How to attract more international clients
After your small business has become stable there is a case for looking beyond the border and growing the venture. Growing your business is extremely important and if you fail to do so things can lead to becoming stagnant and may lead to a failure.
By HEIDI ROSENBERG
One of the ways of growing your business is by going international and developing clients across the world. This might look like a daunting task because you will be required to step out of the safety zone. However, it can turn out to be a worthwhile effort. There are several ways you can use to appeal to international clients. Here are some of the better ways of raising the business profile and attracting international clients to your small business.
Go online
One of the best ways of reaching international clientele is by online global marketing. Online presence is critical for small businesses and it may be more so for those looking for international clients. Sometimes the business is not fully online but if you have a premise of the company you can develop a website to make yourself available online. For instance, if you are a property management company looking to attract customers, an online presence is necessary including the one on social media. Online presence makes it easier to locate your business and this alone is a great selling point for your business. When someone from abroad is looking for a NYC property management company they need to be able to find you online.
Think about currency exchange
When you are looking to reach out to the international clientele you should look to cater to their requirements. You can offer a method for making payments in their currency. When you move away from your homeland there is no need to possess all the currencies available out there. Make a beginning with a single destination. For instance, you may wish to make things easier for the UK and US customers by allowing them to make the payment in pounds and dollars. For this, you will have to get in touch with the online payment system provider.
Cross the language barrier
Languages can turn out to be barriers therefore it is a good idea that when you begin expanding get in touch with US and UK clientele. It will ensure that language is not a severe issue. If you are targeting countries that speak other languages than English/French/German etc. then you will have to ensure that your site is offering the necessary info in that language. You must be aware of some words and phrases as they can mean a different thing in this area. It is recommended that you use translation services to take into account such differences in various languages. For instance, a knitted thick top used in winter is called a jumper while the same article is called a sweater in the US.
Use social media
Your social media presence is critical when you are trying to get in touch with overseas clients. The Internet has made it possible and simple to connect with people across the world and social media has played a major role in it. Social media permits you to create contacts across the world and it helps the business to become accessible by people internationally. One of the more popular social media platforms is Instagram that has more than 800 million active users. If the small businesses miss out on this massive pool of clients available on different social media platforms, it will be detrimental to the business.
Provide worldwide shipping
It is obvious that when you are catering to the international clientele you must have the infrastructure to be able to ship your products to them. It can be even more appealing if you can provide free shipping to these customers. This might not be a practical alternative for all businesses. But, worldwide shipping is necessary when your company is product-based. In case your business is based on services you can forget about this facility for attracting international clients.
Authenticity
If you are planning to broaden the horizons of your business you should keep an eye on what your customers are doing. But you must be true to your business and most of all to yourself. If you are authentic you can attract clients at home and abroad. Significantly, you stand out among the competition. Therefore, ensure that you have some unique selling points.
