A survey by the British Chamber of Commerce details that nearly 70% of all SMEs aren’t exporting, or are ever likely to be. Some more compelling information from the European Commission, in a survey, found that 9 out of 10 EU internet users agreed that given a choice, they would prefer to visit a website in their own native language.
So, it begs the question: Are you missing out on the opportunity to export and sell your goods and services in other countries?
The proof is already here as to whether it is ‘worth your while’ to invest in a website, or websites, that offer different languages.The Fast Track 100 list from The Times will show you that an increase in language offerings will help grow business. And the more you look at the facts, the more obvious it is that businesses, especially those looking to grow overseas as part of their strategy, should be getting involved with the foreign language internet.
As multilingual alternatives grow your potential market share overseas will decrease, acting early will see you achieving a higher ROI simply
because there is less competition at present. It makes things like reaching the top of the search engine rankings easier and much more cost effective.
‘SeeWhy’ conducted a study on a sample of 60,000 e-commerce transactions to analyze the origin of the people that added items to their basket. This study shows that e-mail brings the most traffic with 56.8% followed by Direct traffic with 17.9% and 10.3% with for Search. Social Media provided only 4.3% of traffic while picking up the rear was Display Advertising which managed only 1.7%.
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‘SeeWhy’ then studied the origin of those who had completed their purchases on the site. Not surprising then when they discovered the best conversion rate is up e-mail with 67.37% followed by Direct with 23.68%. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Display, two sources of traffic charge, contribute 1% of the traffic conversion.
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Don’t think that SEM and Display are useless, and to remove them would be more foolish, consider them as part of your overall strategy. Just because the user didn’t buy first time it doesn’t mean they won’t the next. It makes sense not to put all your eggs in one basket.
The medium by which users purchase using their mobile phones is a trend that continues to rise, and will continue to do so in the future. There are a number of reasons why this trend will be here to stay. However, as with most things, technology and infrastructure can slow the rate to which this trend rises down.
With this rapid growth and increased usage of smart phones for more ‘everyday’ activities, such as shopping, booking tables at restaurants and socialising through social network sites, consumers are demanding more and more from companies, and in particular retailers, with an m-commerce channel.
A recent study, by eDigital Research, shows that although many e-tailers, although already held in high regard, are struggling to meet the higher demands of consumers and their expectation when it comes to technology and the use of mobile applications and websites.
With the rapid growth and increased usage of mobile phones for every day activities such as shopping, consumers are now demanding more from retailers’ m-commerce channels.
According to the research even e-tailers that offer a simply, and sometimes limited, mobile solution such as a ‘click and collect’ service were also said to be missing out on a huge potential revenue stream.
Derek Eccleston, Research Director at eDigital Research, said: “As more and more people begin to use their smart phones to shop and browse online, it is crucial that retailers begin to operate in their customers’ spaces, developing mobile sites and investing in mobile strategies as consumer behavior continues to evolve.”
Although Derek made a fine point, the secret of success is to have a multi-channel strategy and to keep as many commercial doors open to the consumer as possible.
Tags: Customers, E-commerce, Facebook, Global, m-commerce, Products, Social Media, Social Networks, Technology, Trends, Twitter
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4:21 PM | 
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In a recent study to find out more about the shopping experience on the internet today, which is increasingly linked to the use of social networks, 53% of 2000 consumers would have published a review on a product within 30 days of purchase. The review, whether positive, negative or indifferent, would help other users with their buying decision.
32% of consumers have a better opinion of branded products following a positive review. This is mainly because a brand already has a reputation, stigma or an emotional tie to it. So the review, in theory, adds weight to this.
It’s not just the review that can swing a certain product in to being a favorable purchase for the user, it’s more about where the review comes from and by whom the review is written by. The credibility of the review is paramount, users prefer a review from your ‘real’ customer rather than by an ‘expert’ (commercial, journalist, celebrities etc.). However using an expert to support a product can also be an added benefit.
