To engage in cross-border e-commerce, you need to understand the three rules of cross-border e-commerce. Below, we sort out their respective characteristics from three different dimensions: region, product and platform. That is three areas, three categories and three platforms.
1: Three regions in cross-border e-commerce
The first region in cross-border e-commerce is the first-tier regions mainly in North America, Australia and Europe. This part What we call the established cross-border e-commerce areas have the characteristics of large market shares, mature consumer groups, and standardized e-commerce rules. Generally, cross-border enterprises can have users in these areas and can engage in related businesses smoothly. E-commerce platforms such as Lantingjishi and DX mainly focused on these areas when they started.
The second area in cross-border e-commerce is the emerging foreign trade area dominated by Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Southeast Asia and India. The characteristics of this part of the area have huge market potential and annual growth. High efficiency and other characteristics. However, these areas also have the characteristics of immature rules and high risk coefficients. For enterprises, they can try to operate in these areas, but they must have sufficient risk awareness.
Other areas can be understood as areas to be developed, such as Africa. Due to logistics and other restrictions, these areas are virgin lands for cross-border e-commerce and need to be further developed.
2: Three product categories in cross-border e-commerce
The first hot-selling product category in cross-border e-commerce is mainly electronic products. In the early days, eBay Among merchants engaged in cross-border e-commerce, a considerable proportion of users are engaged in this type of products. At the same time, 3C products also have the characteristics of large market share in cross-border, slower growth rate, and lower profit margins. It is an entry-level product for cross-border e-commerce and is no longer a high-profit product category.
The second type of hot-selling products in cross-border e-commerce are various decorations, mainly wedding dresses, home furnishings, accessories and wigs. Compared with 3C products, these products have a smaller market share. Large, high annual growth rate and other characteristics. It is a hot-selling product category in current cross-border e-commerce. For example, Lantingjishi started with wedding dresses, and later added 3C, wigs and other products. Wigs are particularly noted below. Wigs are already a foreign trade industry in certain regions of our country. For example, there are quite a number of foreign trade export companies in Qingdao, Shandong that mainly export wigs, and their production factories are concentrated in Juancheng County in western Shandong. .
Auto parts products are the third best-selling product in cross-border e-commerce. These products have fast annual growth rates and clear regional user characteristics. Compared with the above two categories of products, this type of products has greater room for growth.
3. Three platforms in cross-border e-commerce
In cross-border e-commerce, there are various e-commerce models to choose from, such as B2B, dominated by Alibaba. Platforms, such as small wholesale platforms dominated by Dhgate, independent B2C platforms dominated by Lanting Jishi, etc. Compared with domestic e-commerce platforms, the cross-border e-commerce model can be a hundred flowers blooming, or even businesses dominated by Facebook. The circle model can become one of the cross-border e-commerce models. These models account for a relatively small share of cross-border e-commerce retail sales, and most of the share is basically occupied by the following three major platforms.
Ebay is one of the must-choose platforms in cross-border e-commerce. It is an old cross-border e-commerce platform. If anyone thinks that ebay has been defeated by Taobao, please go back and relearn the history of e-commerce before engaging in it. Cross-border e-commerce. eBay's status in the United States is equivalent to Taobao's status in China. At the same time, eBay's degree of globalization is the highest among cross-border platforms. eBay has sales platforms in more than 30 countries and regions around the world, basically covering the world. According to data provided by relevant parties, the global transaction volume of Chinese merchants on eBay in 2013 was approximately US$7 billion, approximately more than 40 billion yuan, and this transaction volume was generated by more than 8,000 sellers. It can be calculated on average The annual transaction volume of each merchant. Ebay has strict rules and does not tolerate any fake or infringing products. Therefore, if you want to engage in eBay, you need to do your own product research first to see which products infringe patents and which products infringe trademarks. There is zero tolerance for such products. For example, hair straighteners for girls are absolutely not allowed to be sold on it. The hair straightener is an overseas patent.
The author recommends that merchants who have never been engaged in eBay can first go to eBay to practice. This is the birthplace of cross-border e-commerce rules.
Another platform choice in cross-border e-commerce is Amazon. Amazon's position in the United States is equivalent to JD.com's position in China. Before 2012, Amazon did not allow Chinese business users to engage in e-commerce business on Amazon's US platform, so Chinese merchants who wanted to engage in Amazon business needed to register a company in the United States. In 2012, Amazon launched its global store business in China, mainly to assist Chinese merchants to achieve sales purposes on other platforms such as Amazon in the United States and the United Kingdom. In addition to company qualifications, opening a store on a platform other than Amazon China also has the same strict rules as eBay, with zero tolerance for trademarks and infringing goods. The global store business has become an important layout for Amazon China in its future business.
AliExpress is a retail cross-border e-commerce platform launched by Alibaba. When Alibaba first launched AliExpress, it was not favored by colleagues in the industry, mainly because Alibaba has always been a leader in the international market. It is engaged in the B2B inquiry and order business, and is not familiar with the characteristics of overseas terminal consumer groups. At the same time, Alibaba's international business civilization is lagging behind compared to the first two major platforms. It was not until 2012, when AliExpress achieved an annual transaction volume of US$700 million, that it gradually gained recognition in the industry. AliExpress focuses on emerging foreign trade regions, mainly Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Southeast Asia and other regions. At the same time, AliExpress has resource advantages that eBay and Amazon do not have. It has the largest number of merchant users engaged in e-commerce in China. Its merchant user experience is much higher than other platforms. AliExpress's trend is becoming more and more Taobao-like.
In addition to the above three platforms, there are many other platforms to choose from. For example, Lanting Jishi has also launched platform business. Dhgate, newegg, etsy and other platforms have their own advantages, so when choosing a platform, choose What suits you first.
After understanding the cross-border e-commerce sales areas, categories and channels, other thresholds will no longer be obstacles to engaging in cross-border e-commerce. There is a very mature PayPal for online payment, and there are complete solutions for cross-border express delivery. 4PX, after reaching a certain level, has relatively complete systems and solutions for the use of overseas warehouses. The only obstacle to transforming and upgrading cross-border e-commerce is whether you want to engage in it, not whether you can engage in it.