How to build an online presence for selling overseas

Selling overseas depends on one simple thing. People need to find you online and feel confident buying from you.

For many international customers, your digital presence is the first time they come across your business. If it looks trustworthy and easy to understand, they're far more likely to take the next step.

A strong online presence makes it possible to reach buyers in other countries without travelling, opening local offices or attending every trade show.

Your website, social channels and online content can work for you at all hours, helping you expand your business overseas online and attract interest from new markets.

This guide explains why your online presence is crucial for export, and tells you how to build one that supports international sales via digital platforms.

The aim is to give you clear actions you can apply to your own business, even if you're starting from a small base or limited budget.

1. Why your online presence is crucial for selling overseas

If you want to sell in other countries, people need to be able to find you, check who you are and understand what you offer.

Most buyers will search online before they ever speak to you. If your online presence is weak or confusing, they'll move on to someone else.

A strong digital is the base that supports your growth when you start selling overseas. It helps you do the following:

• Be discoverable: Buyers search in their own language, on their own devices, at their own time of day.

  A clear online presence makes it easier for them to find you and explore your products without needing an introduction.

• Build trust from a distance: International customers cannot visit your shop, meet your team or see your product in person.

  Your website, reviews and social channels must do the work of proving you're real and reliable.

• Sell through more than one route: With a solid foundation online, you can attract enquiries, sell directly through your website or use international marketplaces. This gives you more than one path to overseas sales.

• Support the full buying journey: From first search to final purchase, online touchpoints help people learn, compare and decide.

  If you can guide them through that journey, your chances of winning the sale increase.

2. How to build an online presence for overseas markets

If you're new to selling overseas, focus on getting the basics right. Your aim is to be easy to find, easy to understand and easy to trust. Follow these steps in order.

Step 1: Build a website that works for international buyers

Your website is the base of your online presence for selling overseas. It must show who you are, what you sell and how to buy from you.

Start by choosing a website platform you can manage yourself. For most small businesses, Shopify, Wix or Squarespace will do the job. Add clear product or service pages, an "About us" page and a "Contact us" page.

Make sure your website:

• loads fast on mobile

• uses simple navigation

• shows prices, shipping details and delivery times

• has clear contact information

• includes customer reviews or testimonials

If you sell B2C (business-to-consumer), add a simple checkout. If you sell B2B (business-to-business), add a clear enquiry form.

Your next action: Choose your platform and build or update your homepage and your key product/service pages.

Step 2: Help people find you through search (basic SEO)

To expand your business overseas online, buyers in other countries must be able to find you in search results.

Start with simple SEO (search engine optimisation):

1. Go to Google Keyword Planner or Google Trends.

2. Search for keywords related to your product or service in your target country.

3. Add the most relevant terms to your page titles, headings and product descriptions.

Create content that answers common questions buyers search for. For example, FAQs about delivery, sizing, ingredients or installation.

Tools to help: Google Keyword Planner, Google Trends, Yoast SEO (for Wix/WordPress), Shopify SEO settings.

Your next action: Find five keywords used in your target market and add them naturally to your product or service pages.

Step 3: Use social media to build visibility and trust

Choose one or two platforms to start, based on who you sell to.

• For B2C: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest

• For B2B: LinkedIn, YouTube

Post regularly. Show your product in use, answer questions and share behind-the-scenes updates. Social content helps international buyers get to know your brand before they contact you.

A simple posting plan for beginners

• Two posts per week

• One customer proof or benefit-led post

• One behind-the-scenes or educational post

Reply to comments and messages. Slow replies lose trust fast.

Your next action: Pick your main platform and plan your next four posts.

Step 4: Create helpful content that stops buyers hesitating

International buyers take longer to decide. Good content answers their questions before they ask.

Useful content includes:

• a "How it works" page or video

• buyer guides

• comparisons

• short blog posts that explain your product or process

• testimonials from happy customers

This builds trust and shortens the buying journey.

Your next action: Create one useful piece of content that helps a buyer feel more confident.

Step 5: Use email to stay in touch and convert interest

Not every buyer purchases on the first visit. Email keeps you visible.

Use a simple tool like Mailchimp, MailerLite or Shopify Email. Add a sign-up form to your website. Offer updates, tips or product news – not constant sales messages.

A basic first email could include:

• who you are

• what problem you solve

• one useful tip or resource

• a link back to your site

Your next action: Add a sign-up form to your site and write your first welcome email.

Step 6: Consider online marketplaces and platforms

Marketplaces can help you reach customers faster, especially in a new country. Options include:

• Amazon, Etsy, eBay (B2C)

• Alibaba, Faire, Ankorstore (B2B)

Start with one product or a small selection and test demand. Make sure your product descriptions and pricing match your website, so potential customers aren't confused.

Your next action: Choose one marketplace to explore and read its seller requirements.

Download our free exporting guides

USA / China / India / Singapore / UAE / Germany / France / Australia

3. How to adapt your online presence for foreign markets

Once your basic online presence is in place, the next step is to make sure international buyers feel like your brand is speaking to them.

This is called localisation. It makes your message clear and relevant in each country, without changing who you are as a business.

Step 1: Localise your language

Translate key parts of your website and marketing content into the local language of your target market. Prioritise your:

• homepage

• product or service pages

• delivery and returns information

• "Contact us" page

• FAQs page

Avoid relying only on machine translation, as it can make your brand look unprofessional or unclear. Use a native translator, or at least have a native speaker check your wording.

Your next action: Choose one target market and translate your top three website pages.

Step 2: Review your visuals, colours and imagery

Images, colours and symbols can carry different meanings across cultures. For example, colours linked with luxury in one country may signal something different in another.

Use images that reflect the people and environments of your target audience. This helps international buyers see themselves in your brand.

Your next action: Check your homepage and product images and replace any visuals that might feel too UK-specific or unfamiliar to your target market.

Step 3: Adapt to local expectations

Expectations around communication, payment and delivery vary by country. Before selling overseas, check:

• popular local payment methods (for example, Klarna in parts of Europe, PayPal in many global markets or COD in some regions)

• preferred communication channels (email, WhatsApp, phone, chat)

• expected delivery times and return policies

Showing this information clearly on your site builds trust and reduces hesitation.

Your next action: Add a short section on your product or checkout page called "Shipping and returns for [country] customers".

Step 4: Localise your social presence

If you're focusing on one country at a time, consider creating content that speaks directly to that audience. Some simple actions include:

• posting at times that match the local timezone

• using local hashtags and search terms

• sharing content that reflects local trends, seasons or events

You don't need separate accounts for every country at the start. You can build from one main account and tailor your posts as you go.

Your next action: Write one social post tailored to your target market and schedule it at their peak time, not the UK's.

Step 5: Be consistent with your core brand

Localising your presence doesn't mean changing your identity. Your tone, values, logo and core message should stay recognisable wherever you sell. Localisation should make your brand easier to understand, not unrecognisable.

Your next action: Create a simple one-page brand reference (logo, tone of voice, colours, key message) and use it for every market to stay consistent.

Why this matters

When buyers in a different country feel that your brand is relevant, trustworthy and easy to understand, they're far more likely to buy from you.

Localisation is one of the biggest reasons brands succeed or fail when selling overseas.

4. Digital marketing strategy for international sales

Once you have your website and you've established a core online presence, digital marketing helps you reach buyers faster in overseas markets.

Start small, learn what works and build from there. A simple digital marketing strategy should include three elements:

1. Finding the right audience

2. Reaching them in the right place

3. Measuring what happens next

Step 1: Target the right audience

Before spending any money, define exactly who you're trying to reach in each country. Ask yourself these questions:

• Who is the buyer?

• What problem are they trying to solve?

• What keywords or phrases might they search for?

• Which platforms do they use most?

This stops you wasting time and money on broad campaigns that reach the wrong people.

Your next action: Write a short profile of your ideal overseas buyer in your first target country.

Step 2. Use paid ads, but start small

Paid ads help you test a new market quickly. You don't need a big budget to begin.

For B2C, start with:

• Meta ads (Facebook and Instagram)

• Google Shopping or Google Search ads

For B2B, start with:

• LinkedIn ads

• Google Search ads

Run a small test campaign for one product or one service. Set a low daily budget while you learn which keywords, audiences or messages perform best.

Your next action: Choose one paid channel and set a small weekly budget to test a single market.

Step 3: Use the right keywords for each country

SEO and ads work best when you use the language your buyers use. Search behaviour changes by region, so don't just copy your UK keywords into overseas campaigns.

Use:

• Google Keyword Planner

• Google Trends

• local search suggestions on Google or YouTube

Translate and check keywords with a native speaker if possible.

Your next action: Create a list of your top five keywords for your target country.

Step 4: Track and learn from your results

Good digital marketing is based on data, not guesswork. Track what people do after they click.

Use:

• Google Analytics to measure traffic and behaviour

• Meta, LinkedIn or Google Ads dashboards to monitor campaigns

• a simple spreadsheet to record your weekly results

Look at three numbers first: clicks, cost and conversions. If something isn't working, adjust or stop it. If something is working, increase your budget gradually.

Your next action: Install Google Analytics and check your results once a week.

Step 5: Follow up and retarget interested buyers

Many buyers will browse but not purchase on their first visit. Retargeting helps you stay in front of them. You can retarget using:

• Meta ads

• Google Display ads

• email reminders (if they signed up to receive emails from you)

Retargeting is effective because you're only advertising to people who've already shown interest.

Your next action: Set up one simple retargeting audience (for example, "website visitors in the last 30 days").

Why this works

A clear digital marketing strategy helps you reach the right people at the right time and in the right place.

Even with a small budget, this approach can give you steady visibility and help you learn what each market responds to.

5. Creating consistency across digital channels

When customers in another country see your brand online, they may first find you on social media, then visit your website, then read a review.

If each of those touchpoints looks and sounds different, trust quickly falls away. Consistency helps buyers feel confident that your business is real, reliable and well run.

Your online presence should feel connected wherever people find you. Aim for consistency in four main areas.

Your visual identity

Use the same logo, colours and style across your website, social channels and marketplaces. This makes your brand easier to recognise, especially for buyers who are seeing it for the first time.

• Beginner tip: Create a simple shared folder with your logo, colour codes and image style. Use this every time you publish new content.

Your voice and message

Decide how you want to sound as a brand. Keep your tone similar across platforms. If your tone is friendly, keep it friendly. If it's more formal, stay consistent.

Buyers should feel like they're hearing from the same company wherever they read about you.

• Beginner tip: Write a short tone guide with three words that describe your voice, such as "helpful, direct, warm".

Your information and product details

Make sure your product names, prices, features and benefits match across your website, social content and marketplaces. Conflicting information causes doubts that can stop a sale.

• Beginner tip: Choose one "master" product description and use it as your base everywhere.

Your trust signals

Customers abroad need extra reassurance. If you have reviews, awards, case studies or certifications, make sure they're visible in more than one place, not hidden on a single page of your website.

• Beginner tip: Add your strongest trust signal to your homepage, your social bio and your product pages.

Your next action: Check your website, top social channel and any marketplace listings. Fix any differences in tone, visuals or product information so a buyer gets a joined-up impression of your brand.

Checklist for expanding your business overseas online

Use this list to check you have the essentials in place before you start selling overseas:

• A website that explains who you are, what you sell and which countries you serve

• Clear information on delivery, returns, pricing and how to contact you

• Customer reviews or proof that builds trust

• Keywords added to your product or service pages

• One or two active social channels with regular posts

• Useful content that answers buyer questions

• Email sign-up and a simple welcome message

• One chosen marketplace or platform to test overseas demand

• Localised content for your first target country

• Tracking tools in place to measure progress

You don't need to do everything at once. Complete this list in order and build your online presence step by step.

Conclusion

Selling overseas begins online. When customers in other countries can find you, understand you and trust you, you remove the biggest barriers to buying.

A strong digital presence helps you reach new markets, build credibility and grow your brand without needing a physical base in every country.

By getting your website, SEO, social content and localisation right, you create a foundation for long-term international sales through digital platforms.

Start small, stay consistent and keep improving as you learn how each market responds. With time, your online channels can become a steady source of overseas customers and opportunities.

People also read

• Four things to do when looking to expand your business overseas

• International trade: How to identify your next market

• How to find overseas buyers and sell to them

Trade internationally without the usual friction

Ready to grow your business beyond borders? Get the tools, insights and expert support you need to simplify cross-border payments, save money and scale with confidence. Join the programme today