While it is common practice for European and North American countries to do business on global platforms (Ebay, Facebook), Russian companies primarily serve local consumers. Entering the foreign market is a serious step that should be treated with a high degree of responsibility.
Instructions
Step 1
For many companies, the main challenge is the language barrier. The transnational language of business communication is English. The site and the main text materials must be translated into a language understandable for foreigners. The firm may need a full-time translator or freelancer to deal with client communication issues. The head of the company and leading managers should also take this issue seriously - sign up for trainings or travel abroad, immerse themselves in the language environment.
Step 2
Establishing international contacts and feedback forms is one of the most important points. Otherwise, the company simply will not be able to receive inquiries from potential foreign clients. The simplest form of feedback is the form of sending a message to the company's e-mail. Programmers (both full-time and hired by piece) will quickly and inexpensively help you with the request form.
Step 3
If you can offer your website users a new free service, conversion (the ratio of the percentage of sales to the total number of visitors) will increase significantly. Examples of such services are calculators of material cutting, weight of goods; for design firms it can be interior design services. The more useful your website is, the more recognizable your brand will be abroad.
Step 4
The time zone problem can hit a small company hard. By the time your working day has time to end, it can only begin in America and Europe. The conservative way: hire a manager who will sit on the phone while waiting for calls from foreign countries. The disadvantage of this approach will be low efficiency and high cost of "customer focus".
Step 5
There is also an alternative solution - you can outsource communication with foreign clients. There are call centers that will receive calls and provide selling information for a small fee. Tariffs can be either fixed subscriber or pay-per-performance.
Step 6
Opening an office abroad can seriously improve your status, but it will bring you tangible costs. It is more profitable to find a companion who will look for customers for a percentage of sales. This will motivate him; besides, you will receive your "branch" completely free of charge.
Step 7
You will need quality lawyers, accountants and logistics specialists. International legislation has many pitfalls; transport and customs costs are high. Calculate the profitability in advance, taking into account the possible risks. Perhaps international business, with all its status, will turn out to be unprofitable for you.
