How to Sell Products Abroad?

Selling products abroad is advantageous both in terms of reaching a wider audience and earning income in foreign currency. You can sell products that are not in high demand in the domestic market or products that are in demand abroad as well as in Turkey. Selling products abroad has similar procedures as in Turkey. However, paying special attention to some details is important for a smooth sales process.

Selling products abroad can be done through online marketplaces and e-export sites. Exporting is a good way to earn much more than you earn domestically. By selling products abroad, you can reach millions of new customers. At the same time, you take an important step towards becoming an international brand.

There is a huge trade potential abroad, especially in Europe, Asia and America. In particular, producers should expand abroad to promote their products to a wider audience. Doing business in a specific geography prevents your income from exceeding certain limits. However, when you open up to the international market, you can make new investments with higher earnings and grow your business as you wish.

In overseas product sales, you need to evaluate each country under its own conditions. A product with a high sales return in one country may not bring you profit in another country. Similarly, a product that is highly valuable in one country may be contrary to the ethnic and national values of another country.

After evaluating according to countries, you should also plan processes such as storage and shipping. Otherwise, you may often face different problems. You may also need professional support on some issues. For this reason, it is useful to plan every detail to the finest detail.

How to Sell Products Abroad?

You can use different ways to sell products abroad. The first of these is to open a store in online marketplaces. You can market your products by opening a store on platforms such as Aliexpress, Amazon, Ebay. Instead, you can also open your own e-export site. You can sell your products on your page that you localize according to different countries.

Before you start selling products abroad, you need to know the legal obligations and other actions you need to take. There may be restrictions on exports for some products. At the same time, there may be some regulations that concern you in customs processes. In this process, working with a customs broker and export consultant minimizes your risk of error.

One of the most preferred methods for overseas sales is to set up an e-export site. On your site, which is only for you, you can sell only to consumers who are interested in your products. Your e-export site should also have language options for the countries you sell to. Although English language support is generally offered on the sites, you can also offer support in different languages to make it easier for your customers.

Establishing an E-Export Site

Setting up an e-export site is one of the best ways you can choose to sell abroad. E-export site is an e-commerce site with different features. The products you offer for sale on your site should be in a certain order. From the design of your site to its use; There are many details you need to pay attention to, from the membership system to payment.

E-export packages have many different features. E-export infrastructure companies offer you basic and gold packages, allowing you to choose according to your budget.

In order to be able to e-export professionally, packages must have at least two language options in addition to Turkish. In addition, the automatic translation feature should also be active on your site. Thus, questions coming to live support lines are automatically translated into Turkish. Some sites also have a manual translation feature.

It is also extremely important that the a-commerce package you purchase has SEO infrastructure. It is also important that you can receive payments in different currencies on your e-export site. Although you receive payments in different currencies such as dollars and euros, payments are made to your account in Turkish lira. Thus, you can also take advantage of the exchange rate difference.

If you prefer a professional e-export infrastructure, you can set a special price for each country. You can also use a payment system according to different countries. Thanks to an infrastructure that allows you to use the integrations of local banks on your site, you can sell to a wide segment.

Selling on Social Media

Although it is not directly possible to sell abroad via social media, you can redirect to your e-export site. Social media is mainly used for promotional purposes in e-export. You can reach your target audience by sharing your products on your social media accounts. You can write the product descriptions you share on social media in different languages.

Regularly sharing content on social media is important for reaching a wide audience. While promoting your products, you can also produce content that your target audience may like. Especially Instagram and Facebook are platforms that product sellers should use.

On Instagram, you should actively use each of the reels, stories and posts. At the same time, trending trends and music are always useful. You can collaborate with local and foreign influencers for more effective promotion on social media. Thanks to the influencers followed by your target audience, both your number of followers and your sales will increase.

Selling Retail and Wholesale Products Abroad

You can use online marketplaces to sell retail and wholesale products abroad. You can also make your sales through your e-export site. Wholesale sales are much more advantageous compared to retail sales. Since a large number of products are purchased at the same time, your income will be higher.

One of the most used websites for wholesale sales is Alibaba. You can make your wholesale sales through Alibaba. On some e-export sites, it is possible to impose a certain limitation on the number of sales. For example, you can limit at least five pieces of a product.

It is also important for e-export sites that you will sell products abroad to rank high on Google. For this, you can do SEO work and improve your ranking. The techniques you can use can be listed as follows:

• Advertising on Google
• Using keywords in product descriptions and product names
• Linking between pages
• Having a blog page
• Getting backlinks from different websites

You can also use other methods of digital marketing to boost your sales. Email marketing is one of them. You can send automated emails to people who visit your site or people with similar interests on Google.

Remarketing is a technique used for visitors to your site. For example, you can send an e-mail to people who have shopped on your site before. In addition, you have the chance to send notifications to people who have products waiting in their cart on your site.

You should also have a mobile application for your e-export site. It is much easier for your customers to reach you through the mobile application.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Selling Abroad

It is possible to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of selling abroad. Gaining new customers, branding abroad; although it is advantageous, some issues can be considered as disadvantages.

Advantages

One of the main advantages of selling through an online marketplace is to reach a ready-made customer base. At the same time, you increase your profitability by earning income in foreign currency. You can benefit from some privileges granted to exporting companies by law.

Disadvantages

The first disadvantage is the commissions charged by online marketplaces. These commissions are sometimes very high, reducing your profitability. Not every marketplace gives you the opportunity to open a store for free. Some may have requests such as store opening and annual membership fees. Another disadvantage is the high shipping costs. As the distance gets longer, the amount of cargo you will pay increases. In addition, you may encounter frequent return requests from customers due to customs procedures that are prolonged without your hands.

Websites You Can Sell Abroad

There are many alternatives among the sites that can be sold abroad. These alternatives are separated from each other according to details such as the type of business, products to be sold. You can carry out the sales process without difficulty by choosing the site that best suits your business model. In addition, sites that offer different advantages such as Turkish language support, trainings for sales, discounted shipping also make the sales process easier.

You can also consider your budget when deciding which site to sell on. Sites with high annual membership and commission fees can reduce your profitability. When you try to reflect these fees in prices, your competitiveness can seriously decrease. It is especially important for those who will start exporting for the first time to pay attention to these details.

Aliexpress

Aliexpress is an online marketplace platform that started its operations in 2010. Aliexpress is an investment of Chinese Alibaba, which aims to sell cheap products. Although only Chinese companies were included as sellers in the establishment process of Aliexpress, sellers from all over the world took their place on the platform in the following process.

In order to sell on Aliexpress, you must first complete the account creation process. Aliexpress does not charge you any fees during the account creation process. Then you need to determine the product categories.

During the Aliexpress account opening process, you will be asked for your identity and company information. After entering your information, you can start using the site with the confirmation code sent to your phone. Aliexpress has a gold membership package as well as a free membership system. However, you need to pay an annual fee to benefit from this package.

There are many advantages of selling on Aliexpress:

• Over 200 million visitor traffic is the biggest advantage of the platform.
• Aliexpress organizes special trainings for sellers.
• Aliexpress is also extremely advantageous in terms of support services.
• Commission rates are low.
• Aliexpress’ logistics services are highly developed.

One of the most important disadvantages of Aliexpress is that there is no chance to sell to Turkey and China. If there is the slightest violation, your Aliexpress account can be closed. Since invoices are issued at the end of the month, you have no chance to get paid whenever you want.

Amazon

It is possible to earn money by selling abroad from Amazon. For this, you must first open your account. You must enter Amazon Seller Central to open an account. In another step, you must enter the information and documents requested from you. After entering the product details, you can start your sales.

Here is some of the information requested from you in order to sell on Amazon:

• Information about your credit card
• Company phone number
• What type of business you are
• Registration number of your company
• Address and personal telephone number
• Information about your bank account

The information requested from you regarding the products can be listed as follows:

• ISBN number
• The name you specify for the product
• Product descriptions
• Detailed visuals that accurately reflect the product
• Price
• Stock status

To sell on Amazon, you need to pay a certain fee. You also need to pay a commission per product. Amazon is a platform with its own shipping facilities. It also has a large storage facility.

Alibaba

Alibaba is a platform that started its activities in 1999. Alibaba reveals its difference by selling in the B2B system, that is, business-to-business sales. Alibaba conducts B2C sales through Aliexpress.

To sell on Alibaba, you must first create your account. As with other e-export platforms, Alibaba will ask you for some information. Alibaba has both paid and free membership options.

If you purchase the paid Gold membership package, users are 8 times more likely to find you. In addition, there are different feature alternatives specific to this package. While the monthly fee for the basic membership package is 2399 dollars, it is 4199 dollars for Gold membership.

If you prefer Alibaba’s gold package, you can list as many products as you want. For wholesale sales, you need to enter at least 50 pieces of a product into the system. In addition, the number of photos you can add is also higher. Other advantages of the gold package are that it publishes statistics on your sales and visitor traffic, and the support line is active 24 hours a day.

Etsy

Etsy differs from other marketplaces in terms of the types of products for sale. Etsy sells products in the handmade, retro category. You can put your own designs, products you produce yourself, antiques for sale on this site.

Although Etsy does not have Turkish language support, you can easily start the membership process. Different commissions are charged from you on Etsy. The first type of commission is related to listing. In addition, you are charged for your transactions, payment processing and advertising.

Etsy is one of the platforms that allows you to sell without tax liability. With Etsy, women and artists who produce at home can also sell their products abroad. It is possible to count the following options among the most sold products on Etsy:

• Jewelry of your own design
• Materials used in hobby work
• Digital prints
• Artworks produced in digital environment
• Stickers used for purposes such as notebook, wall, cabinet decoration
• Magazines, agendas
• Party supplies
• Decorations used at weddings
• Personalized products
• Clothes designed by you
• Accessories used for home and office decoration
• Products used for beauty
• Recycling products
• Retro pieces

eBay

eBay is one of the most popular online marketplaces where you can sell. You can start your sales by entering your credit card information into the system and making other account opening transactions. eBay offers you different package options.

The first of eBay’s package options is the Starter package. With this package, which has the lowest monthly payment, you can sell without straining your budget too much. There are also Basic, Premium, Anchor package options.

On eBay, you can sell by auction. In addition to the auction method, you can also sell by setting a fixed price. You can use auctions especially for items that are unique and not available everywhere. Auctions can continue for up to 10 days.

eBay charges you a commission, which varies depending on the product. You are not charged any fee during the product listing process. You can also sell second-hand products on eBay.

Which Countries Can I Sell to Abroad?

There are many countries where you can sell abroad. By examining the statistics on countries, you can decide which one to operate in.

Russia, Spain, Israel and France are the top countries that use Aliexpress the most. Aliexpress usage rates of different countries are given above. In addition to this, the results of a previous study on the countries that spend the most on e-commerce are given in the table below.

In the table above, the first column shows the total expenditure per user. The last column is the total number of users in that country.

How to Receive Payment from Abroad?

There are different methods you can use to receive payments from abroad. Paypal is one of the most widely used payment methods abroad. The fact that this method is not used in Turkey is disadvantageous especially for companies that sell abroad. Apart from Paypal, there are many alternative payment methods such as Payoneer, Transferwise, Stripe, Moneygram.

Payooner is one of the most preferred alternatives. The remarkable feature of this service is that you can open a bank account in countries on different continents such as the United States, the United Kingdom and China. With Payoneer, which is also preferred by worldwide companies such as Adobe, Amazon, Google, you can perform your financial transactions in many different currencies.

With the Transferwise payment receiving method, you can send or receive many different currencies through the system.

The Stripe payment service is widely used in the United States and therefore has a very high success rate for dollar-denominated transactions. With this method, you can set up an overseas company and invoice through different platforms. With Stripe, you can make online financial transactions in more than 135 currencies.

Moneygram payment service is one of the easiest payment services among the alternatives. You can choose from many different payment methods such as electronic wallets, bank accounts, etc. and quickly transfer money to anywhere in the world.

There are different methods you can use to receive payments from abroad. Paypal is one of the most widely used payment methods abroad. The fact that this method is not used in Turkey is disadvantageous especially for companies that sell abroad. Apart from Paypal, there are many alternative payment methods such as Payoneer, Transferwise, Stripe, Moneygram.

Payooner is one of the most preferred alternatives. The remarkable feature of this service is that you can open a bank account in countries on different continents such as the United States, the United Kingdom and China. With Payoneer, which is also preferred by worldwide companies such as Adobe, Amazon, Google, you can perform your financial transactions in many different currencies.

With the Transferwise payment receiving method, you can send or receive many different currencies through the system.

The Stripe payment service is widely used in the United States and therefore has a very high success rate for dollar-denominated transactions. With this method, you can set up an overseas company and invoice through different platforms. With Stripe, you can make online financial transactions in more than 135 currencies.

Moneygram payment service is one of the easiest payment services among the alternatives. You can choose from many different payment methods such as electronic wallets, bank accounts, etc. and quickly transfer money to anywhere in the world.

Online marketplaces have their own payment systems. Payments are transferred to your account using these systems.

Get Paid with PayTR Virtual POS

One of the payment systems you can use for your own e-export site is PayTR Virtual Pos. In this system, you are not charged any dues. All you need to do is to integrate this system into your site and start using it. In PayTR, the person who buys your product chooses PayTR as the payment preference. Then they are directed to the common payment page. Payment is completed after verification.

How is Taxation in Overseas Product Sales?

It is extremely important that you know the details about taxation in overseas product sales. In order not to face fines, you should learn what kind of taxation process there is in foreign sales.

E-export companies issue their invoices without VAT. Electronic Trade Customs Declaration must be issued by the carrier company. After the necessary procedures are carried out at the customs, the product is delivered to the buyer.

• Micro Export Tax Incentives

As a result of the tax regulations, a 50% tax exemption was introduced for micro-exporters. This regulation has been in effect since January 2021. The aim here is to encourage companies to export more and contribute to the Turkish economy.

Those who want to benefit from the tax exemption must have an annual income of less than 15 thousand euros. In addition, the weight of the shipment must be less than 300 kg. This tax incentive makes it much easier for small and large businesses. Both online marketplaces and those who sell from their own website can benefit from the tax incentive.

• What are the E-Export Tax Rates?

E-export tax rates apply to businesses that do not benefit from the exemption. The tax amount is calculated based on the annual profit. The tax rates for 2022 can be listed as follows:

• The tax rate for sales up to 32 thousand TL is 15%.
• 4800 TL for 32 thousand of a sale of 70 thousand TL; 20% for above
• 12,400 TL for 70,000 out of 170,000; 27% for above
• 35% above 39400 TL for 170 thousand out of 880 thousand
• 287900 TL for sales above 880 thousand, 40% for sales above 880 thousand

• Customs Duties

Customs duties vary according to the type and weight of the products. At the same time, there may be exemptions from customs duties. In order to benefit from customs exemption, the TR circulation document must be issued. If this document is issued, only VAT is paid.

Different customs procedures are applied in each country. For this reason, it is beneficial to fulfill the legal requirements of each country by getting expert support in this regard.

• What are the Tax Advantages in E-Export?

In addition to incentives, e-exports also have different tax advantages. The most important e-export advantage is to benefit from the micro export incentive. Another advantage is being able to sell without calculating VAT.

E-export companies are also granted various privileges by private and state banks. You can take advantage of low-interest loan opportunities and forward-dated maturity advantages.

Documents Required for Product Sales Abroad

The documents required for the sale of products abroad are used at different stages of exports. The first of these documents is the ETGB document. This document is used to benefit from micro export incentives.

There are also different documents used in customs processes. One of them is the authorization certificate. At the same time, e-invoice and e-archive invoice must be issued separately for each sale. Export information form and proforma invoice are also among the required documents.

Some documents are also requested from online marketplaces that you will use for overseas sales. These documents can be listed as follows:

• Signature circular
• Tax plate
• Documents related to company officials

How Does the Process Work in Selling Products Abroad?

There is a gradual progression in the process of selling products abroad. If you have decided to sell your existing products online, your job is somewhat easier. However, if you are going to sell online for the first time, it is extremely important to make the right investment.

Those who will start selling online for the first time should research the best-selling products. In this way, it is easier to achieve a certain sales volume. At the same time, cooperation with customs brokers and financial advisors should be made for customs processes and financial processes.

Storage of products to be sold abroad is also extremely important. Each product must be stored under appropriate conditions. Otherwise, disinfection may occur in the structure of the products. For food products, deterioration may occur.

Cargo companies also play an important role in the international sales process. It is extremely important to deliver the cargo on time during the sales process abroad. You should work with a professional shipping company to avoid wasting time with the return process.

1- Finding Customers

You can use different methods to find customers. One of the most effective methods to find customers is advertising. You can increase your sales by using Google ads. Google ads are given through Google Ads.

You can choose different types of ads through Google Ads. Your ads are published on websites, Google rankings, YouTube. You can get more effective results especially from YouTube ads.

You need to do keyword analysis via Google Ads. After that, you can advertise for the keywords that are most suitable for your product. The longer your ads run, the better results you will get.

You can collaborate with influencers to find customers. The important thing here is to work with an influencer that your target audience follows. Influencers promote your products on their social media accounts.

Another method you can choose is to benefit from promotional articles. You can reach a large number of people thanks to the promotional articles you will publish in national newspapers or popular blog pages.

2- Translating the E-Export Site into Different Languages

Setting up your e-export site in different languages is very important to increase your sales. Users are more willing to receive services from e-export sites in their own language. For this reason, you can localize your site in the languages of countries with high sales potential.

3- Offering Payment Alternatives

Offering payment alternatives makes your sales process easier. You can integrate the payment systems of local banks of different countries into your site. You also have the chance to use popular payment infrastructures. Offering users the opportunity to pay with their own currencies is also important at this point.

4- Getting Professional Support on Legal Processes

Getting professional support for legal processes both prevents you from making mistakes and makes the process easier for you. You can get support from a lawyer about the legal problems you have with your customers and suppliers.

One of the important issues that require expertise is accounting processes. You can get help from a financial advisor for details such as calculating taxes to be paid and premiums. You also have the chance to get consultancy support for social media processes.

How to Establish a Company for Foreign Sales?

It is necessary to establish a company for overseas sales. Although it is possible to sell from some marketplaces without establishing a company, it is generally necessary to have a company. If you do not have capital, you can choose to establish a sole proprietorship as the cost is lower. Apart from this, you can also establish different types of companies such as capital, limited liability and joint stock companies if you meet the appropriate conditions.

To establish a company, you must give power of attorney to a financial advisor. In addition, documents such as signature declaration, lease contract, residence and photograph are also needed. The number of partners in limited liability companies can be one person or up to fifty. At the same time, a capital of at least fifty thousand TL is also needed.

In the opening of a limited company; documents such as notarized contract, chamber registration certificate, receipt given after the capital amount is deposited are required. The capital shares of the partners in limited liability companies should be in the form of 25 and multiples. Joint stock companies are suitable for companies with more capital. The document delivery stage is more elaborate in joint stock companies.

How Does the Shipping Process Work in Overseas Sales?

The shipping process in international sales starts with the collection of the shipments from you. Some international cargo companies work with logistics companies in Turkey and delegate the collection process to them. Some companies can pick up the products directly from you. There may also be cases where you need to deliver your shipments personally to the cargo company.

You may need to submit different documents to the company for cargo operations. These documents can be listed as follows:

• Product invoice
• Customs documents
• ATA document that allows products to be exempt from customs duty
• Declaration of supply
• Food safety certificate if food will be sent

According to the customs policies of different countries, documents other than the documents listed above may also be requested. For this reason, every necessary document must be submitted to the cargo companies. Otherwise, your products may not be allowed to leave customs.

You can deliver your international shipments by agreeing with a cargo company that suits your budget for your e-export site. Many cargo companies serving domestically work with different companies abroad. Yurtiçi Kargo has its own international cargo services. Thanks to YK International Express, YK Fast Trade services, you can safely deliver your shipments to the recipient. You can also choose other cargo companies for product sales abroad.