If you are thinking of expanding your business and selling your products or services across national borders, then you have surely heard of "Digital Export”: it is a term used to indicate all of those functions and actions that determine the digital expansion of a company.
In fact, selling abroad online offers incredible opportunities to enhance your brand, as well as to reach new customers all over the world. Suffice it to say that B2B exports via digital channels has reached the record value of 175 billion euros in 2022, growing by +20% compared to the previous year, thus representing the 28% about the total of Italian exports.
However, to be successful with online sales it is important to adopt a well thought out strategy. In this article, we'll walk you through the essential steps and tips for successfully selling overseas.
As mentioned, Digital Export indicates all those channels and actions that allow the digital expansion of a company abroad. Not only that: this term also means thedevelopment of strategies to strengthen the online presence of one's company, through the use of multiple digital tools.
Digital Export requires targeted actions to be implemented on this type of trade. Among these, the analysis of competitors, the search for new partners for one's business, and the identification of the best channels to conquer a slice of the target market are of fundamental importance.
It therefore becomes essential to understand the working patterns of marketplace (such as Amazon and eBay), ecommerce, social media (like LinkedIn), and know how to deal with different types of strategic marketing. Finally, figures such as that of the Temporary Export Manager he was born in Digital Export Manager they are increasingly essential in the context of a company that wants to establish itself in online commerce.
When we talk about Digital Export, we are referring to a broad field, which does not only concern ecommerce. In other words, having an online store is not enough with integrated sales systems abroad to be able to affirm that an excellent job of Digital Export is being done.
On the contrary, it is necessary to implement the right strategy capable of optimizing the potential of all those digital tools useful for the insourcing process. So it's needed planning and study to develop truly winning marketing strategies, capable of making your company affirm itself in online commerce outside its borders. Furthermore, one cannot be ignored in-depth knowledge of the regulations governing sales processes in countries with the greatest potential for digital business expansion.
But what are the main channels through which your company can grow abroad? What is the best Digital Export strategy? Here are the key tools and actions your business absolutely needs to take.
Marketplaces offer an environment where companies can meet virtually and do business. Specifically, they exist two types of marketplaces: those private, reserved for companies that are part of specific associations or supply chains, and those public, open to any company.
Furthermore, some marketplaces are sectoral, focused on a particular sector, while others are generalist and offer a wide range of products and services. The ideal strategy therefore involves the contemporary control of the sector marketplaces, to maximize the possibility of obtaining potential leads in the target, and of generalist marketplaces, such as Alibaba and Amazon.
Read Octagona's article dedicated to marketplaces: find out which are the most popular and their advantages
Social Media are primarily advertising channels to promote services and products. Of all the social platforms, Linkedin is particularly suitable for a Digital Export strategy. With its focus on professionals and companies, Linkedin offers the opportunity to create targeted social selling strategies, generate qualified leads and conduct lead nurturing activities, as well as share high-quality content.
Laws why your business should use LinkedIn in Digital Export strategies
Create a multilingual website e adapted to cultural preferences of the target market is crucial to effectively communicate with foreign customers by adopting the right SEO strategy.
Make sure that translations are accurate and that the design is adapted to offer an optimal user experience. You might as well create marketing content, blogs and promotional materials specific to the cultural preferences of a particular country's audience, such as specific cultural references, images and language.
Going back to the initial question, or "what is the best Digital Export strategy?", we now have the answer: every strategy should be tailored to your specific market and the nature of your business. By exploiting the potential of digital technologies and fully understanding the target market, implementing the tools presented above at 360 degrees and integrating them with each other, you will be able to maximize your opportunities for success in selling abroad online.
Do you want to find out how to apply these internationalization models? Then dig deeper success stories on international markets of our customers.
Digital Export brings numerous advantages, how to expand product sales without having to embark on setting up branches or offices overseas. In addition, it allows for a reduction in the costs associated with the distribution of goods to other countries, while also guaranteeing greater flexibility.
If implementing the tools presented above may seem difficult, you can rely on a Digital Export Manager (acronym DEM), a person who will be responsible for:
The Digital Export Manager does not improvise, but studies and develops the best ways to achieve the set goals. For this, he must also be familiar with all digital tools, including from a technical point of view, to optimize and streamline digital sales processes abroad, including order management, logistics and online payments.
If you are looking for a Digital Export Manager (DEM), Octagona can help you in the international development of your business. Indeed we are present in Invitalia's list of accredited companies such as TEM and DEM.
Thanks to the experience gained in more than 20 years of activity, we have completed over 900 internationalization projects, contributing to the growth and development of Italian exports all over the world.
With direct offices in India, Vietnam, Brazil and the USA, and local partnerships in all the most important outlet markets for Italian companies, Octagona assists all those companies that want to establish themselves in Digital Export, making available all the digital skills acquired in the field.
We create customized digital expansion plans based on the characteristics of the company, and the specific products that you want to entrust to this market. Do not hesitate to contact us to get any clarification on the contribution we could give you to successfully internationalize your company.
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