Australia has a high internet penetration rate of 89%, making it one of the most connected countries in the world. Online businesses should take advantage of it, plus some other helpful marketing tips we’ve collected, to start operating in the country:
Know your customers behaviour
As the 10th best ecommerce market in the world, Australia has a high spending power, particularly on goods from overseas retailers. Also, younger consumers in the country tend to purchase from foreign merchants than local ones – an opportunity that you can take advantage of. International ecommerce sites that have already tapped into the buying power of Australian consumers are eBay, Amazon, and AliExpress (Alibaba.com).
Integrate local payment methods
Credit cards, online bank transfers, and e-wallets are the most popular payment methods, particularly because of the country’s rapidly growing digital economy. Some popular payment methods in the country are VISA, MasterCard, PayPal, Mobiamo (3, Optus, Telstra, Virgin, Vodafone payments), and POLi bank transfers. See the full list of Australian payment methods here.
Stay compliant with local laws
Before launching a marketing campaign in Australia, make sure your business is compliant with local laws. To give you an idea on how compliance works in Australia, owners need to identify their business structure; apply for an Australian Business Number and other local licenses and permits; register business name, trademarks, domain names and an Australian business account; and arrange insurance for their brand. Also, Australia has a 10% Goods and Services tax (GST) applied for digital goods purchases, making virtual goods and services more costly than other countries such as the US.
Online merchants can save themselves from the hassle and time spent on local regulations by signing up for a Paymentwall merchant account. Integrated merchants can start accepting payments from the country and stay compliant, with Paymentwall handling the compliance and legal issues.
SMM matters
Start engaging your audience in Australia by communicating through social media. According to a study conducted by Senris, 20% of users in the country used social media to research on products, with 58% of those reported resulting to an actual purchase. For which social media platforms to use, marketers cite Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn as the most effective when reaching out to local consumers.
Know the seasons
Did you know that seasons in Australia are different primarily from the US and UK regions? Knowing about this can help you run your campaign at the right time, and save you the embarrassment of sending the wrong message (you really wouldn’t want to start a summer campaign during the cold June and July months in Australia, right?).
Expand your reach in Australia with Paymentwall by first creating a Merchant Account. You can find more business monetization tips on our blog.