The world has shrunk in the past 50 years when it comes to the global market. People are no longer limited to items sold by the local corner dry goods or general stores. In fact, individuals can now buy items from around the world 24-hours a day. Favorite products, services, or ideas are only a click of a mouse away for most people.
With the expansion of customer purchase power across the globe comes the ability of many small businesses to compete with big-box stores everywhere. That may be why one of the biggest dreams for most small business owners is to move their company into the global market.
Although it may appear like a daunting task, doing business in the international trade world is now easier than ever before with the help of technology. Here are five ways your business can use modern tech to expand global sales.
1. Reaching Out
If you want to reach customers, try using social media. An estimated 4.5 billion people are active on the internet each day, and more than 3.5 billion individuals actively participate in one of the social media platforms.
You or an employee can create a company profile structured to attract your specific customer demographic, and then simply blog, tweet, or post information about your products or services several times a week. The more information you put into the ether, the more people you will reach each day – and that can mean curious people investigating your website.
2. Making Friends
It would be impossible for most small companies to maintain an office staff large enough to handle the ups and downs of a global market without the help of some outsourcing assistance. IT security, accounting, marketing, and data storage can all be easily outsourced.
By allowing an outside company to provide these critical tasks to protect your relationship with your customers, your company is free to grow in other ways. Using outsourcing companies can also help your company increase its efficiency and keep expenses under control.
3. Saving Data
One of the most significant technological advancements in recent years has been the improved ability to save and protect consumer information. Data storage for international companies is especially essential as hacker’s prying eyes become more adept and intrusive.
Although most companies once housed that data within their own servers and sales staff would have to phone the main office to obtain customer information, the cloud has revolutionized the ability of businesses to access data from anywhere in the world.
4. Updating Often
Your sales personnel, management team, and independent contractors can be located across the globe in an international market, but you can easily stay in touch with your teams. Rather than let miscommunications or misinformation dampen the sales, keeps in touch through short conference calls or video streams. The more information each team has, the more accurate they can be with sales or product information, and that means a happier customer base.
5. Creating Protection
If your website is your central hub for sales or information, you will need to find someone to create a protective web around the site to keep data hijackers out. Since your website is your virtual storefront, you want to make it appealing, colorful, and simple to the geo-targeted demographics of your consumer base. Updating critical software often, checking for malware, and protecting customer information is all essential in a global company.
Technology changes almost faster than the business world can keep up, but it is possible to find the best new products for your business. Working with outside individuals that understand the technological world is the first step in creating a way your business can begin flourishing in international sales.