How to Sell Online Abroad (4)

In this case, we are going to focus on optimizing the online store itself. We have talked about the basics, logistics and prices, as well as the important legal issues.

 

All these topics are important, so I recommend that you take a look at them even before you continue reading this post, because they will give you a 360º view of the internationalization of eCommerce.

Just as you would with an eCommerce oriented towards your native country, you will need to perform market research and find the keywords used to search for your products.

 

It is true that, since it is a version for another country, it is most normal to maintain the structure, but the keywords must be present in:

A very common problem in multinational eCommerce is generating duplicate content for the search engine. After all, except for some texts, the pages are identical in all languages, so the algorithm may interpret it as a spam signal and even penalize you.

 

If you have doubts, you can always use some tools (even free ones) that analyze the code to check the level of similarity and how conflicting it can be. Look, for example, at this capture of this very simple but effective tool: webconfs. We entered the home versions of ASOS, both in Spanish and French... and look what happens: almost 80% similarity.

Does that mean Google is penalizing Asos? No,, it does not because there are ways to identify content so that the search engine understands they are territorial versions of the same website.

 

This is done through a tag called "hreflang" which, within the website's code, specifies the orientation of each URL. It can also be done via sitemap or headers. It even allows for regional discrimination within the same language: Spanish in Spain (es-es), Mexico (es-mx), Argentina (es-ar).

 

Here is a link from Google that explains in detail the methods and formulas for identifying alternative pages.

Be careful with automatic translations; Artificial Intelligence can cause more than a few headaches. If you really want to sell online abroad, invest at least a minimum in professional translations.

 

I could give you thousands of examples of poorly translated products that sometimes say truly outrageous things. But as an example, here is a case from one of the most popular marketplaces:

Problems with gender and number, spelling mistakes, unintelligible texts, or worse, misinterpreted meanings and double-entendres. This, which can seem comical, is actually not funny at all.

 

It is not a matter of SEO or anything like that; it is something that directly affects user trust and, therefore, conversion.

 

Think about it from a personal perspective: would you buy from a new store where all references are foreign and even the texts are not correctly written? What guarantees will it offer in shipping? How will the after-sales service be? And the products, will they be of quality or the opposite?

 

A store entering a new territory has to project trust. If it does not, the chances of failure increase exponentially, and these details make the difference.

Selling within Europe, the issue of currencies is simpler, although there are markets outside the Euro. For all these, you will have no choice but to trade in local currency, which actually adds a bit of trust.

 

You have probably already thought about this, but what you may not have considered are the payment methods. Credit cards are already a basic, and most major issuers will allow transactions. However, in each country, the public has its preferences and alternative payment methods.

 

In Spain, for example, the use of Bizum in eCommerce is widespread, while in Portugal, most people use a mobile payment system called MB Way, which is completely different.

 

Adding these alternative payment methods also will have a direct impact on conversion, basically because you broaden the range of possibilities and adapt to their reality and usage habits.

 

With this, we close the guide to selling online abroad, an useful compilation for anyone taking the chance to start a business outside their borders.