International Business and Technology Blog

It's no secret that the pandemic hurt a lot of businesses in 2020, especially brick-and-mortar businesses. As the premier Judo training center in Southeast Idaho, Blue Line Judo was severely impacted by the pandemic and was among the companies struggling to stay in business.

At IBT Online we have always been in the digital space, keeping and helping our clients stay ahead of the curve, but in 2020 the importance of being found, understood, and easy to do business with online became clearer than ever.

We know that digital is here to stay, and so does Blue Line Judo who has invested in two optimally localized, business development websites to help them make their new digital service global!

In today's online world, your website is your #1 business development tool. But is your website easy to be found, understood, and easy to do business within your target market? If not, it's time to invest in website localization -- you can't afford to wait any longer!

We worked with Fullerton Tool Company to launch two newly localized business development websites to help them reach their Spanish and French-speaking customers. Beth Bauer, the Marketing Content Strategist, says having localized websites to reach your target markets is “just a smart business decision!”

When you're up against the international competition, your brand will look "amateur" without the proper website setup. Optimally localized websites are the key to growing your exports, sales, brand, and business in foreign markets, and they should be included in your export marketing strategy.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the secret to being found online by your customers around the world. Your international prospects use search engines like Google, Yahoo or Bing to find products and services online.

So how can you guarantee they find you? That's where IBT Online comes in! We design and deliver best-practice, optimally localized international websites that are optimized for search engines in different markets worldwide.

Our SEO strategies make your website easy to be found and understood by your international customers, making it easier for them to do business with you and buy your products!

The Netherlands is a small country (approximately the size of Connecticut and Massachusetts combined), but it is an extremely attractive market within Europe:

• The Netherlands is a founding member of the EU, NATO, and the WTO, as well as part of the Schengen Area and the trilateral Benelux Union.
• It has a U.S-friendly population with high regard for U.S products and the highest level of English language fluency on the continent.
• The Netherlands has an innovative business community hungry for new, high-quality products.
• It hosts several international organizations and courts many of which are centered in The Hague, which is consequently dubbed as 'the world's legal capital'.

Use online tools to your advantage to be found, understood, and grow your exports in the Netherlands!

Achieving marketplace recognition overseas to grow your exports, sales, brand, and business globally is not an easy task – you must "look through the lens of the customer!", as Davies Hood, president of Induron Protective Coatings, learned by working with us.

“I like to purchase domestically and in my own language and in US measurements. It made me realize our partners in different parts of the world like to do the same.”

At IBT Online we pride ourselves in being able not only to understand our clients’ businesses and their goals but also to have a tracked record of being able to build and promote brands that go beyond their domestic market.

IBT Online helped Induron think more like their international consumers instead of like marketing and salespeople, according to Hood; "this was a major mindset shift!"

The unique Japanese online environment is difficult to enter but can be extremely rewarding when you are equipped with a localized website and best-practice marketing strategy.

Japan is well known by US Exporters for its large, strong economy – 3^rd largest in the world, and a powerhouse for both import and export. But it is also well known for how difficult it can be to enter!

A less known fact perhaps is how plugged in Japan is, with over 92% of their 127 million population using the internet on regular basis. 

IBT Online has a proven track record of supporting US Exporters to leverage their #1 business development tool - (no, not your sales team) – your website, to be found, be understood, and become easy to do business with in Japan.

With one of the highest internet penetration rates in the world, Japan is very connected and extremely mobile. To ensure your business can not only be found, but that your content can be easily understood by your prospects, you need a localized website.

Although small in size, Belgium enjoys a key position in the European and international economy. Belgium has always been a prosperous marketplace, in business and trade with countries from all over the world. Belgium represents an interesting and attractive market for several reasons:

• Together with the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Belgium is also one of Benelux member states.
• Belgium's trade advantages are derived from its central geographic location and a highly-skilled, multilingual workforce. 
• With Brussels (its capital) acting as the de-facto European capital, Belgium is host to a great number of European institutions including the European Union and NATO.

Use online tools to your advantage to be found, understood, and grow your exports in Belgium!

"My company chose IBT Online, and the results speak for themselves!" says Jonathan Szucs, the President and Founder of Advanced Superabrasives. "Within weeks of going live, our new websites in Mexico and Canada started generating over ten requests for quotes per week!"

That's huge for any small business that's entering a new market, just like Advanced Superabrasives.

Read how ASI worked with IBT Online to launch two new websites in Mexico and Canada and support their online presence in these target markets with tailored international online marketing strategies in both Mexico and Canada.

Now is the time to start selling cross-border, but with only 20% of 2020 sales coming from  the US, if your ecommerce website is designed only towards your US audience, you're missing out on 80% of the sales!

We know that international ecommerce can be daunting. You need a robust ecommerce platform that is equipped to handle cross-border tax rates and shipping functionalities, as well as an enticing online store front. But that's where IBT Online’s expertise comes in with a secret weapon -- Shopify.

You may have heard of this dynamic ecommerce platform, but did you know they operate in over 175 countries around the world? IBT Online Global Programs are designed to leverage this platform by creating optimally localized dynamic ecommerce websites tailored to your target markets, by using Shopify's global platform. The IBT Online team is ready to get your international online shops launched.

Italy represents the third-largest national economy in the European Union and is the second-largest manufacturer in Europe (after Germany). Italy is a well-established market for US exporters for several reasons: 

• Italy holds a key role within Europe, as a founding member of the European Union, the OECD, the G7, and G20.
• Italy represents the fourth largest export market in the EU for the U.S.
• U.S. exports to Italy are concentrated in high-value sectors such as pharmaceutical products, machinery, and aircraft.

Use online tools to your advantage to be found, understood, and grow your exports in Italy!