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Ecommerce has ultimately changed the way the world shops and sells. If you are an entrepreneur who is in the industry, then chances are you’ve toyed with the idea of reaching out to a global market—at least if you’re not doing it yet. After all, if there is one thing that online shopping has truly reinvented, it’s the way everyone can now move their products wherever they are in the world through eCommerce shipping.

Unfortunately, not everyone is keen on trying eCommerce shipping internationally—and for good reason. While the opportunities are boundless, proper planning and a strong business shipping framework is necessary for things to be successful. Otherwise, tapping into an international market will just prove to be stressful and may cost you a lot of money.

As much as there are several risks that come with selling beyond borders, however, there are also a lot of reasons why you should do it. According to figures from Statista, for example, an international sale has an average value of $147 which is 17 percent higher than the average of a domestic sale. Moreover, Shopify also cites that retailers who offer eCommerce international shipping have a 60 percent faster growth rate than those that don’t.

With this in mind, it pays off to take the risk to try and reach out to markets beyond borders, of course with the proper strategy at hand. Read the rest of the article to learn everything you need to know about eCommerce international shipping.

Assess and Evaluate Your Market First

Before you worry about the complexities of eCommerce international shipping, it is important that you decide if your business model is perfect for beyond border selling in the first place. This is the stage where you ask yourself which market you’re planning to reach out to, if there is actually a demand for what you’re offering in the country you are eyeing, and whether or not you should offer your full collection or just a few of your products first.

If it is your first time to try international shipping, industry experts suggest choosing countries that are closer to you initially because chances are there are similarities in demands and even language spoken if you share the same region. It is also easier to move products to places that are closer to you, which is important if you want to test the waters first.

Understanding the Costs

One of the many reasons that stop entrepreneurs from trying eCommerce international shipping in the first place is the costs. Since you will be selling beyond borders, you have to consider factors on whether to increase the price of your products to cover the extra fees, for example. The price of moving your items will depend on the origin and destination of your parcel—the farther that you want to ship, the more expensive it will be, which is why identifying the locations you want to tap is very important during the first stages of your planning. You also have to consider whether you want to use postal or express carriers, the costs of which are different depending on how fast they deliver your items. Last but not the least, you have to look into taxes and rates since different countries have their way of charging these according to what you are shipping.

Delivery Options

Buyers want choices, not only when it comes to the item that they’re shopping for but also in the ways that they want to receive them. If you’re fully committed to trying eCommerce shipping, you might also want to give your shoppers alternatives on how fast they want to get their products. Are you willing to offer faster shipping in exchange for higher delivery rates? How about free shipping for a ceiling price? The latter, when executed properly, is a good option if you want to increase your Average Order Value (AOV).

Insurance and Tracking

Of course, you cannot forget the element of customer satisfaction when it comes to international shipping. After all, regardless of how good the experience you’ve provided to your buyer is during the early parts of the selling funnel, their ultimate decision on whether they will be repeat customers or not will still depend on their experience upon receiving their order. Package tracking is necessary for eCommerce international shipping because it gives visibility to the movement of your item and sets expectations while insurance can help cover your costs if, in case, an item gets lost or damaged and you have to provide a refund.

Navigating international shipping may be tricky, but with the right strategy and it is one move that can definitely boost the success of your business. At the end of the day, however, what you ultimately need to focus on is finding the perfect logistics provider that can fulfill all your expectations. As a pro tip, go for those that are specifically designed for eCommerce businesses like us here at MyKartero. A modern-day shipping center that guarantees faster movements of your items at good price points, we promise to fulfill your requirements while making sure that that the expectations of your customers are met. You can try and book our services now by following this link.