?eCommerce companies wanting to take their affiliate programmes to a global level may face some obstacles along the way.??
With stats from different research studies, this article walks you through some of the possible problems faced when beginning the journey.???
Providing solutions, explanations and approaches to illustrate why using an agency that has international presence will be more beneficial to your business compared to going to a network directly.
?eCommerce has gone global and knows no borders. As a result, shoppers are more often making retail purchases from companies based outside of their own country. Borderfree Chief Strategy Officer Kris Green commented on this trend saying, You the consumer don't necessarily know or care, you just know that it's coming to you and you know what you're going to have to pay. I find more and more consumers just want to be able to see the price, have no surprises and will be indifferent as to where the product is coming from.?
According to eMarketer, worldwide B2C eCommerce sales will increase by 20.1% in 2014 to reach $1.5 Trillion. Did you know that 95% of online sellers partner with marketplaces like Amazon in part to increase their international presence? The study also revealed that 60% of UK shoppers purchased items from non-UK online retailers because they were able to find a better deal or because they couldn't find the product locally, and that online retailers lose 5-10% of UK, Australian and Canadian shoppers when consumers are unable to buy the same US products online that they can find in a nearby brick and mortar store.
Though eCommerce and affiliate channel efforts have gone global, it is not yet the seamless, omnichannel-like experience most merchants are hoping for. This is exacerbated by the fact that the leading networks affiliate marketing agency india and affiliates in one country may not be leaders in other countries. This makes a merchant's affiliate efforts quite challenging and requires an informed and nuanced approach to growing internationally.
Merchants should consider crafting their affiliate channel strategy with the help of an in-country affiliate marketing agency that has boots on the ground, staffs local experts, and develops relationships with domestic affiliates and networks. A smart affiliate marketing agency will have knowledge of various cultural intricacies and unique market challenges and can tailor channel offers in a way that produces better yields and higher sales. Such an agency can help global merchants understand the unique ecosystem and players to involve for building an affiliate marketing channel that resonates with a regionally-specific customer base and delivers ROI. A strong agency with a local presence also provides an unbiased, 50,000 foot view of the affiliate channel and can recommend what's most effective for a specific merchant in that market without platform favoritism or exclusivity, which network managed services cannot provide.
This approach differs greatly from less savvy merchants who decide to work directly with networks in markets they do not understand or with agencies who claim to have an international presence without retaining local market knowledge, offices and staff. Merchants who opt for network managed services risk lost time, lost revenue and brand reputation damage if the network is not vigilant in understanding the culture and working with affiliates to ensure they are appropriately advertised. Networks are biased by necessity. Their interest is primarily focused on their own portfolio and recurring revenue streams. This bias can be of detriment to the growth of an affiliate channel poised to expand internationally if opportunities for increased exposure and ad placements through other platforms are ignored in favor of protecting their own bottom line.
The lesson? Be smart. Don't try to launch or manage an international affiliate program without help from an agency with extensive market knowledge and a real presence in the countries in which you are looking to expand.?
Greg Shepard, the founder and CEO of AffiliateTraction, is a seasoned veteran in building and running sustainable growth businesses. Greg established AffiliateTraction and it has since expanded into the largest multi-national affiliate marketing agency with offices in Silicon Valley, Toronto, London and Sydney.
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