If your business is bent on enjoying profitable growth over the next 12 months, building an export revenue stream may well be on your FY2026 agenda.
Tariff turmoil notwithstanding, selling online into the US is an excellent way to grow sales and profits. That’s provided your offering is a quality one and everything goes smoothly on the logistics front.
The latter is unlikely to happen by accident. Exporting can be a complex business and vendors that aren’t well prepared can all too easily come a cropper across the Pacific.
Here are five tips to help you set your export venture up for Stateside success from the outset.
Understand your target market
While Australia may be a big country, our market for many goods and services is a relatively homogenous one. Not so in the US. There are considerable differences between states, in everything from climate to demographics – and taste. Aim for mass market penetration from coast to coast and you’ll likely find you’ve bitten off more than you can chew. That’s why it makes sense to do your homework before you dive in. Determine the cities or regions where your offering is likely to enjoy maximum appeal and focus your marketing efforts on them first.
Localise your range
If you’ve determined your goods and services are ripe for an export run, it’s a given they have some sort of international appeal. Localising them will enhance that appeal, by making them more accessible to US buyers. Say you’re selling clothing, that means adjusting the sizing so it’s in line with their conventions – an Australian women’s size 10, for example, is a size 6, ‘over there’. Localising the language and spelling on your web site is another way to boost the familiarity factor and make our American cousins feel more comfortable about giving your business a whirl.
Establish an efficient returns process
Buying something online requires a leap of faith, the first time especially. US customers will feel more inclined to take it if it’s clear an item can be sent back without drama, if it doesn’t fit, isn’t suitable or they just plain change their mind. That’s why it’s vital to establish a fair and generous returns policy before you start selling Stateside. Documenting it on your website, along with crystal clear directions for shipping orders back to your business, will make overseas shoppers more inclined to complete their carts.
Get your charges right
Nothing says unprofessional – and untrustworthy! – like an incorrect invoice, or a delivery that arrives accompanied by a bill for sales tax which the seller has omitted to charge. Accustomed to slick, seamless service online and in real life, it’s not the sort of treatment Americans will stand for.
Applying the correct fees and charges to your shipments will ensure they receive it from you. Offer a fast, fuss-free purchasing and delivery experience and you can be sure they’ll keep coming back for more.
Stay on the right side of the tax authorities
Falling foul of the Australian Tax Office is never a smart move. Audits and investigations can be time consuming and costly and a serious distraction for businesses in growth mode. It’s a similar story in the US, where tax authorities across 50 states generally have a low tolerance for overseas suppliers that don’t comply with their tax regimes.
There’s no shortage of the latter. In fact, the US boasts more than 13,000 sales and use tax jurisdictions, overseen by a complex mix of federal, state and local bodies.
Staying on side with all of them will ensure your export push doesn’t get derailed by compliance disputes.
Deploy automated tax compliance technology and it won’t. Instead, you’ll find it easy to calculate the correct taxes and tariffs to add to your customers’ orders based on their exact location. Designed to help Australian businesses start selling into the US, it simplifies and streamlines all the tasks associated with tax compliance including registration, licensing, sales tax calculation, document management, reporting and e-invoicing.
Once it’s in your tech stack, you’ll be able to apply the appropriate fees, charges, sales and use taxes in every US jurisdiction, accurately and in real time.
If you’re determined to turn your enterprise into a successful exporter, it’s an investment you can’t afford not to make.