Selling Clothes Online? Here’s How You Can Go Global
If you’re a business owner and currently doing well selling in the country you live in, it might be a goal of yours to eventually go global and sell in other places in the world too. When you enter into foreign markets means you get to reach a much wider audience, so there are more people to buy your products which of course can equal a huge influx in profits from your apparel sales.
However it’s not as simple as you might have first thought, and just because you’re doing well in one place doesn’t mean it will necessarily translate over to every country. There are a few things to bear in mind that you might not have considered. Read on to find out more.
Is your clothing right for international markets?
The first thing to ask yourself is whether the clothing you’re selling will be suitable for the foreign markets you want to enter. Find out if there’s already a competitor there who can sell similar items for much cheaper, or if there’s something in the culture that would mean your particular products are useless to the people who live there. For example winter clothing in a place where the climate is hot isn’t going to be a good seller, and vice versa for warm weather clothes in cold climates. Then there’s culture to factor in, many cultures expect clothing to cover more of the body than you might usually design for, not just as a preferred choice but as a part of everyday life due to their culture and religion.
Fashion can be so closely tied to certain places that what feels normal to you might not work at all when it reaches another market. Even things like colour and fit and how casual or formal something looks can be received completely differently depending on where you’re selling it. So it’s worth understanding what people in that country actually wear day to day before committing your stock there, so do your market research.
Overcoming language barriers when selling globally
One of the biggest difficulties you’re likely to face when you’re selling overseas is the language barrier. It could be worth hiring an interpreter or use a company that can translate for you. While English is considered as a ‘global’ language, of course not all of the world’s population actually speak it so this is something to factor in. You need to be able to communicate with any warehouses you ship to or even customers directly if there are any issues and questions and things.
Choosing the right payment methods for global customers
Getting paid is of course an important part of the process! It’s easy to assume that everyone uses cards in the same way (or that online payments all work the same everywhere) but that’s not always the case. Some countries tend to rely much more on local payment systems while some prefer digital wallets. Others might be wary of paying in any foreign currency altogether so your payment system needs to be reliable and reassuring for anyone that’s using it. Use a global payment platform that your buyers are going to understand, and will make things easier for you too.
With careful planning and market research, selling clothes online globally can be a highly rewarding next step for your business.
Top photo by Hanna Postova on Unsplash
