As we continue to run through the Lazy Conqueror Alphabet, the next letter is B which stands for a borderless experience of conquerors who want to know no limits and no borders. As an e-seller, what should your response be totheir needs? Read more to find out.

The 21st century did not really begin in 2001. It truly kicked off in 2020…

The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a watershed moment that ripped up the rulebook in almost every aspect of our everyday lives. We are all witnesses to this history. And, like all eyewitnesses, we seem to perceive change as something strange and unpredictable. Fortunately, however, the future is not so pessimistic. It’s just… different.

Let us take a look at shopping as one of the experiences that has changed dramatically due to the restrictions we have all faced.

Millions of people around the world began to shop online during the pandemic. Coronavirus sped up the development of e-commerce so much that years of slow progress were crunched into several months. In Central and Eastern Europe alone, the volume of e-sales in 2020 grew by 29 percent year on year.

The scale of changes impacted consumer behaviors and their expectations towards e-sellers. Lazy Conquerors (if you’re not up to date with the topic, be sure to check out our findings about the newest generation of e-consumers – HERE ), who expect the best service here and now, are willing to shop beyond borders and beyond any limits.

They just need your help.

As much as 20 percent of global e-commerce is international. This proportion will only go up in the upcoming years. What’s more, by 2027 the global cross-border B2C
e-commerce market will reach around EUR 3.9 trillion. Now it’s time to ask yourself a question:if a borderless experience is a natural thing for Lazy Conquerors, why shouldn’t it be the same for your company?

‍But what would it exactly mean for your business?‍

A simple thing actually – that you can achieve more than ever before by expanding your thinking horizon and your company’s activities beyond borders. In the predominantly online world, cross-border expansion is not only easier than ever before, but it’s also an important tool that allows your company to stay financially safe and sound, while reaching e-customers across the world with your products.

If you’re thinking about all the formalities and e-tools you need for your company to succeed abroad, stop there. It’s actually not that complicated.For example, some payment gateways like ZEN.com, which are used in domestic e-commerce, have an in-built feature of processing payments from abroad. There are no extra steps for you to take, it’s all there.

If you want to attract Lazy Conquerors, here’s the checklist of bases you need to have covered:

• A website available in several main European languages (or the world, depending where you intend to sell). Check GoogleAnalytics, HubSpot or any other analytics tools for the countries that visit your e-store and proceed accordingly.
• Live support that is great both in terms of timing and the quality of communication. Most excellent support examples include not panicking when customer doesn’t speak English, but using translation tools instead, to help him resolve his issue.
• Clear policies on returning items and proceeding with potential issues, such as an item that doesn’t quite fit the customer’s needs or expectations.
• Clear information about delivery partners and expected logistics of the order, as well as procedures in case something goes wrong with the delivery.
• Think about offering extra benefits, such as cashback (returning a percentage of a purchase, i.e. in the form of points to be collected and redeemed for the next purchase – this means customers receive some money to spend in your e-store again!) or loyalty programs.

an expert tip from ZEN.com

If you do not have resources to localize your website into other language, use e-tools that have built-in features in multiple languages, such as international payment gateways, e-commerce platforms or social media platforms.

You pay only one subscription and you get multiple languages, which makes your customer feel safer, seen and heard, even if they come from a country that seems totally exotic to you.

Just in 2020, 220 million Europeans shopped abroad. And your potential new e-customer might be among these.

So, do you feel ready to make the borderless leap?

The opportunity awaits those brave enough to pursue it!

By the way, if you have any questions, you can always message us here: [email protected]

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sources:
eMarketer, Global Ecommerce Update 2021
Accenture, The digital marketplace for cross-border trade, 2020
Cross-Border Payments and Ecommerce Report 2020–2021

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