With billions of online shoppers worldwide, you have more opportunities than ever to reach new customers. Did you know that more than half of ecommerce shoppers buy from online stores in other countries? So, how can you tap into this global market?
Achieving worldwide expansion goes beyond adding new languages and currencies to your Shopify store–you need to step up your search and merchandising game as well.
![Image of the globe with an icon of a shopper buying from international stores. A headline notes that 52% of online shoppers say they have made purchases from international stores.](https://findify.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/global.jpg)
Advanced tools and technologies will have the biggest impact on which ecommerce companies succeed in their global expansions. Some trends to consider include:
Critical considerations for global ecommerce expansion
Expanding your ecommerce presence to other parts of the world can be a substantial investment of time and resources. It can also involve some risk, so it’s essential to ensure that you have the right strategies and tools in place from the outset.
Start by researching new markets and understanding the differences between your current customers and prospective audiences. When it comes to adapting your Shopify site to new markets, the right AI-powered tools will do much of this work for you. However, learning about the market will help you decide whether it’s a good expansion location and help you make effective product and marketing-related decisions.
![A graphic reminds readers to think local before they go global with icons representing key considerations, from local culture, language, and trends through sizing variations and conversions.](https://findify.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/blog_thinkLocal-1.jpg)
Consider these aspects of a potential new market to decide whether they’re a good fit and how your site may have to adapt:
![Illustration of people on their phone buying items with different currency](https://findify.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/multiNational-1024x341.gif)
Common pitfalls to avoid when entering new markets
Understandably, many stores want to get into new markets as quickly as possible, but rushing can cause you to run into pitfalls. Consider these common mistakes and how to avoid them:
The more you can zero in on the behaviors and preferences of your particular buyers in each market, the more successful your site will be. That level of customization would be impossible to implement manually, but the right tools will help you create personalized experiences and navigate cultural, economic, and regulatory challenges.
Smart searchandising (search + merchandising) is one way online retailers are presenting search results for customers. Shoppers see results that are likely to appeal to them first based on their purchase history and other information.
Multi-language capabilities support Shopify Markets expansion
Seventy-six percent of customers want product information in their own language, and 75% say they’re more likely to purchase from a brand again if customer support is provided in their language.
![Illustration with a phone headset saying "hello" in a number of different languages. A headline notes that 75% are more likely to purchase again if customer support is in their language.](https://findify.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/blog_75percent.png)
But developing multi-language ecommerce sites requires more than simply plugging descriptions into a translation app. Shopify Markets allows stores to sell globally from a single dashboard, using international pricing and market-specific domains.
As a certified Shopify Plus application, Findify natively integrates with Shopify Markets. Shopify reports that 35% of its traffic comes from international visitors, and Findify’s multi-language capabilities help support expansion.
![Illustrations of three people with shopping bags plus one without any, shrugging. A headline notes 76% want product information in their own language.](https://findify.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/blog_76percent-1.png)
Findify understands language complexity, and our linguistic experts have designed the search and personalization tools to manage the nuances of language and importance of localized merchandising for shoppers. The native integration between Findify and the Shopify platform supports market expansion by providing search and merchandising features like personalized recommendations and smart collections in the languages shoppers want.
Findify currently supports 24 languages, with new ones being added regularly. This capability improves search, merchandising, and product personalization to optimize the performance of Shopify stores trying to scale.
Choosing the right tools for international growth
Since tools are the key to today’s online retail success, some planning is required to achieve the right tech stack for international ecommerce. To ensure your Shopify site can handle increased transactions and international traffic, look for tools that work together and can scale as your business expands.
Advanced, AI-driven search and merchandising tools, in particular, help your store connect with buyers and vice versa. Examples of popular, effective Shopify integrations include HubSpot CRM, Stripe for payments, Quickbooks for accounting, and Findify for search and merchandising. So, how do you find ecommerce website solutions that are smart and scalable enough to facilitate international market expansion? Features to look for include:
![](https://findify.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icons_techStack.png)
Will your tech stack support your store’s global expansion?
Here’s a checklist to help you choose the essential elements of a robust tech stack that’s ready to support the international expansion of your store on Shopify or another platform, like Neto, Norce, or BigCommerce.
Create engaging localized experiences
Some parts of your tech stack will play a larger role than others in international expansion. For example, search and merchandising solutions are crucial in helping ecommerce businesses engage with a specific market.
![Illustration of shopping on smartphone accessing in front of a map](https://findify.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/local.jpg)
AI-powered search and merchandising tools are especially useful for driving expansion in new markets because they enhance the shopping experience, improve product discoverability, and tailor offerings to support local shopping preferences. Real-time personalized search, product recommendations, and smart collections in shoppers’ languages help build connections and stickier customer relationships. These are some ways you can engage with customers in a new market and create better shopping experiences:
Expanding your store to reach new customers, languages, cultures, and continents is an ambitious effort. It requires new goals, strategies, and tools. Fortunately, technology has never been better, with the ability to simplify and automate tasks. The challenge is choosing the right set of tools.
![Findify and Shopify logos](https://findify.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/findifyShopify.jpg)
Better discovery with Findify’s native Shopify integration
Findify’s updated Shopify app significantly improves integration with websites built with Shopify. Findify’s robust search capabilities, merchandising, and machine learning (ML)-driven recommendations can work directly within Shopify-built ecommerce sites.
Shopify merchants can quickly access and launch the Findify app from the Shopify app store. Using Shopify Liquid Front-End–a versatile and easy-to-use templating language–developers and designers can customize their Shopify stores, creating dynamic, personalized, and visually engaging ecommerce customer experiences.
The app is optimized for Shopify ecommerce and provides:
If you’re planning to expand your ecommerce site, start by evaluating your current technology stack and its ability to scale for global sales. Then discover how Findify’s fully native Shopify app makes it easier to expand your business internationally.