Website for exporter

1. Identify the target foreign market. The first step in creating an export website should be determining your target foreign markets. When choosing a foreign market for your product or service, check the import volume of the foreign country under your customs code, identify the main importing countries, study the level of competition for your customs code, and analyze the similarities to the Ukrainian market. Pay attention to the level of market development, etc. These steps will allow you to create a website in the language and currency of the target export country and adapt it to cultural specifics. Learn more about choosing a foreign market in our webinar "How can a Ukrainian manufacturer choose a country for export?"

2. Select your target audience. In addition to choosing the market, you need to select the target audience that will interact with the site. This could be retail customers, wholesalers, distributors, HoReCa clients, architectural or design offices, etc. The audience of the site will determine its structure; it could be an online store with a shopping cart for B2C or B2B sales, or a business card website that includes your catalog with download options and the main certificates for your products.

3. Register a localized domain. After completing the first two points, you can confidently choose a domain. For example, if your company is named "Export" and you plan to enter the German market with HoReCa as your target audience, depending on the availability of the domain (which you can check on GoDaddy), your national top-level domain might look like: export.de / export-horeca.de. If you wish to create a universal international export website, we recommend choosing an international top-level domain: export.com / export-horeca.com, etc. Your domain might also look like: export.eu / export-horeca.eu if the site needs to be localized for the entire EU market.

4. Choose a platform for the website. You can create a website on popular international platforms such as WordPress, HubSpot CMS, Joomla, WooCommerce, OpenCart, Shopify, Weblium, or develop your own site without using a CMS. The choice of solution should depend on the expected structure of your export site: an online store, a business card site, a news site, etc. Typically, options such as multilingual support, multi-currency functionality, a multilingual blog, SEO management, and cross-browser compatibility will be needed. For example, in the US market, most users operate on iOS, so cross-browser compatibility is important. When choosing a CMS, pay attention to whether there are suitable IT specialists available in Ukraine for the long-term support of your website.

5. Create an effective website structure. To increase the conversion rate of your product or service sales, the structure of the website plays a crucial role. An export website should include:
- Home page: A clear sentence in a language understandable to your potential clients that describes the company, a more detailed account of the company’s history, banners or videos showcasing the main products/services for export, an infographic describing the target audience, and certificates for products and production, along with major clients and suppliers.
- About Us page: Company history, mission, vision, values, portfolio, team, and contact information.
- Products/Services page: A catalog of goods or a list of export services, detailed descriptions, technical specifications, photos, links to the catalog in the appropriate language, and delivery terms according to Incoterms.
- Export Markets page: A description of foreign markets and your experience in them, including countries and regions of export, which can be presented in the form of a map showing routes from your main office/production to the export country.
- Blog/News page: Articles on topics relevant to your industry, company news, updates on participation in exhibitions/fairs, news about involvement in grant/partnership projects, and other company achievements, both offline and online.
- Partners page: Logos of all partners with active links to their websites.
- Contacts page: A contact form, mobile phone with WhatsApp messenger, address of the production and main office, and, if applicable, contacts for representatives in export countries, including the names and contacts of the export manager.
- Additional elements and pages: A site search field, language switch button, footer, FAQ page, cookie banner, privacy policy, and terms of use.

6. Develop a localized website interface. The design of your website should be user-friendly and intuitive for the users of the target export country/region, taking cultural specifics into account. For example, comparing the EU market and the US market, it can be observed that users in the US pay more attention to reviews, social media, footer content, and videos. In contrast, users in EU countries prioritize the FAQ page, the site search field, and the company's hours and days of operation.

7. Create a multilingual website. A quality export website should include the national languages of all target export countries, not just English. It is recommended to have the website and articles translated by a native speaker to ensure maximum linguistic affinity for your export site. For example, the British use the term "trainers," while Americans use "sneakers."

8. Internet marketing and SEO. Develop a comprehensive marketing and SEO strategy for promoting your site in relation to the target markets. If you are working with a finished product in B2C sales, effectively set up Google Shopping ads will be helpful. Optimize the site for search engines (SEO) to increase visibility in search results. Collaborate to share the cross-linking URLs of your site on authoritative platforms in your industry (partner sites, directories, forums, exhibitions, logistics companies, etc.). Page loading speed is also crucial for users and SEO; you can check it here. An important element of SEO promotion for your foreign site will be a multilingual blog. If you want to rank highly in search engines, such as Google, in the export country, regularly write and publish unique professional articles with keywords related to your topic.
9. Maintenance and support. After launching the website, it is important to ensure its maintenance and support. Fix errors, moderate user reviews, and continually update information on the site. For example, keep the online catalog of all products and their specifications up to date, ensure links to product or production certificates are current, and verify the accuracy of contact information (phone, messaging apps, email), etc. Regularly check the feedback form in your site's admin panel and messages in linked messaging apps and social media; these often contain spam but can also include valuable inquiries.

Creating an export website is a complex and multifaceted process, but it is crucial for the development of international business. With the right approach and effort, you can attract new clients and expand your business in the international market.

Explore Export Agency can help you create a quality export website; feel free to reach out.
Time to export!