It’s a big world, but each shopper wants products suited for where she lives, priced in her currency and information in her own language. Here are cost-effective ways to give many consumers much of what they want.

There is more to global e-commerce than offering international shipping. A passive, one-size-fits-all approach to marketing can fail to sway buyers in other countries and undermine your overseas performance. Leading brands are using innovative new strategies, including in-store promotions, localized marketing, selective site translation and customized pricing, to drive sales and ROI in markets around the globe. Read on to learn how Bloomingdale’s, Gilt, Neiman Marcus, Brooks Brothers and Warby Parker are changing the face of global e-commerce.

1. In-store promotions

International tourists who visit your U.S.-based retail locations are a prime target in your global e-commerce strategy. They’ve already chosen to make your store part of their trip, and they’ve immersed themselves in a rich showcase of your brand and merchandise—but they’re probably limited in how much they can purchase by concerns about luggage space and airline fees. In-store promotions of your global e-commerce capabilities can extend that vacation visit into an ongoing online relationship once they’re back home.

Bloomingdale’s used a variety of best practices to strengthen its online connection to customers in China through a promotion geared to the current year in the Chinese lunar calendar, the Year of the Horse, in select stores in New York, Chicago and San Francisco. The company created unique Chinese-themed merchandise tailored to the Chinese New Year, including a limited edition “Year of the Horse” tote bag that was sold both in-store and online. Pop-up shops curated to celebrate Chinese fashion and culture were staffed with associates speaking Mandarin and Cantonese to better serve Chinese visitors. Lucky red envelopes gave shoppers the chance to win in-store credits in the auspicious amounts of $8, $88 or $888. The promotion was also highlighted to online visitors from China-based IP addresses to capture the attention of tourists as they planned their US visits.

To capitalize on and extend the enthusiasm generated by the in-store experience, on-site signage highlighted the availability of Bloomingdale’s online channels in China and other countries. Associates gathered email addresses to continue direct marketing of relevant offers and promotions throughout the year. A “shop in-store, ship anywhere” offer—including free shipping to China—made it easy for people to shop to their heart’s content and set a precedent for receiving overseas shipments of Bloomingdale’s merchandise.

2. Localized marketing

Country-specific marketing campaigns designed around exclusive merchandise can be an impactful way to build business with online shoppers in key markets. Online luxury flash-sale retailer Gilt provides one of the best examples of tailoring its content and promotions to appeal to consumers in local markets. To build awareness in the Canadian fashion community Gilt targeted Canadian customers, highlighting the latest fashions from top Canadian designers such as Beaufille, Chip Foster and Christopher Bates. Top Canadian bloggers and editors curated exclusive online flash sales.  The retailer offered free shipping to Canada as well. 

3. Selective site translation

Translating an entire domestic site into additional languages can be costly and complex, but savvy retailers are taking a selective approach to leverage translation for maximum impact. A key best practice is to present international shoppers with a more visual, less text-oriented site experience with icons to guide navigation and rich product images in place of wordy descriptions—an approach called “translation by minimization.” The smaller amount of text that remains will be less costly to translate into local languages, and will be less intimidating on pages where it is not translated, making international visitors more likely to stay, shop and buy.

Neiman Marcus adopted the translation-by-minimization approach for its Chinese visitors, re-skinning elements of its site in Mandarin for users from Chinese IP addresses, as well as those who select China as their shipping destination, including its welcome message, home page, top and left navigation, and checkout.

4. Customized pricing

Pricing can send powerful messages to customers. Inconsistent pricing across channels—like online prices that don’t match in-store tags—can lead people to compare and bargain-hunt from channel to channel rather than completing a purchase immediately. Prices that don’t end in round numbers are too obviously converted from another currency, making a country’s customers feel like a secondary market or an afterthought. Prices that are only the starting point for additional fees make people feel nickel-and-dimed.

When Brooks Brothers launched its first stores outside the U.S., the retailer ensured U.K. visitors saw the same prices online as they would in person—including embedded duties and VAT to eliminate unwelcome add-ons. Warby Parker uses the same approach in Canada. In each case, prices are rounded to even amounts so that they don’t read like converted costs. Creating a consistent, localized experience across in-store and online shopping, including the same round, inclusive and transparent price, helps these retailers increase conversions and establish a stronger presence in new markets.

Growing international demand for American brands makes global e-commerce a rich opportunity for retailers. To take full advantage, convert more sales and capture maximum ROI, make sure you’re reaching out to these shoppers with promotions, pricing and online experiences that truly speak their language.

Borderfree provides international e-commerce services to 37 of the retailers in the Internet Retailer Top 500.

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