International Business and Technology Blog

The United Kingdom is one of the largest economies of the world (ranked 7th) and the third largest ecommerce market globally. The UK is also amongst the most connected and internet-savvy consumers and businesses anywhere. Some 95% of the population access the internet regularly. For US exporters, the UK is a prime destination market: large, accessible and with a low language barrier. It's a great market for exporters, especially those that get their online presence right!

The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are two key markets in the Middle East and part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which also includes Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. Over 90% of the population in both countries access the internet regularly. For US exporters, the UAE and Saudi Arabia are great markets to enter because they are mobile, connected, and comfortable with ecommerce. If you get the online presence right, both markets can be very fruitful. 

We are in the age of automation, endless information, and access to pretty much anything we want at a click of a button.

It’s a wonderful world to be a consumer in, but with so many companies, products, and reviews to sort through, we want to be confident in our choices.

South Korea might be small in terms of population, but it should definitely not be underestimated! Their population is one of the most well-connected, with more mobile connections than people in the country. It also has the fastest mobile internet in the world! South Korea also carries its weight in ecommerce, with it being the 7th largest ecommerce market in front of much larger countries like Canada, Russia, and Brazil. When taking a look at Asia, exporters should consider South Korea as a great market to enter for exporters!

Use online tools to your advantage to be found, understood, and transact your business in South Korea. 

Exporters ask all the time: “Why do I even need another English site for countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, when I already have a great one for the U.S.?”

The answer is simple (yet complicated): Google.

Google aims to provide its users with the most relevant and helpful results in milliseconds. It does this by using a series of algorithms that consider things like search terms, the relevance of individual pages, the quality of the website content, previous queries, speed/user experience, and location settings. It is because of these algorithms that exporters need to have a localized website for each English-speaking target market. 

This infographic is designed to be a helpful tool for someone who doesn’t know where to start with international social media. 

Social media is huge. There is no denying the power and amplitude of social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn (among many others). Which is why it can be intimidating - especially for an exporter that is more concerned with keeping up with their products and services than how to fit a message in X amount of characters.

Ecommerce plays a huge part in our every day online lives- and the numbers prove it! In a population of about 7.5 billion people, 4.5 billion are online, and 3.4 billion are shopping online, meaning about 45% of the world population makes purchases via ecommerce! Although ecommerce is prevalent in many countries all over the world, here we are going to focus on the big 3: China, the United States, and the United Kingdom. 

Australia and New Zealand are attractive markets for US exporters for a few reasons- They are English-speakers, both countries are relatively easy to do business with, and they are well-developed.  Both Australia and New Zealand have more mobile connections than people, and over 93% of internet users go online daily for personal reasons. 

China is one of the largest economies in the world- with a 23 trillion dollar GDP and over a billion people, it is a force to be reckoned with! China is well connected, embraces new technology, and is very mobile-friendly. Although China has its challenges- new tariffs, government red tape, and unique online environment, when a company begins to understand China and all of its complexities, it can be a very lucrative and successful target market. 

Use online tools to your advantage to be found, understood, and transact your business in China – one of the most internet-aware markets in the world.

Japan is a stable and large economy with a population that is tech-savvy and modern - a dream destination for any exporter. The people of Japan are well connected (91% use the internet!) and are avid social media users. 

Use online tools to your advantage to be found, understood, and transact your business in Japan – one of the most internet-aware markets in the world.