International Business and Technology Blog

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. 

Want your videos to deliver global sales, brand and business growth? Then make sure you have the right platform! Online video platforms (OVPs) have come a long way, in terms of commercial communications and business functionality, in the last 10 years. Today, we have real choice, with multitudes of OVPs vying for space in what is currently the fastest growing trend of our digital era.

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.

Social media is a fantastic way to boost your brand awareness and grow your sales in Mexico. Mexican consumers and businesses are reactive and engaged online: post great relevant content and watch it ricochet around your target prospect base! On top of that, online marketing prices are reasonable compared to many other large markets. So, if you get your social media and online marketing right, the return on investment for brand awareness and the sales that can go with it, are rapid. Below we share some of our insights to the Mexican online world that we use as international marketers to help our clients build their brand, sales and business in Mexico. 

Online solutions to identify and manage distributors

A good distributor is essential for most SMEs to grow their sales internationally, so finding the right in-market partner is key. But once that relationship is established, distributors need to be nurtured, maintained and managed. All this was challenging enough, but in this age of social distancing, as trade shows, frequent air travel and face-to-face meetings all get pushed back, companies are looking for digital alternatives. Exporters today need innovative online solutions that help them identify, recruit, and manage their international distributor networks. Localized websites can do that job!

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.

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.

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.

Why Instagram?

Instagram is huge! With over 1 billion active users monthly, it is the second largest social media platform worldwide. Only Facebook is bigger. But that could change, as Instagram's rise shows no sign of slacking. Why is that important for businesses? Because in today's world businesses need to reach their clients and prospective clients on the platforms of their choice. And Instagram is a great choice for businesses.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a constant preoccupation of the online literati and given its importance in driving the internet, it is essential to keep up to date with the latest trends and concerns. The new Holy Grail of SEO is Search Engine Co-Optimization (SEC-O), promising huge rewards for combined organic and paid search. SEO guidelines and statements are regularly issued by the owners themselves, Google, Bing and their brethren. The debates, reactions and pontifications can be lively as researchers, practitioners and non-believers, exchange their opinions. ClickZ conferences are a great well-informed forum, and the recent New York event was no exception. Amongst the many soothsayers, Bill Hunt, President of Back Azimuth Consulting added his weight to the SEC-O debate “integrating, measuring, and optimizing PPC and SEO keyword data and insights to maximize their collective potential for traffic and conversions”. A bit of a mouth-full but worth unpicking.