The world is a global Market. That’s what e-commerce sellers think when they desire to sell overseas. And then they realize that the global market is not without borders, new laws, regulations, duties, taxes, prohibition rules, cultural norms and logistical problems.
When you are already successful in your regional turf, it’s easier to woo an international audience. So, the site can pull customers from all over. But how do you manage logistics?
Technical Infrastructure
If you have a site catering to a Country, you need a server there in that geographical location. There is a need for local hosting or geo-based server load balancing. This can be an expensive affair. Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) and geo-load balanced servers are used to improve domestic site speed or reliability. China, for example, emphasizes on having a local host. So, venturing into Chinese markets with a local site requires a local host also.
Shipping regulations
Did you know that New Zealand does not allow you to bring grains into their country for fear of genetic mismatch? Every country has regulations on what is allowed and what is not. Shipping a bottle of wine within the US is seen as a very simple procedure requiring no big effort. The same cannot be said about other countries. You need several permits to operate with countries outside. You need to study and abide by export laws.
Catastrophe Management
Some countries aren’t peaceful havens like your home country is. Some markets are corrupt and some might have terrorism linked economies. And then, there are earthquake prone belts. There are climactic conditions that aren’t suitable for shipping overseas regularly. Reliable e-commerce is next to impossible in these places.
International shipping returns
Let’s say you manage to overcome several initial hurdles and ship your product across. In case the customer is unsatisfied with your product and wants to return it, how do you manage to channel the return? If that’s next to impossible, you need to scrap the returns policy in international sales. That can lead to customer dissatisfaction.
Liaison
If you are planning on a sizable operation overseas, you might want to look at setting up liaison offices. Customers would like it when they find that they can call a local number and get their queries resolved in their own language.
