There are over 10 million households in Australia, and with 9 out of 10 actively buying goods online, the market is huge. How do you take advantage of this $37 billion industry? Obviously, knowing the ins and outs of the trade will get you there. Find out the latest trends, must-have tools, and popular platforms right here.
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Growing Your E-commerce Business Down Under
Australia might seem like a faraway place and not worth your time. That perception couldn’t be more wrong. If you’re thinking about venturing into the region, keep these points in mind.
Adopt A Multi-Channel Marketing Approach
Australians love social media and surfing the web, much like the rest of the population. Give them a few channels to shop from, whether a blog, online marketplace, or social media page. Include a range of content as well, from long articles and professional photos to engaging videos. The point is to cater to all tastes and preferences. And whatever method you adopt, make sure it’s easy for your audience to contact you.
Use The Right Tools
A man is only as good as his tools. And as far as e-commerce is concerned, nobody will deny that line. An online shopping brand can be a complex business. Simplify it with the following:
- Webstore builder: Shopify, Big commerce, or Wix
- Accounting tool: Quickbooks, Xero, or Freshbooks
- Enterprise resource planner: Oracle NetSuite or Microsoft Dynamics 365
- Order management system: Anchanto
- Warehouse management system: Anchanto
- Product information system: IBM Product Master or Productsup
- Digital asset manager: Adobe Experience Manager Assets or Brandfolder
Know Your Logistics Options
You won’t grow your business effectively without good partners. Locate the best logistics companies around the region and analyze their offerings to see how they fit your needs.
- End-to-end solutions (4PL): Lead Logistics Providers, or 4PLs, handle fulfillment, transportation, and technology. DHL eCommerce is a leader in this category.
- 3rd-party logistics (3PL): These companies fulfill orders through stock housing and distribution. Examples include Asendia and Starshipit.
- Couriers and shipping aggregators: For the last leg of e-commerce, seek out solutions like Sendle, which collects the stock from the warehouse and delivers it to your customer.
Identify Your Audience
Australians are just like anyone else. They value fast deliveries and great purchasing experiences. Therefore, find out all you can about them to engage with them better. You can get feedback from them by conducting paid surveys in Australia. Likewise, ensure good customer service from start to finish. When you treat your prospects well, they turn into loyal customers that will tell their friends about your brand.
Focus On Delivery Experience
Speed is of the essence in e-commerce. Australians do not want to wait weeks to receive their orders. If you’re going to stay competitive, you’ll need to splurge a little on delivery services. The COVID-19 pandemic taught us a lot of things. One of them is the need for speed. Overseas shipping takes ages to reach Australia. You should bank on that fact and advertise fast deliveries. Meet your customers’ needs with 3PL fulfillment options such as those mentioned above.
Localize Your Content
Do you speak Australian? It’s time to learn how to communicate like the locals. People in this region do speak English, but they do have their own lingo. Familiarize yourself with the culture, values, and preferences of the people. That means localizing your website and social media content accordingly. Aside from using the proper spelling rules, make sure to include the local vocabulary in your content. Doing so will make your website visitors feel more welcome and connected. They’ll be more inclined to get to know your brand better.
More Than Just Koalas And Kangaroos
Australia is a big market and so worth getting into. Make the best out of technology and do your research. Start with some data scraping. That way, you’ll discover the most profitable products to market and how to deliver them to the population. Find out the best price points and the latest marketing trends on social media and beyond.
The above tips will help you get on your way. Truth be told, they’re merely a starting point. Operating a successful e-commerce business takes a lot of hard work. Believe in yourself – that’s what’s important!