Questions & Answers
Here are some of the questions and answers addressed in this webinar, the times have been listed.
How do you expand your international sales through eBay and Amazon? What is the best practice for translating and optimising your listings for each country? (15:20)
Translation is not always necessary as there is always the option to use English. However you can use machine translation or use professional translation (eg: Web Interpret). Amazon is catalogue driven so if your product is listed, a translation will be provided.
What payment methods are the best? (24:20)
When it comes to e-commerce there is not much choice. One option is to use Web Interpret to calculate your exchange rate then use Paypal for payment.
In regards to international order fulfilment, what duties will customers have to pay? (26:55)
Usually the customer pays for the duty however there are tools available such as “duty calculator” which calculates duties and taxes and also provides information on the subject.
What’s the best way to deal with international returns and customer complaints? (32:02)
Generally there is a higher standard of expectation outside of the UK in the international market. Sometimes modifications must be made to the product and if you are selling a cheap product it can be more cost effective to offer a refund rather than have it returned.
What sort of software is available for managing your inventory and sales? (34:48)
There is a lot of software available and you can even use Web Retailer as a directory. Here are some examples of what’s on offer: E-Seller Pro is a general e-commerce and management tool, Channel Map is used for pricing and Supply Handler is used for customer communication.
What other market places are available? (48:00)
It is important to try and seek out market places outside of Amazon and eBay. Specialist marketplaces provide serious competition for eBay depending on the goods. Plus other sites like Alibaba in China and Allegro in Poland and Trade Me in New Zealand are extremely popular.