🌍🎙 Welcome to Season 3 of the Global Bonds Podcast! In this first episode, we sit down with Jeroen Leenders, a pioneer in the world of cross-boder e-commerce, to dive deep into the secrets of achieving global e-commerce success. Jeroen shares invaluable insights on the importance of localization, the challenges of cross-border selling, and how to build trust with international customers. 🔗 Whether you're an e-commerce novice or a seasoned pro, this episode is packed with actionable tips and strategies to help you expand your business globally. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn from one of the industry's best! 💡 Episode Highlights: ⭐ Localization Importance: Essential to fully localize a web shop to compete with local businesses in international markets. ⭐ Initial Failures: Initial attempts to expand to Germany and France failed due to insufficient localization. ⭐ Learning from Mistakes: Realized the necessity of having local offices and staff to handle content, marketing, customer support, and payment methods. ⭐ Trust in Online Selling: Trust is critical for online selling; customers are wary if they see foreign contact details or receive non-native support. ⭐ Establishing Local Presence: Opened offices in target countries with native employees to build trust and ensure proper localization. ⭐ Early Adopters: Began cross-border e-commerce 18 years ago, around the same time Amazon was expanding internationally. ⭐ Expanding Successful Models: Successfully scaled the business model from the Netherlands to other countries after initial localization efforts. ⭐ Cross-Border Magazine: Started Crossborder Magazine to share knowledge and experiences about international e-commerce. ⭐ Partner Network: Developed a network of partners in various fields like payments, logistics, and legal services to support international expansion. ⭐ Consultancy Evolution: Transitioned from directly managing international operations to providing consultancy and support services through Salesupply. ⭐ Decentralized Offices: Maintained decentralized offices in different countries to manage cultural and operational differences effectively. ⭐ Adapting to Cultural Differences: Emphasized understanding and respecting cultural differences in buying behaviors across countries. ⭐ Events and Networking: Highlighted the importance of attending events for networking and building trust in the business community. ⭐ Pandemic Adaptations: Adapted to virtual meetings and events during the COVID-19 pandemic but emphasized the irreplaceable value of face-to-face interactions. ⭐ Common Mistakes: Retailers often fail internationally by not respecting foreign customers as much as their domestic ones, leading to poor customer experiences. ⭐ Marketplace Strategy: Suggested using marketplaces like Amazon and Bol.com as a starting point for testing new international markets. ⭐ Customer Experience: Stressed the importance of providing equivalent customer experience across all markets to build loyalty. ⭐ Publication Challenges: Faced challenges in publishing a successful international magazine, overcame by partnering with industry experts. ⭐ Partner Collaboration: Successfully partnered with companies like PayPal to launch and grow Crossborder Magazine. ⭐ Future Trends: Predicted growth in cross-border transactions and emphasized the role of AI in improving customer experience and operational efficiency. 🔔 Subscribe to the Global Bonds Podcast for more episodes filled with expert advice, success stories, and the latest trends in global business. Let's embark on this journey to global e-commerce success together! 🌟 Contact Jeroen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeroen-leenders-bb062910/ https://www.salesupply.com/ https://cross-border-magazine.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@UCm6PWgHF_MZYht_j9glcsXA Music and Sound Design: Logical Disorder https://www.youtube.com/@logicaldisorder