Untapped Opportunity for NZ Exporters: Boosting Online Sales in Your Ecommerce Business
For almost all exporters, growing sales is a top priority. The combination of rising costs and tightening economic conditions means many exporters are feeling the pressure and looking for ways to grow their sales to make up the difference.
Research from the 2024 ExportNZ DHL Export Barometer shows to combat challenges, Kiwi exporters are looking to improve their business in other areas.
The top four ways exporters are improving their business are:
- Developing new products and services
- Improving business processes to enhance productivity
- Entering new markets
- Enhancing their online presence.
The Current State of Ecommerce Among Kiwi Exporters
The 2024 ExportNZ DHL Export Barometer shows a surprising number of New Zealand exporters are underutilising ecommerce.
Currently, 63% of Kiwi exporters receive 10% or less of their export orders from online channels, and more than a quarter (29%) receive no orders via online channels.
This shows there is a significant untapped opportunity for exporters to increase their online sales, and even if you are already doing better than the average, chances are you could still be grabbing more globally.
The first step to growing sales is ensuring you have an online presence. No matter what kind of export business you have, being online can unlock new markets without needing to be physically in those markets.
Then the focus is about optimising your online presence.
“According to the DHL Global Online Shopper Trends Report 2024, 65% of global shoppers emphasise the importance of knowing the delivery provider before purchasing.
This underscores the significance of transparency and trust in the delivery process, as customers want to know the logistics partner responsible for handling their orders.”
How to boost sales in your Ecommerce Business
Know who you are selling to
In order to increase your online sales, you need to know who your customers are. When businesses attempt to appeal to everyone, they often end up selling to few.
Many companies invest heavily in driving traffic without having a solid conversion strategy in place. Instead, focus on attracting high-quality traffic with a greater likelihood of conversion.
The first step is identifying your target audience. Successful businesses have a deep understanding of their ideal customers online and develop strategies tailored to them.
They know their customers’ demographics, needs, values, preferences, pain points, and other crucial details. This information helps them create a visual identity and brand voice that resonates with their target audience.
Begin by conducting market research and gathering data about your target audience. Use interviews, field studies, and social media platforms to collect information. The goal is to obtain as much information about your customers as possible. This process is essential for knowing how to effectively target the right customers in the future.
Optimise Your Website for Search Ranking
It’s vital you improve your website’s search engine ranking to attract as much organic traffic as possible, which is one of the ways new people find your website.
Websites typically rank well in search results based on content relevance, usefulness, authority, and overall site health. So, what you write on your website pages is really important.
To ensure your ecommerce website gets lots of online traffic, start by optimising it for search engines.
To appear among the top search results, fill your website with words that your customers are likely searching for, and remember websites that offer valuable content tend to rank higher organically in search results.
Make sure shipping isn't a barrier
Delivery services are also a critical factor in online shopping success.
According to the DHL Global Online Shopper Trends Report 2024, 65% of global shoppers emphasise the importance of knowing the delivery provider before purchasing.
This underscores the significance of transparency and trust in the delivery process, as customers want to know the logistics partner responsible for handling their orders.
We might be a long way from many export markets in New Zealand, but that doesn’t mean we can’t sell to them and courier goods efficiently to customers all around the globe.
At DHL Express, we have been providing quality shipping services to businesses of all sizes for more than 50 years. We are experts in the shipping industry, and our team is dedicated to ensuring that your shipments arrive on time and in perfect condition.
Sign up for an account today or get in touch with our team to learn how DHL Express can help your small business in New Zealand.
