are unlikely to be familiar with your business already.

Display advertising and social media are two great ways to raise awareness.

You could start by advertising on the websites your audience is visiting online. So, if there’s a popular site where German audiophiles go to discuss their favourite records, this could be the perfect place to show your ads. If you need a little help, check out tools like the Google Display Planner. They can provide detailed info about where your audience is spending time online.

What about Germans on social media? Well, it’s a good idea to research which social media sites they’re using. Is it Facebook and Twitter? Or are there other popular networks? Maybe even one unique to Germany? Once you have this information, you’ll be able to use social networks to advertise to Germans who are really interested in vintage records.

By using a combination of advertising options, you’ll set yourself up to win customers in your new market. Ok so let’s say you’ve started to get some traction with customers in your new market. You could now gear your advertising to continue engaging with them, and build loyalty. Email marketing is a great way to keep in touch with interested customers over the long term. You can send updates when you have new records in stock, or special promotions. Just keep in mind that each market may have different email marketing laws.

You could also try retargeting. This lets you advertise to people who have visited your website, based on the things they did there. So, you can show ads to people who are interested in your business, and encourage them to come back to your site. If someone reads your blog twice a month, they’re obviously interested in vintage records. So, try using retargeting ads to convince them to buy. We’ve covered a lot. So let’s recap quickly. When you expand into a new market, customers probably don’t know about your business yet. So, you’ll want to do some advertising. You can use lots of different forms of advertising, all working together. Search ads are great for growing your business in a new market. While display ads, social media ads, email, and retargeting can also play a really valuable role.

No matter where your company is physically located, you can expand into other regions or countries with the click of a button.

Now that marketing tools have made international advertising campaigns so much easier, it’s tempting to dive right in. But before you do, stop and think about how you can best serve your new customers.

In this video, we’ll look at technical capabilities, managing your supply chain, and what local rules or regulations you may need to follow.

Addressing these details will help reduce risks and identify potential issues before you’re too far down the line.

First, you might want to check how your website performs in the countries where you want to sell products. Some regions may have slower Internet connection speeds—make sure your web pages can load and your site works well in places where you want to sell.

Next, look at your supply chain and make sure you’re able to deliver your products to all the far corners where you want to sell them.

Don’t forget to review all taxes and laws affecting businesses in these markets. Local government agencies can sometimes provide this information and may offer consulting services to help you figure out what you need to know about the market you plan to export to. Remember, you want all your customers to be able to reach you, no matter where they are. An easy way to start is to provide customer support via email and contact forms on your website.

At some point you should probably establish a way to communicate beyond just your website, like through a telephone line. If you use a toll-free number or freephone number, make sure it’s properly formatted so that customers in other countries can easily call you. Now, think about how a customer would interact with your business, starting from discovering your products and services all the way to placing an order. Do you need to make any adjustments to your processes to keep things running smoothly?

Reviewing your business processes—especially supply chain management—will play an important part in your success. Say you own a vintage record shop in the UK. You heard that the vintage vinyl scene in Lisbon is booming. So you want to start selling your records in Portugal to get in on the trend. Managing your supply chain might include sourcing local suppliers, factoring in shipping supplies, and determining the most efficient way of getting the product to the customer in Lisbon.

Let’s imagine you’ve just received an order for 2,000 vinyl records that have to be delivered in two weeks, but you don’t have the full quantity in your local inventory.

Given the rapid turnaround time, receiving the remainder of the order, repackaging the products, and shipping to the customer in less than two weeks sounds like a risky proposition, so in this case, you might decide you need to source from a local supplier. As you look to expand your business into global markets, you’ll also need to explore local laws and regulations for doing business in each target area. Beyond any cultural barriers, these legal hurdles can pose challenges to expanding into a certain region or country.

Look at the tax requirements and import or export restrictions for your products and services. Some countries have agreements that may impact tax collection, and additional customs or tariffs could affect your bottom line. The way your business is incorporated may also make a difference in your ability to operate across borders. Some countries may require that you register with proper authorities in order to sell there. To recap: Make your business is accessible to new customers. Examine your supply chain processes and how they’ll work across borders. Research legal and governmental regulations that affect doing business.

Expanding your markets into new regions and countries may seem like a lot of work, but taking these steps will ensure you’re properly set up for success.




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FUNDAMENTALS OF DIGITAL MARKETING: MODULE 26/26