“An increasing number of businesses are grappling with the challenges of global expansion these days, as investors from the Middle East, Asia, and South America seek out U.S. brands and retail concepts to develop in their home markets.” – Ryan Underwood, on inc.com

Creating a buzz and a demand for products/services in the U.S. market for some companies is only the beginning of something big. Some of my previous blog posts have preached the greatness of global marketing and now more than ever, if there’s an opportunity, I’d encourage businesses to start pushing in that direction. Why? Well for a lot of reasons, but let me just point out a few…

• Product/Service differentiation is an ongoing process. Stay cutting edge by creating a demand for your products/services abroad for competitive advantage.
• Extend sales potential and product shelf life of existing products. – Luz Hopewell
• Stabilize seasonal market/sales fluctuations. – Luz Hopewell
• Put yourself in a position to be able to adapt to other cultures, so that you can grow your customer base and presence both offline and online.
• The U.S. international trade deficit increased to $498 billion in 2010, as imports increase more than exports. – U.S. Census Bureau

Of course, the opportunities are vast, but be sure to lay out a solid plan before moving in this direction. For a few helpful tips, see inc.com

Additionally, one of the most cost-effective ways to start marketing yourself globally is the Internet. There are plenty of companies who can help with pay per click (PPC) and search engine optimization (SEO) to help spearhead your web marketing efforts; however, I would recommend choosing a company that has not only PPC and SEO experience, but experienced linguists and translators. That way, your messaging gets across the right way to reach your international customer base. In other words, rest assured that Wordbank is your answer.