Abigail / Published on March 5, 2013
An increasing number of small businesses are turning to their online resources to export to overseas markets, not only making cost savings but also reaching a global audience. Small businesses are realising the need to heavily invest in e-commerce as they know it is the future for business. Having witnesses the collapse of former high-street giants such as HMV, managers of small businesses will only be spurred on further to trade online, in a bid to cut overheads and open up their products to new markets around the world.
Website Freelancer.co.uk analysed 2,200 small businesses in the UK and found a 42% increase in the number selling their products online and a 36% rise in the number of small businesses selling their products overseas via their e-commerce sites. The survey also discovered that many new businesses that were set-up in the last year began trading exclusively online, with a 32% increase on the year before.
So why are so many businesses turning to the Internet? Well it’s all down to cost. The Internet allows small businesses to connect with consumers quickly and cheaply. Small businesses cannot afford to hire an overseas sales team; but with an effective e-commerce website, they can market and sell products and services to every country in the world easily and effectively.
What about the language barrier? Well that’s an easy solution too – small businesses can hire a freelancer to localise the site into any language in which they wish to trade.
It’s important however, as a small business, to understand the markets you’re targeting. You have to do the full research into who you’re selling to. It helps of course if you’ve ever lived or worked abroad, as you’ll have a firmer grasp on the target culture and the way different countries do business. However, a lot of research and a good website are just as effective in producing results.
So if you want to expand your small business, set up a website and start targeting markets overseas today.
