International Business and Technology Blog

Germany is the largest economy in Europe, fourth largest in the world and among the top 3 exporters of the world. It is also a massive importer. The powerhouse of Europe, Germany is a priority destination for many exporters. German consumers and businesses are wary of the internet but are nonetheless ardent users, with 90% internet take-up. Ready to do business with US companies, Germans look to the internet for information before buying. Make sure your business is credible to your German prospects: get online, get localized websites! 

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

Canada is the United States' second largest trade partner in the world, and number one importer of US goods. Canada has a population that is well connected, close-by, and ready to do business with US companies. With a large population of English speakers, and 90% of them on the internet, it is a great market to enter for exporters!

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

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.

Mexico is one of the largest trade partners of the United States, is well connected, and has a population that is tech-savvy and modern - a dream destination for any exporter. The people of Mexico are well connected, avid social media users, and love to watch videos. 

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

Brazil - The largest economy in South America and with exciting potential for further growth. No wonder exporters have Brazil firmly in their export destination sights. While its size and potential growth are tempting, it is not for the inexperienced exporter. Brazil is a difficult market to enter, subject to a history of complex protectionist policies.

But for the persistent exporter, Brazil holds out the trophy of a lucrative and growing market. Use online tools to your advantage to be found, understood and transact your business in Brazil – one of the most internet-aware markets in the world. The infographic below will help you grasp and understand the potential of Brazil’s online environment, social media, and ecommerce.

Vapor Pin Enterprises, Inc. patented the Vapor Pin®, which allows environmental professionals a means of collecting high-quality, low-cost soil gas samples within minutes. Management was convinced that Brazil would be responsive to ecommerce and they turned to their local, US-based web agency for help. Unfortunately, the local web company did not have the experience, the know-how or the tools and skills to build localized Brazilian ecommerce websites. IBT Online was proud to be called in to help fix the problem and get a great, functioning, optimized and safe localized Brazilian ecommerce website with an accompanying online marketing strategy.

Localizing websites is more than translating a few pages – it involves deep local knowledge, wide technical experience and strong locally-based search engine optimization skills. Ecommerce plug-ins also need to be suited to the local market, taking into account local payment habits, safety and compliance regulations. For Brazilian ecommerce, according to Director of Sales Laurie A. Chilcote, “everything is in place including, distributors, accountants, lawyers…now we need to get online”. It was the right time to call in IBT Online to ensure the Brazilian website was launched on-time and on-budget with a full ecommerce platform and online marketing strategy to power up sales.

EuroDentalDepot is the brainchild of VistaDental, where innovation is key to success. The company invents, patents, manufactures and distributes highly specific dental devices and equipment. For its home market, the United States, the company has built up a trusted network of distributors and has an established reputation for quality, built since its foundation in 1997. But for export markets, management were keen to fast-track its growth. Going online with great local websites coupled with a strong ecommerce platform provided the solution, and IBT Online was delighted to help from the outset.

The land grab for internet users in India is in full swing and nowhere more so than in ecommerce. India now has the second largest number of internet users in the world, behind China, but this still means that about 65% of India’s population is not yet on the internet. While there are many Indian tech companies there are surprisingly few independent internet players, leaving the field open to the internet giants of the world. Google, with a historically impenetrable 96% market share in India, is facing serious competition from Chinese search engine giant Baidu. Amazon and Alibaba are dividing up online retail, gobbling up homegrown talent while Uber, Facebook and others all look for a slice of the cake.

Are you thinking of setting up an international online store? We put together a quick test that will help you evaluate whether your products and business model are suitable for selling online internationally.

The array of products to sell online is enormous. Frankly, creating an exhaustive list of all requirements for online sales that would address every single type of product sold from and to every single market in the world is an impossible task. To keep things fun and easy, we put together a list of questions that you should ask yourself when deciding whether to sell online internationally.