Now more than ever, businesses are realizing the importance of expanding their customer base worldwide. It is well-established that global commerce will dwarf that of local markets in the coming years, meaning the opportunity for both existing and upcoming businesses to flourish are endless.

If you’re an entrepreneur with an established online business that you’d like to take to the next level, this blog post is for you. We’ll walk you through the basics of creating a strategy to market your business internationally, including where to start and what to watch out for.

Set A Goal

Setting a goal is critical. Without one, you’ll have no way of measuring your progress. Decide how many new countries you’ll enter on a yearly basis and set a date by which you’ll achieve that number. You can also set intermediate goals along the way, such as doubling your current revenue or halving your bounce rate.

A key consideration when setting your international marketing strategy is doing so from a position of strength. That is, you’ve got to decide whether you want to go the traditional route with local offices, affiliates, and distributors or go the digital route and conduct all your business activities online. If you go the digital route, you can integrate global commerce seamlessly into your business model. There’s a lot to consider when deciding between the two.

Create A Buzzworthy Product

Doing business globally also means creating a product that is acceptable to customers in multiple markets. To best prepare for this diverse customer base, identify the key issues that affect buyers in each of the countries you’ll be operating in. For example, expensive goods can be a challenge for low-income customers in developing markets. In contrast, consumer protection is a significant consideration for companies operating in Europe where regulations are generally more strict. Create a product that incorporates these differences and builds on the existing strengths of your business.

Once you’ve determined the key issues impacting your target audience, it’s time to craft the perfect product to address their concerns. At this stage, you’ll want to incorporate user testing into your product development cycle. This can be extremely time-consuming, so be sure to take the necessary time to ensure the product is as refined as possible.

Diversify Your Product Line

Building a business that operates internationally means creating a product line that can be sold across multiple markets. As you consider the types of products and services you offer, keep in mind the diversity of your customer base. For example, if you sell clothing, ensure your styles are appropriate for women and men in different parts of the globe. If your target audience is primarily female, you might want to consider creating a braided dress that is suitable for both men and women. In doing so, you can expand your customer base and potentially double your sales.

Develop An Email Marketing Campaign

In the same way you develop a digital marketing strategy, you’ll want to put into place an email marketing campaign. If you’re not already doing so, consider building a list of engaged email subscribers who are interested in receiving useful information from your company.

Your email list should be treated as an extension of your marketing department, responsible for creating awareness about your company and driving business. The members of your email list are crucial to your success, so take the time to nurture them and grow your list. Once you have a substantial list, you can begin to experiment with email marketing to see what works best for your business.

Create Ads And Content That Work Worldwide

As part of your digital marketing strategy, you’ll want to create ads and content that work worldwide. The type of device your customers use to access the internet can impact the nature of your ads and content. For example, if you’re serving ads on mobile devices, you’ll want to create ads that appear seamless on any screen, regardless of the size.

To ensure the ads and content you create are effective, you’ll need to consider the devices and platforms your target audience uses. To expand your customer base and gain more traction, consider developing ads that appear on several platforms. For example, if you run an ad campaign on Google, you’ll want to make sure the same ad appears on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter as well. Similarly, if you’re a fashion brand, make sure your ads appear on sites like Pinterest and Instagram.

Now that you’ve got the basics of a marketing strategy in place, it’s time to dive into the nitty-gritty of implementing an international marketing plan.