Count the cost of shipping

Be sure to research your postage and packing costs before inviting orders from each location. Delivery costs can go through the roof for some destinations, and if you ever want to offer free delivery as a promotion then you’ll want to make sure you can absorb these costs.

Remember, shoppers are happy to pay more for a premium delivery service if they want the goods quickly, so look into providing a couple of different options. Choose a carrier that has a good international reputation, such as DHL or Fedex to make despatch easier. 

It’s also worth researching regional delivery preferences as these may impact the service you choose to provide. In Germany for example, many major parcel service providers have stopped offering same-day delivery. And the reason for this is simple: the demand is just too low.

Importantly, make sure delivery charges and estimated timescales are visible upfront and relate them to each specific country you deliver to. This will reassure your potential market that you have experience delivering to their location and manage their expectations of how long their order will take to arrive.

Calculate the savings to your retail business when eliminating the unnecessary redelivery costs incurred by address correction changes.

With Brexit causing shipping delays in some countries, it’s a good idea to maintain an open and honest dialogue with your customers. Shoppers are less likely to feel frustrated and more likely to return to your brand if they have full transparency of the situation.  

Socially native brands do this particularly well, using their digital channels and data insight to create targeted and effective customer communication.