How to adapt your international ecommerce strategy to face the post-covid era

In the short period of digital history, much has been written and talked about the so-called “digital transformation”. Yet it is the current crisis that has defined this digital transformation better than anyone could ever have done.
Experts were already expecting strong growth in online shopping over the next few years, mainly fuelled by the widespread adoption of mobile ecommerce, cross border ecommerce, and also with the emergence of new contact points such as chatbots, voice assistants, social networks, etc. But that was two or three months ago… in a world without coronavirus.
Today, it seems that companies that have embraced digital technology are better prepared to face the current economic difficulties. How do they adapt to this new landscape? How can you grow your online sales in the coming months?

1. Adapting your digital strategy

It’s all about re-examining the fundamentals of your business strategy to ensure that it is still valid in this new context, and evolving your products and services to market them online. This includes, for example, analysing the needs of your existing and potential customers to better understand their expectations in the post-covid era. A re-examination of pricing policies should also be considered. An analysis of competing strategies is always welcome.

2. Prepare your e-commerce platform for this new situation

Test your website, improve it to support a growing flow of local and international customers. Don’t depend only on your web agency, but get a grip on your project. Develop automated interactions and recommendations with your customers. Be prepared for possible changes in taxes and customs duties. Rely on artificial intelligence.
Improve the customer experience. What is the path of your customers on your website up to the act of purchase and how to offer pleasant shopping experiences on all types of devices.

3. Communicate in foreign markets at a reasonable cost

Produce new content adapted in different languages. Distribute information, from articles published on your website, or on LinkedIn, to multilingual webinars or managing your social network accounts.

4. Invest in digital marketing

Direct your marketing expenditure towards digital channels rather than offline. Revisit your paid digital spend and organic digital marketing (SEO). If your budget is limited, consider a marketplace.

5. Improve your logistics and order processing.

Better product availability, fast delivery, and contactless; select the right partners.

6. Focus on the kpis

Improve your results by analyzing them, putting in place the right indicators, and invest in the most profitable actions.

7. Revitalize your business

Integrate new talent into your team, train employees in digital techniques. Create a digital culture. Also work with freelance talent.

How to use viral marketing to gain foreign customers

As  featured in Springwise.com, a viral tourism site recruits expats throughout the world to help promote New Zealand throughout the world. Tourism agencies have been using viral marketing to promote destination for a while —Antigua, Spain, Australia for instance, or last year we’ve seen several new efforts aimed at the influx of international visitors expected for a particular global event. Shanghai’s AtYourSide service was launched to coincide with Expo 2010, for example; Africa Talking, similarly, is ideally positioned to benefit from the World Cup.

The latest along those lines is Pass It On, an initiative to turn the nearly million New Zealanders who live overseas into a network of virtual ambassadors in anticipation of the Rugby World Cup 2011 event.Launched in 2011 by the Kiwi Expat Association, Pass It On is using expat New Zealanders to spread the word about everything the country has to offer. With funding, distribution and content support from a variety of New Zealand partners, the effort offers monthly prize draws for participants with Kiwi-centric prizes for the winners. Participants begin by signing up with the effort and then sharing stories from the Pass It On site with friends, family and colleagues—sharable videos focus on travel and cuisine, creative talent, and business and innovation. When the recipients of those stories follow the sender’s link back to Pass It On and sign up, the sender earns “pass points.” Those points then become entries in a prize draw that takes place on the second Monday of each month; prizes range from locally focused T-shirts and ice cream to the Expat. It’s a very efficient way to market, considering how much it costs to use the social media and social networks.

Another similar initiative used competitions, short clips and videos to spread the word on another highly touristic destination:  Antigua & Barbuda.  The Tourism Authority of Antigua and Barbuda has used  the often patriotic spirit of Antiguans and Barbudans and managed to get a big impact on the community, and encouraged them to continue playing their part into an efficient viral marketing campaign.

A campaign launched by the Tourism Office of Queensland was looking las year for a person to fit possibly the most incredible job in the world.Their viral and social media strategy has been extemely effective.