Before the internet revolution, the idea of some small to medium size businesses entering foreign markets was near unthinkable. Cost, location and distribution were only a selection of the barriers to entry that companies faced. Language difficulties, combined with lack of understanding about different markets, significantly increased the potential risk to even the largest of businesses attempting to make headway in European or American markets.

These circumstances have now changed thanks to Google and many other global platforms, which allow businesses to calculably display their services and products in a way that reaches millions of consumers who previously were beyond their means.

To date, many e-commerce websites are only targeting UK audiences, all the while possessing the capability to distribute abroad. This means they are not meeting their global potential. PayPal, who are one of the leading global payment gateways, state that 12% of all retail sales in the UK are performed online, compared to 8% in neighbouring Italy, Spain, Sweden and France. In the US, the e-commerce market is expected to grow from $226 billion to $327 billion in the next four years (Reported by Mashable.com).

PayPal also report that international buyers tend to have a higher order value compared to UK consumers and are also are much happier to pay delivery charges for their goods, compared to UK consumers who generally look for free delivery. Return rates are also lower with overseas buyers because either they can’t find the product locally, or they prefer to buy a particular brand they struggle to source in their own country.

Assuming that the European markets will grow like the UK and the US, missing out on these current trends could be deemed unthinkable. Competition online in many European search engines is also not as competitive as in the UK and the US (currently), leaving many opportunities for UK based firms to establish themselves quickly in overseas marketplaces.

Many web marketing firms already understand the potential benefits from running multi-lingual SEO or PPC campaigns, particularly for e-commerce websites. Unlike 20 years ago, where you would need a high street shop in Paris to target central Parisians, PPC campaigns can be turned on and off or adapted in a calculated manner to establish clear returns for businesses while targeting locations across the globe.

SEO campaigns, although a much longer and more detailed process, still offer the best long-term opportunities to grow your overseas business and, importantly, acquire customers/traffic at a lower rate than AdWords. Social media platforms like Facebook clearly tell you what your visibility could be when undertaking display advertising, making it easier to target the right demographic or social group abroad.

All these techniques are widely used and applied in the UK and have become an effective working model for many companies and businesses. For more information about how to apply a multi-lingual SEO or PPC campaign, contact Blueclaw for free advice and an evaluation.

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