GoGlobalJam

One top tip is to benchmark against the leading domestic online players - see what they are are doing and try and replicate.

71% of firms find working with multiple partners to manage in-country commerce infrastructure difficult or somewhat difficult

As you grow internationally - governance will become hard if each market is being managed by a different partner.

How many partners do they typically work with?

Few firms only work with 1 or 2 partners. More common is to work with 3 - 5, but you certainly don't want different partners for each market.

You really need local expertise on the ground for China - trying to manage remotely is very hard. Likewise you need a technology partner that can host within the firewall.

@peter_sheldon So true -- which is why working with partners has proven to be a key success factor for many online businesses.

@peter_sheldon And how do you find a trusted technology partner on the ground?

Well if you are a western domiciled brand, you probably want to work with a western firm you trust - but the key is for that partner to have their own local relationships with Chinese officials, partners and providers.

Counterfeit goods and fraud come to mind. Selling under your own brand name in China can ensure you're providing a authentic shopping experience to Chinese consumers (it's in your control in other words).

42% of firms expect rev generation within 6 months, 30% within 12. Only 19% will tolerate time to market taking over 12 months

firms are willing to wait longer for profitability - but they want to see revenue growth happening very quickly after launch.

we have seen many of our customers launch an entire region like EMEA in targeted high-growth countries in as little as 60-90 days when planned properly

@ScottHeimes Attesting to this as a customer who did this with @DigitalRiverInc . Success with cross channel obstacles removed and a good playbook for your operations and marketing teams. Not an absolute, but some in geo personnel helps too.

social should be a channel within your broader commerce performance marketing strategy - it's a powerful layer on a broader acquisition and retention strategy

social platforms enable very precise segmentation and targeting, which of leads to higher conversion rates when executed well

I'm loving how creative some brands are getting with #SocialCommerce. Pinterest has opened up a whole world of possibilities for eCommerce.

How does first party data differ from clickstream data in the aspect of driving to real time persona information; retailers want to offer personalization in real time. thoughts?

@DigitalMktgGirl totally agree on that point; social is all about global and standing up content fast with people then converting in a new way

it's really tablestakes - if you can't do business (payments) on the terms of your customers, then it's going to be really hard to see success.

More than a quarter of US & UK firms plan to expand into APAC, LATAM, the Middle East and Africa within the next 12 months.

The study with revealed a surprising focus on Africa - an emerging market that is often overlooked.

the BRIC countries are high on everyone's global expansion radar because of the size of the market, but as Peter referenced new markets like Africa, Easter Europe and the Nordics are on the rise

@peter_sheldon Africa is interesting. Is it mostly digital products looking to expand in Africa?

no there is a strong demand for western brands physical products (CE, Apparel etc). For many in Africa - online is the ONLY channel for these goods.

Firms are often experimenting with subscription and usage based business models especially for new product lines and in some cases in emerging markets where high up-front licensing or acquisition costs are barriers to purchase.

for digital products companies that sell software, games, or IOT-like services, the future is all about subscriptions