5 Best Practices for Marketing to International Consumers

2. Localize with other cultures in mind. Localization should make an online retail site feel familiar and trustworthy, rather than strange and confusing. Using the customer's native currency, for instance, makes it easier to purchase with confidence. Other information specific to that nation — e.g., shipping information, taxes — should be included on a localized site.

Taking it a step further, holiday promotions can be customized to the target market's own festivals and celebrations. Similarly, images can be changed to reflect a more local appearance and style of dress.

3. Break down the language barrier. Translation of your key marketing content such as product reviews will give you a competitive edge and can be the deciding factor in whether a non-English speaking consumer chooses to buy. For instance, 50 percent of the Chinese consumers willing to shop overseas had language concerns.

You can offer quality translation with little more than a button click if you use a translation appplication programming interface (API). This is the same technology that's now used by many web services to incorporate third-party applications such as Google Maps. An API minimizes project management time, while your translations will still be handled by professional translators. The result is fluent language that will present your business at its best in international markets. An API also means you're not caught up in routine admin tasks when your time can be better spent elsewhere.

4. Interact with overseas consumers. Get your customers involved to make them feel valued. Social media makes this easier than ever before. The most popular networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+ now cover much of the globe, but don't neglect more regional trends. Image sharing, for example, is especially popular in Asia, where Pinterest and Instagram both saw rapid growth in 2012.