Online store expansion to Croatia
Holidays and business in one
Croatia is another Balkan country that offers lots of opportunities for expanding Czech online stores. A huge advantage is the willingness of Croats to shop in foreign online stores. It is not necessary to invest huge amounts of energy and resources to operate as an online shop based in Croatia. Expanding your online store into the Croatian market therefore represents an opportunity not to be missed.
WHY EXPAND INTO CROATIA?
Although e‑commerce in Croatia is growing slightly slower than, for example, in Romania or Bulgaria, it is still an attractive emerging market. The biggest attraction is the popularity of foreign online shops among the people of Croatia. Almost 80% of online shoppers prefer shopping abroad because they perceive the goods to be more unusual and of better quality. Local Croatian online stores have a hard time competing with foreign players.
WHAT SHOULD YOU TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN EXPANDING INTO CROATIA?
The biggest obstacle on the Croatian market is the local bureaucracy and complex legislation. At the very beginning, we recommend doing a survey to establish the duties that you will need to fulfil.
Knowledge of foreign languages is rather lower among Croatians. Only about 40% of Croats speak at least one foreign language. Within this context, it is, without doubt, necessary to have your website and online store translated into Croatian and localized.
Customer support will also have to be in Croatian so that customers can communicate in their native language. To facilitate this, a local telephone number is a must. A foreign number could raise suspicions and cause unnecessary worries, thereby reducing the willingness of shoppers to contact it with their enquiries.
For excellent SEO search results, it is recommended to run the online store on a suitably selected Croatian domain. However, it is not necessary to operate as a local Croatian e‑shop. On the contrary, it can be a competitive advantage to openly state the online shop´s foreign origin. Should you require more in‑depth information on what to look out for when expanding your online shop into Croatia, we can conduct foreign market research as part of our service.
4,04 mil.
population
kuna
currency
5,7%
year‑on‑year growth of e‑commerce
55%
number of online shoppers
ca 5 000
number of online shops
80%
percentage of internet users among the population
810
population per online shop
536 bn. €
e‑commerce volumeSERVICES FOR YOUR EXPANSION TO CROATIA
Customer support in foreign laguages
Looking to ensure the success of your online store abroad? Then excellent customer support in the local language is an absolute must. Having the option to call a local phone number or write a query in the local language substantially increases the credibility of an online store in the eyes of customers. Professional customer support provided by NK Expand is intended for online shops expanding abroad.
Keyword analysis in a foreign language
Keyword analysis is the basis for any successful online shop expansion abroad. An in‑depth analysis provides important information on how foreign customers search for your products and services on the internet. This helps to precisely identify which foreign language keywords to target and what improvements are required.
SEO translation and localization of website and online store
The expansion of an online store abroad usually entails considerable costs. A substantial part of these costs relate to SEO translation and website localization in order to make sure that visitors to the website in the given country feel that it reads naturally in their own language. Of equal importance is how easily the website can be found on the internet ‑ so that potential customers can visit the online shop and make their purchases.
Online marketing for expansion abroad
Online marketing for foreign expansion that works! To support your online shop expansion abroad, we provide the following services ‑ SEO optimization, PPC advertising, direct e‑mailing and social media communications. By using the correct tone for communications, appropriate keywords in a foreign language and originally written SEO texts, visitors of your online store will quickly turn into customers.
Foreign market research
Are you serious about expanding your online shop abroad? Then we will agree that good preparation and market research are the basis for success. Without a clear idea about market potential or proven interest from target groups, investment in expansion is a non‑starter. Our specialists can prepare complete source materials, provide recommendations and help to properly prepare your online store for expansion abroad.
Legal and administrative assistance abroad
Do you run an online shop and plan to expand abroad? In this case, it is desirable to offer customers the option to pay into a local bank account in the local currency and to ensure that the business terms and conditions are in accordance with the laws of the country. It is very likely that the establishment of a collection point or a local branch will have to follow in time. We are available to help with all of these matters.
Content creation in foreign languages
NK Expand can help you create high‑quality content in foreign languages that will be useful and/or entertaining for your customers, which they will then be happy to share with others. Our native foreign language speakers and copywriters can create high‑quality content that respects the local culture and target group and will convert new visitors into customers. You can easily improve your business results with this form of casual marketing.
Business development for online shop expansion abroad
Are you expanding to a new market abroad with your online store and would you like to improve your business results? Then try our business development service for online shop expansion abroad. We will find B2B contacts for you, which you can use as the basis for the foreign distribution network of your online shop.
SUMMARY
Croatia is an ideal market for expanding online shops. The willingness of Croats to shop in foreign online stores and the relatively low number of domestic online shops represents an exciting and attractive business opportunity. If your local e‑commerce market is already limiting your prospects and you are considering expansion, Croatia is a good choice.
At NK Expand, we can help you with everything you need for your expansion into Croatia. For example, we recently helped the pharmaceutical company Dr. Mayer, the El Nino perfume online shop and the Postershop brand, which runs the buvu.hr online shop, to successfully expand into the Croatian market. Contact us and let our specialists help you expand your online store into Croatia too.
OTHER COUNTRIES WE WILL HELP YOU EXPAND INTO
WHO WE HAVE ALREADY HELPED WITH THEIR EXPANSION ABROAD
Case studies
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