How to seamlessly set up a successful global online D2C business

The pandemic has laid the foundation for the success of your ecommerce or online D2C business. It’s time to think of building a global ecommerce business especially if you are already online. In this article, we will take you through all the steps that will help you in becoming a global DTC brand and prosper in a global market.

The market for global ecommerce business
The global ecommerce business has seen a wonderful year. The market is expected to total $4.479 trillion by 2021. Industry reports indicate that, online retail sales will obtain $6.39 trillion, with ecommerce taking up 21.8% of overall retail earnings. In India alone, the ecommerce market is expected to reach $100 billion by 2025. The potential for D2C brands to start their global journey has increased because of the strengthening of India’s digital infrastructure.

Advantages of going global
In India, the growing consciousness of the consumers and the presence of wide online platforms to facilitate ecommerce globally offers a variety of beneficial opportunities. The advantages include:

• A relationship is built between the business owner and consumer, as there is no middleman required
• One has complete control over their customer’s journey
• It saves overhead costs as there is a direct connection with the consumers
• Luxury to personalise customer service in accordance with customer needs and preferences
• Get to know the in-depth view of the market you are targeting

Some basic things to have a successful global ecommerce business
Build a simple website
The fastest and easiest way people can know about your products is through a website. A detailed website will provide all the needs that the consumer might need. The website should show all the products and services that are for sale along with information like payment requirements, a manner for refunds and process for delivery.

Points to ensure while making a website

1. Navigation should be convenient
2. Make sure there's all the information to establish the consumer’s trust
3. Appropriate links are provided to your social media handles
4. It should be reliable and true to your brand

Integrated logistics and payment methods
Consumers nowadays value efficiency. A global ecommerce business needs to ensure the services provided are fast and hassle-free. Integrating payments and logistics is an important step to ensure that the trust is developed between the buyer and the seller. Another step would be to take help from a third party for verifying the order to enable automatic processing .

(Note: To minimise hidden charges of the target country one needs to know everything about the customs of that country)

Logistics and delivery at low cost
Apart from speedy delivery, one needs to ensure it is accurate. The parameters for success will not just be limited to servicing in the required geographical pin codes but also ensuring it is a fast, safe and effective delivery. Initially, you could deliver yourself, and when the company grows you can partner with a logistics company which would also help in profit margins. The key to scaling your global ecommerce business is having trustworthy logistics partners. It is essential to streamline costs by having a good supply chain as individual costs for manpower, transportation, and warehousing can lead to a huge budget. Optimising logistics cost is essential which includes tracking orders, reducing the number of returns, managing the inventories in hand and standardising a price for the deliveries.

Utilising policies of the products made in India
To help grow small D2C brands, the government has initiated multiple schemes and there are financial aids in place. Five government programs to boost ecommerce growth are the Startup India programme, Digital India scheme, Skill India, National Innovation Foundation and BharatNet. Also, there are export-related schemes like Duty Drawback, GST Tax Rebates, Rebate of State Levies etc. that can further help you scale globally.

When you are prospering in your home market, the natural progression is to make it bigger internationally. Transforming your online store into a global ecommerce business with a simple and convenient website is a modern way to grow your sales, fortify your brand and provide an impetus in your business. Having a website for each country you are operating in is key to fulfilment, due to numerous reasons that include search engine optimization, overall performance, internet site speed, localization, content material personalization, and many others.

With these steps in mind, you can build your international ecommerce business and empower your enterprise with the aid of adopting a multi-marketplace approach that will bring fruitful outcomes.

(The writer is Co-Founder and COO, Instamojo)