The world is getting smaller. Fuelled by advances in broadband penetration, internet speeds and increasingly sophisticated e-commerce solutions, consumers' online behavior is changing. No longer restricted to buying locally, today's discerning consumer is travelling the world via the web from the comfort of their sofa to find unique products at the best price. Borders don’t apply online and international shopping is on the rise. According to Nielsen figures, in the UK alone there are 15.9 million online cross-border shoppers, spending £8.5 billion in 2013 – and that's expected to climb to £18 billion by 2018.
This poses a significant business opportunity for retailers, but there are some major hurdles that must be overcome before this opportunity can be fully realised. The challenge lies in being able to effectively capture the attention of cross-border customers, as they roam the internet looking for the best deals. It's the modern day equivalent of a man walking up and down the street with an eye-catching sandwich board, touting a company's wares. Without search, businesses would be close to invisible online.
Moving past the recognition phase, search marketing plays a multi-functional role in the purchasing cycle. It helps consumers cast a wide net over a vast number of potential solutions to whatever they are in the search for. It enables potential customers to compare selected solutions, based on criteria that matter to them. It introduces consumers to websites where they can make purchases, and it empowers the consumer to validate buying decisions by providing access to rich information about their purchase at a later stage.
With the rise in cross-border e-commerce, paid search becomes one of the most effective, cost-efficient ways for retailers to harness the web. It's measurable. Businesses can set up multi-lingual, localised campaigns at the touch of a button, helping them reach out to potential customers in their mother tongue. For smaller businesses, paid search can help build brand awareness in new markets by ensuring the company name is in a prominent position when customers search online, helping to establish trust.
But while global shopping certainly starts with search, it doesn't end there. So we've curated a crossing borders white paper, which provides tips and guidance to retailers embarking on a journey towards internationalisation. We've included feedback from businesses that have successfully expanded their business beyond their domestic markets, and advice from digital experts and marketing specialists on topics such as targeting the right countries, finding the right payment platform and optimising mobile. We hope that these insights and guidance serve as a helpful boost for businesses seeking to capitalise on this fast-growing trend, as the product and the right search marketing strategy become more decisive than the business address of the retailer.
By Cedric Chambaz, International Marketing Director at Microsoft.
Want to hear more advice from Cedric? He'll be joining us at the Digital Marketing Show Mid Term on the 13th May to speak about the importance of search. Book now!
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