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.
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“Typically, something like 75% of our sales involve being face-to-face, on the floor in clients’ manufacturing facilities,” recalls Jonathan Szucs, president and owner of Advanced Superabrasives Inc. (ASI). Looking up at the webcam, waving and adding “So not being allowed to travel or visit customers, it is totally changing the way we have to do business” and “that’s why this website globalization is so important”.
ASI had been considering the Online Global programs before the pandemic, the increased grants and current state of the “lockdown” world, fast-tracked that decision. IBT Online is now working closely with ASI to completely redesign, build, and deliver best-practice, locally optimized business development websites and online marketing campaigns for target markets the U.S.A., Canada and Mexico. Today, face-to-face is online!
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The Events Industry Council tells us that trade fairs, exhibitions and conferences annually involve >1.5Bn participants across 180 countries, employing 26M people supporting $1.5Tn of GDP. By May 2020 COVID-19 shuttered >2,600 such events, with 1,000's more to come, and no-end insight. The chances are that you, like me, were one of those participants, and we contributed to these numbers. Well, its all over now, in this social-distance imposed new online normal!
One of the earliest major fairs to be pulled was the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona scheduled for Feb 2020, quickly followed by cancellations of the International Tourism Fair in Berlin, then the Geneva Motor Show, and so it goes on. Event cancellations cross all sectors, all sizes and all locations; aerospace, to medical, via broad industrial, to beer, books and beekeeping (three of my favorites), in Europe, Asia and the America's.
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The Michigan Online Global programs are a “no brainer”, with “return on investment (ROI), almost immediate” declares Head Honcho, Dave Yancho, Vice President and co-owner of Armor Protective Packaging (ARMOR). Dave is a forceful advocate for three reasons: 1) his international customers, 2) the immediate financial ROI and 3) the ease of working with IBT Online.
Today, ARMOR has best practice, optimally localized business development websites working hard 24/7 in Canada, Mexico, China and India, with Japan and Germany on the way!
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At IBT Online we deliver innovative and high-quality websites and online marketing for international businesses. With offices in Europe and the US, helping companies navigate the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is fundamental to our business. IBT Online is here to help your company get ahead of the game in digital trustworthiness.
The objective behind GDPR is to change mindsets. Facebook may be at the vanguard, but most companies today collect, store and use personal data online. The premise behind GDPR is that personal data belongs to individuals, who have rights over their online data. GDPR is therefore a process rather than a one-off security fix, and impacts internal corporate policies, as well as your website and marketing. Read MoreTags: All posts, Digital Compliance
Your Online Global websites will soon be launched so now is the perfect moment to plan and prepare for how best to use these optimally localized business development tools. Read on!
Your localized website acts as a springboard to reach new prospects, connect with existing clients and showcase your products and services to your target audience. But are your websites working as hard as they could for you? They are optimized for the local search engine, but the internet is a competitive place and in today’s world, websites need a helping hand: online marketing.
The ability to access the internet is increasingly seen as a fundamental human right. Tim Berners-Less, one of the inventors of the WorldWideWeb and a director the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) notes that “The power of the Web is its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect”. Accessibility for the disabled, is a growing concern. While the United Nations set out guidelines as far back as 2006, countries have been slow to adopt them. But the tide now looks to be turning.
The European Union (EU) implemented the accessibility best practices in 2010. In 2017, over 400 U.S. companies were served with lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because their websites were not deemed accessible to the disabled. Websites are increasingly recognized as public places, and therefore need to be more mindful of public accessibility. Today, more than 4 billion people use the web for: “education, employment, government, commerce, health care, recreation, access to information and more” (Source: United Nations). To be denied access to the web is an impediment to normal life and life’s opportunities in our 21st century world. Companies need to take note.
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The world wide web was invented 30 years ago and in just one generation has spread to every corner of the Earth and even beyond. The United Nations is debating including access to the web as a fundamental human right. But the risks of the web’s ubiquity are also increasingly clear. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the greatest challenge so far for companies as they scramble to tame their wild west websites. At the core of GDPR is the recognition that online personal data has a value. Who owns it and how should it be treated?
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Growing your international business takes a collaborative effort. And as everyone knows who has ever worked on a project involving multiple people and resources, the key to success is communication. We at IBT Online have been successfully delivering collaborative projects for nearly two decades: building localized websites and delivering international online marketing for our clients. While communication is key, we also want to make sure we do the heavy lifting on the project, allowing you to focus on growing your exports, sales, brand and business globally.
Read MoreTags: All posts, Website Localization, International Online Marketing
How can Facebook groups increase your conversion rate?
Recently, I was lucky enough to attend the INBOUND 2019 conference in Boston! This was a great opportunity to learn about emerging trends in digital marketing. One session which really stuck with me was focused on the role of Facebook groups and how they’re gaining influence as user’s seek new ways to cut through the "noise" and find solutions. This makes FB groups a potent tool for companies looking to develop brand awareness in international markets and grow their exports. With the correct engagement, solving real issues for your potential clients, FB groups can act as a platform to engage honestly with your prospects, building brand awareness and the long-term trust needed to turn leads into revenue.
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