If you have a software product, a service that can be delivered from abroad or a physical product that people don’t mind waiting for, you can do business internationally directly from your own country.
Our local consultant can advise you on the best way to enter the market and to find and approach relevant web shops, or set up your own online shop.
As counts for any country: you first have to define the target group that you want to sell to. If these are businesses, then you can reach out directly through emails and targeted advertisements, e.g. on LinkedIn. If this arouses interest and gives a sufficient response rate, then you may have found an easy way to get the market’s attention.
If your target group is more diffuse, or is a consumer group, then you have to rely more on advertising such as on Facebook or Instagram.
A local consultant can find possible business partners, or you have identified them yourself. But how to convince them to market and sell your products or services?
For this you need an export plan with a clear strategy and sufficient financial details.
Even if your business is really international, it may be wise to set up local website translations and check whether your text aligns with the culture.
With regards to content, my personal experience is that if you have a successful blog topic in one language, it is likely to do well also in other languages. Don’t reinvent the wheel, just make a proper translation.
For targeting a country you may need website translations that go beyond Google translate. You can do this with WPML.
WPML is a Wordpress plugin that helps you set up different translations of your web pages. This can be with automated translations, but you can also choose to have manual or adjusted translations or even specific content on the language pages.
Customers who see prices and can pay in their local currency are three times more likely to deal with you. So it makes sense to offer this option.
Credit card payments typically work best up to an amount equivalent to 500 USD or EUR. If the invoicing amount is higher, there often is a different internal procedure required.
Stripe combines various payment methods available in a country, even including direct bank payments and after pay. This way the barrier for your clients to do business is low.
The Dutch e-commerce market is experiencing significant growth and is one of the largest in Europe. Here are key details about the Netherlands’ e-commerce landscape:
Market Share: Largest online marketplace in the Netherlands
Monthly Visitors: 11.6 million
Bol.com leads the Dutch e-commerce market with a wide range of products. It has over 50,000 partner merchants and 13 million customers.
Monthly Visitors: 5 million
Coolblue is a major player in the Dutch e-commerce scene, known for its electronics and home appliances.
Market Share: Growing rapidly, nearing top 3 in Dutch e-commerce
Monthly Visits: 26.7 million
Amazon entered the Dutch market in 2020 and has quickly gained traction. It’s estimated to have generated €1.2 billion in sales in 2023.
Market Share: 6% of all e-commerce in the Netherlands
Zalando is a leading online fashion retailer in the Netherlands, with a strong presence across Europe.
Focus: Grocery e-commerce
While specific data is not provided, Albert Heijn is a significant player in the growing online grocery sector in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands e-commerce market is projected to reach USD 52.16 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 9.31%. Electronics is the largest market segment, accounting for 31.7% of Dutch e-commerce revenue, followed by Fashion at 17.3% and Grocery at 16.3%.
Entering a new market is an investment. Finding partners, contracts, translations and marketing costs money and you may need additional working capital.
Only with a good plan with enough financial data you can convince banks and investors to fund you. We help you with the complete business case and documentation.
First of all you may have to pay import duties or settle VAT. There are certain thresholds for both of these charges, e.g. while importing in the EU you don’t have to pay import duties on any shipment worth less than € 150.
There may also be non-financial bariers, like certifications or approvals to be obtained. Especially for food, cosmetics or medicine this may be the case. Check this in advance, even before you invest in your marketing.