Finding the Right Solution for Your Global Web Store As the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Thomas Friedman famously quipped, “The world is flat.” The days when commerce and competition could be limited by geographic location and language barriers are reminiscent of a bygone era. Now, more and more companies, both foreign and domestic are expanding their businesses internationally in order to broaden their customer base as well as insulate themselves from an ever encroaching cohort of foreign competitors. Of course, a major contributing factor to this dramatic shift in global trade is the rise of web-based eCommerce software. The right international multi-currency integrate eCommerce platform can exponentially increase revenue by seamlessly bridging all the complications of worldwide eCommerce such as taxes, duties, customs, laws, multilingual eCommerce communication, time zones, real-time currency exchange rates, and real-time shipping calculations automatically. All this data can be integrated flawlessly into your ERP and CRM systems for quick, informed business decisions. This is a perfect example of integrated eCommerce. How to Manage Customs, Duties, and Taxes from Multiple Countries If you do business in several localities worldwide, managing the intricacies of taxes, customs, duties, laws, and regulations from several foreign entities at once can be a constant headache. An effective multilingual integrated online store takes care of these important factors for you automatically by syncing your platform with the real-time exchange rate and tax data for each respective currency. Customs forms can also be added to any international transaction for a seamless exchange of goods and services between consumers and suppliers from different countries. The more simple the transaction process is for both your organization and the consumer, the more you increase your bottom line by avoiding frustrated or confused customers, lost sales, and lost time. A good international, enterprise eCommerce solution easily adapts with lightning-fast speed to changes in the regulatory climate of each country, region, and sub-region. The solution should be easy to use and adaptable to your specific business, as every business has unique needs. A simple custom interface will allow managers to make immediate changes to mitigate any potential losses caused by events in any country or region. Make a Multi-Language Website that Increases International Sales Language is a barrier only to companies who allow it to hinder their international eCommerce potential. If your website only caters to speakers of one language, you’re missing out on boatloads of potential global sales. According to Language Connect's graphic to the right, just under 45% of online traffic speaks a language other than English. A multilingual eCommerce solution is a reactive site that actually changes languages based on which country, region, sub-region, or browser language the site traffic is visiting from. Imagine how much this simple yet elegant addition can broaden your target customer base! Of course, there are other language considerations to be remembered as well. For example, Switzerland has German, French, and Italian-speaking regions while South Africa has 11 official languages! There are also words and phrases that do not convey the same meaning and are not directly or easily translatable across languages. A good web-based solution must recognize this and adjust accordingly when necessary. This is why it is prudent to have a site that not only reacts to countries, but different regions, sub-regions, and browser preferences as well. Click here for more information on multilingual website best practices. Easy International CRM and ERP Integration An experienced, competent manager needs access to all the data possible in order to make the right strategic decision. The right international eCommerce platform makes it easy to integrate international data with your preferred platform across all channels of your organization. International data, in its raw form, can be tough to read if not automatically adjusted for relevant factors like taxes, international shipping costs, and currency exchange rates. Your multi-currency eCommerce integration solution can be an integrated platform or an entirely customized system built specifically for the unique needs of your business. A custom system may sound like a daunting undertaking; however, this is the way to go if you're serious about expansion. Custom-built international enterprise eCommerce solutions can scale with the growth of your business while an integration solution will usually have to be updated due to scaling issues. Whether you want custom Microsoft GP Dynamics integration, track international sales leads with your Salesforce eCommerce platform, or have something else in mind, Clarity has the proven enterprise eCommerce platforms and expertise to create a custom solution that caters to the specific and unique business needs of your company. Contact us today for a free consultation on how we can help solve your business needs.