2. Download browsers.
Once online, download the key tool for navigating on the web:
a browser. Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com)
and Netscape (http://www.netscape.com)
both offer state-of-the-art browsers
in dozens of language-versions from Brazilian Portuguese to Turkish.
3. Get e-mail.
Check out free e-mail services offered by Hotmail
(http://www.hotmail.com), Excite (http://mail.excite.com), and Yahoo (http://mail.yahoo.com). All provide private and secure
e-mail accounts at no charge which allow you to send and receive messages from any
computer connected to the Internet. For more services, visit Free E-Mail Providers
Guide (http://fepg.net/) for a directory of 1,000+
e-mail providers in over 60 countries.
4. Acquire e-tools.
Download other web software to further turbo-charge your
online experience. Adobe Acrobat Reader (http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html)
lets you view and print portable document files (PDF). RealPlayer (http://www.real.com/) allows you to access audio and video
programming on the Internet. WinZip (http://www.winzip.com/)
enables you to distribute and store compressed -- or “zipped” – files. For
the latest web tools, check out Jumbo (http://www.jumbo.com),
a searchable archive of over 300,000 software programs.
5. Set up a virtual office.
Establish a cyber-beachhead online with a host of virtual
office services, and store files, share documents, and collaborate online with colleagues
across the hall or around the world. Docspace (http://www.docspace.com) and Driveway
(http://www.driveway.com) offer up to 100 MB
(megabytes) of storage space for all your word processing, spread sheet, presentation and
other digital files, and make them accessible from any web-connected computer. E-services
such as Intranets (http://www.intranets.com),
MyEvents (http://www.myevents.com),
and Vicinities (http://www.vicinities.com)
allow you to create your own private intranets at no charge, and provide a host of
calendar, announcement, database, and news feed applications to your online community.
6. Sharpen your export skills.
New to exporting? Know little or nothing about international
business? No problem. A host of online tutorials can show you, step-by-step, how to do
everything from researching international markets to financing your exports. The
Forum for International Trade Training (http://www.fitt.ca/)
and the Virtual International Business Academy (http://www.viba.msu.edu/) offer online courses as part
of global business accreditation programs. Export Source (http://www.exportsource.gc.ca/) and TradeExport
(http://www.tradeport.org/ts/trade_expert/index.html)
provide easy-to-follow primers on global business. Take a World View (http://www.strategis.ic.gc.ca/SSG/sc01071e.html)
delivers a 12-module
introduction to exporting services, and Virtual Trade Mission (http://www.virtualtrademission.org/home.htm)
serves up virtual lessons on the global economy for college and high-school educators and
students.
7. Set targets.
Many newcomers and even veteran web surfers waste countless
hours online by going on wild hyperlink chases. With no e-search plan or objective, they
flail about in cyberspace, clicking on whatever catches their fancy at the moment. This is
like throwing money out the window. Before you log on, take the time to set your
international business targets and quotas. The great Yogi Berra once said
“if you don’t know where you’re going, you might not get there.”
The same applies on the Internet. Ask yourself key questions such as what do I want
to do online? Sell? Buy? Partner? Research? Which county(s) am I targeting? Which
industry(s)? What size operation? Which market segment? In which city(s)? Which
firms? Which decision-makers do I want to reach? The more focused your targets, the easier
it will be to find what you’re seeking online, and reach your trade goals.
8. Peruse trade portals.
Start your searches for global business information not on
popular search directories or engines such as Yahoo or Excite but on leading international
trade portals. These include MSU-CIBER (http://ciber.bus.msu.edu/busres.htm), Tradeport
(http://www.tradeport.org), University of
Kansas International Business Resource Connection (http://www.ibrc.bschool.ukans.edu/), Global
Business Web (http://www.globalbusinessweb.com/),
the Federation of International Trade Associations (http://www.fita.org/), and International Workz (http://www.internationalworkz.com/).
Compiled and constantly updated by global business specialists, the trade portals provide
a more comprehensive and current directory of online global commercial resources compared
to the search engines.
9. Check out government trade hubs.
A number of government trade promotion agencies around the
world offer content-rich websites which provide trade statistics, market reports, export
opportunities, and other global business information. The leading trade agencies online
are the U.S. International Trade Administration (http://www.ita.doc.gov/), British Trade
International
(http://www.brittrade.com/), Austrade
Online (http://www.austrade.gov.au/),
the New Zealand Trade Development Board (http://www.tradenz.govt.nz/), and Canadian
InfoExport
(http://www.infoexport.gc.ca/).
10. Embrace the embassies.
Embassy and consulate websites are an underrated and often
overlooked source of international trade information. The websites provide front-line
reports on specific geographic areas and industries -- the furniture market in Japan, for
example – and directories of key industry associations and contacts in a particular
area. The leading embassy hubs include Electronic Embassy (http://www.embassy.org/), British Diplomatic
Missions (http://www.fco.gov.uk/links.asp),
Canadian Mission Websites (http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/dfait/missions/menu-e.asp),
and U.S.
Embassies (http://www.usia.gov/regional/posts/posts.htm#AF).
11. Head to the e-libraries.
Electronic libraries provide searchable archives of reports on
demographic trends, business prospects, trade regulations, and investment rules in
countries around the world. The top e-libraries online include Country Commercial
Guides (http://www.state.gov/www/about_state/business/com_guides/index.html),
Doing Business In (http://www.doingbusinessin.com/),
and Market Research (http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrkti/ibinddc/engdoc/1a1.html).
12. Nab the numbers.
Looking for export and import statistics? The best source on
the web is Trade Data Online (http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrkti/tdst/engdoc/tr_homep.html).
A service of Industry Canada, the website provides a huge archive of trade statistics on
over 200 countries, 500 industries, and 5,000 products.
13. Check out government and IFI procurement.
By far the largest buyers on the planet are governments.
These include the tens of thousands of national, state/provincial, and local
government agencies around the world and international financial institutions
(IFI) such
as the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. These organizations spend
billions and billions annually to procure everything from bridges to airports to paper
clips. A number of sites closely monitor the procurement activities of these
organizations, and highlight potential supply opportunities. Leading hubs are the Federal
Marketplace International Jumpstation
(http://www.fedmarket.com/sales_resources/bids/international.html),
Global Infrastructure Projects Database (http://infoserv2.ita.doc.gov/td/Infrastr.nsf),
Multilateral Development
Bank Operations Homepage (http://www.ita.doc.gov/mdbo/),
IFINet
(http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/ifinet/),
and Infrastructure and Energy
Projects (http://www.brittrade.com/iep/).
14. Join a newsgroup.
According to a recent survey of international traders online,
nearly two-thirds found business newsgroups – online communities which discuss a
particular industry sector or market – a better marketing tool than having a
webpage.
The reason: discussion groups often include industry experts and key players who pass
along valuable information and contacts. Check newsgroup directories such as Deja
(http://www.deja.com) and Liszt (http://www.liszt.com/) for
newsgroups in your product or service areas.
15. Read the news.
Nothing beats a daily newspaper to get the latest scoop on
political and business happenings in a particular country or city. Use Media Links
(http://emedia1.mediainfo.com/emedia/)
to locate the leading newspapers, magazines and other media in your target market,
and routinely review these sources for key developments and news.
16. Tune in.
A growing number of websites offer audio and video
programs dedicated exclusively to international trade, and feature
interviews with top global businesspeople. The programs provide
first-hand accounts of how to conduct business around the world, and use the web for
international marketing. The leading e-broadcasters include GlobalSpeak (http://www.globalspeak.com/), How to
Conquer the World Interviews (http://www.howtoconquertheworld.com/realaudi.htm),
ProNetLink (http://www.pronetlink.com),
Virtual NEBS (http://www.insanetech.com/virtualnebs/home.htm),
and the Webcast Center (http://www.tscentral.com/webcastcenter/).
17. Attend e-shows.
Interested in attending a trade show in a distant land? Before
you go, visit TSCentral (http://www.tscentral.com),
a hub of trade show information from around the world. Along with detailed event and venue
facts, the site provides special travel discounts and services, links to event websites,
and, with registration, directories of show attendees and exhibitors.
18. Conduct a survey.
Use Zoomerang (http://www.zoomerang.com/), a nifty web-based survey
tool, to prepare professional-looking questionnaires and get quick responses from
prospective customers. A free service of MarketTools Inc., the site allows even a total
research novice to quickly and easily prepare a survey using customizable templates, and
get answers and opinions on customer satisifaction, product concepts, and other issues.
19. Start an e-newsletter.
Keep current and prospective customers informed of new
products, services and other announcements in your company with an electronic newsletter.
This is a snap using newsletter e-services such as ListBot (http://www.listbot), Onelist (http://www.onelist.com/), and Topica (http://www.topica.com/). All allow you to start a
mailing list, send out invitations, manage subscriptions, and maintain searchable archives
at no cost.
20. Find your industry hub.
A major development in the online world in 1999 was the
emergence of multinational, business-to-business vertical hubs or e-markets. These are
communities of buyers and sellers in a particular industry, and feature industry news, job
listings, product catalogs, and, in some instances, online auctions and other transaction
applications. Search the web for the leading vertical hub in your particular industry, and
join in on the e-action. Examples of leading e-markets include VerticalNet
(http://www.verticalnet.com), eSteel
(http://www.esteel.com), and PlasticsNet
(http://www.plastics.net).
21. Go on virtual trade missions.
From all your web scanning and research, compile a list of 10
prospects in your target market that could be a potential customer, partner, or supplier
for your business. Write each a simple e-mail no more than 250 words in length, and
describe who you are, your organization, and how the two of you could potentially work
together in the future. Wait a week, and then send out 10 more e-mails to 10 new
prospects. Now, repeat this process every week thereafter. This simple and
inexpensive online marketing technique may yield surprising results, and win you
new contacts and business.
22. Shop the world.
You can use the Internet to not only market and sell, but also
to buy and save money. In recent months, scores of new e-buying and comparison
shopping services have been created to help businesspeople get the best price and terms on
thousands of key inputs and services. Leading buy sites include DigitalWork
(http://www.digitalwork.com), Orderzone
(http://www.orderzone.com), Onvia (http://www.onvia.com), and Priceline (http://tickets.priceline.com/).
23. Hold an auction.
Before even building a basic website, some companies have
tested the e-commerce waters by posting their products and services on an online auction
site. The posting provides valuable feedback about demand and pricing, and an opportunity
to conduct a trial-run of distribution and after-sales service capabilities in response to
web orders. Leading business auction sites include Dovebid (http://www.dovebid.com), eBay (http://www.ebay.com), and Freemarkets (http://www.freemarkets.com).
24. Hold a reverse auction.
In a reverse auction, a business purchaser posts a request for
proposal (RFP) and obtains competitive bids on the purchase proposal from suppliers
worldwide. For web newcomers, this is an easy and effective way to scan the world for new
suppliers and better deals, especially on high-priced products and services. Leading
business-to-business reverse auction sites include Bid the World (http://www.bidtheworld.com/) and ewanted
(http://www.ewanted.com).
25. Build a starter e-business.
At a recent presentation, a representative from a well-known
e-business consulting firm remarked that building a basic e-commerce website costs between
$1 million and $5 million. Puh-lease. Before spending a dime on any so-called e-business
expert, check out websites such as Affinia (http://www.affinia.com), Bigstep (http://www.bigstep.com), Econgo (http://www.econgo.com), Freemerchant (http://www.freemerchant.com), and VStore
(http://www.vstore.com/). Using customizable
templates, these
e-services allow any businessperson – even one with no knowledge of
website design -- to build a professional-looking website in minutes,
and include customer support, order fulfillment, and transaction
processing features. Best of all: they’re totally free.
26. Internationalize your website.
Even if you have no intention of translating your site into
other languages, you can make your site more global-friendly in a number of ways, all
using English. These include making your site fast-loading (many overseas users are on
slower computers and networks), spell out or avoid acronyms or idioms (visitors may have a
limited knowledge of English), and using a resource such as Shopper’s
Currency Converter (http://www.xe.net/ecc/shoppers/)
to provide prices in the visitor’s local currency (customers can buy in a currency
that’s familiar to them, and compare against local prices).
27. Translate your e-business.
For straight translation – converting words and phrases
from one language to another – several free e-tools are available for businesspeople
to translate all or selected sections of their websites. These include BabelFish
(http://babelfish.altavista.com/) and Systran
Translation (http://www.systransoft.com/). In
both services, you simply type the English text you want translated into a screen window,
and press the “translate” button. In a few seconds, the text is instantly
translated into one of five languages of your choice, either French, German, Italian,
Portuguese or Spanish. While not perfect, the virtual translator generally gets across the
gist of the message. To ensure no misunderstandings on your site, you may wish to have a
translator review the copy for grammatical and spelling mistakes, and verify the correct
message is being conveyed.
28. Localize your website.
If you’re targeting countries which speak a language
other than English, you should ideally localize, not just translate, your site.
Translation is converting words from one language to another, while localization is
interpreting the essence of a message, and perserving its cultural cues. For more
information on how to localize, visit Do’s and Taboos (http://www.concierge.com/travel/d_play/08_taboos/intro.html),
a guide to cultural nuances, and the Localization Industry Standards Association
or LISA (http://www.lisa.org/), a leading hub for the
localization and internationalization industry.
29. Price right.
A big challenge for new exporters unaccustomed to doing
business in other countries is pricing: what do you charge an overseas customer? Take out
the guesswork with the Export Pricing System (http://www.currency.xe.net/eps/), a free
e-tool. Designed for novice exporters, the service recommends what to charge based on
details of the transaction including the currencies involved, the customer’s credit
period, bank charges, and when the customer receives the goods.
30. Promote to the world.
If you build it on the Internet, they will definitely NOT
come. An estimated 1.4 billion webpages are already online, and some 5.8 million –
that’s million – new webpages are added every day. By 2002, nearly 8 billion
webpages are expected. Your website and e-mail address are mere tiny specks in this
big-bang,ever-expanding global web univese. To reach anyone, you must continually promote
your e-business and web presence. Start by reviewing Beaucoup (http://www.beaucoup.com), a directory of 2,000+ search
engines and business directories around the world. Think global and register your website
and e-mail address in those international engines and directories which cover your target
market and industry. You’ll reach a wider, multinational audience, and gradually
build cross-border traffic to your e-business.
Garrett Wasny, CMC, is the Vancouver-based web trade trainer and author
of three books: Using the Web to Compete in a Global Marketplace
(co-author; John Wiley and Sons) at http://www.ginfo.net/book/,
How to Conquer the World: A Directory of 8,000+ International Business Resources
on the Internet (Government Institutes) at http://www.howtoconquertheworld.com, and
the forthcoming World Business Resources.com (McGraw-Hill) at http://www.worldbusinessresources.com.
Mr. Wasny may be reached at gwasny@direct.ca or Tel:
604/878-4555.
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