How to Lift Your Digital Game in Australia

With our similar cultures and geographical closeness, it makes sense that Australia is often the first place that Kiwi businesses look to when they want to start exporting.

But unlike New Zealand, where relationship-based selling is often a main source of new business leads, you’ll need to have a sound digital strategy from the outset if you want to build a profile and sell at scale across the Tasman. 

Whether you’re selling products, software or services, here are our three top insights for digital success in Australia.

1. Understand your target customers.

Almost all New Zealand businesses in Australia start out as small players in a large and established market, facing higher-profile competitors with bigger budgets. Your digital presence can’t be underestimated.

To effectively gain the attention of your ideal prospects, it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of your target buyers, their personas and the unique selling proposition (USP) that will entice them to choose your product or solution. 

If you’re new to using personas, start with NZTE’s  B2B and B2C buyer persona templates to help you understand your most likely customers in Australia and what they need.

Remember that B2B buyers in Australia and elsewhere increasingly research and buy online in ways that mirror consumer habits. Gartner’s 2023 Global Software Buying Trends report notes that while experts and analysts remain a top source of buying information, professional and trade publications – many of which are shifting online – are key sources for almost a third of buyers.

2. Map the online journey and drive leads to your team.

Armed with your deep understanding of your ideal Australian customers and their needs, you can map the steps of their discovery journey (how customers find you) and build an online experience that feels personalised and encourages them to take action. 

Sales time is precious, especially if you don’t have a large team on the ground in Australia, and digital lead generation is an excellent method of creating warmer leads and appealing to online shoppers. 

Treating your online resources as part of your sales efforts can help you capture opportunities. while taking your sales team off admin tasks to act as trusted advisors to prospects and customers in Australia. 

In one recent case, we saw an online training company that reviewed its Australian website for lead generation go from minimal results to receiving more than 50% of new business opportunities online. This lifted the efficiency of their sales team and helped them to land better-quality clients.

3. Localise your digital experience for Australians.

The best websites for any market, including Australia, treat every visitor like the one they want to catch. Remember these key elements to give your Australian customers the right digital experience:

• Make sure you’re using a global or Australian domain name (such as .com, .io or com.au) – not your existing New Zealand domain. This is one of the most important ways to show that you’re taking a global outlook and are serious about your Australian business.
• Optimise for both mobile and desktop. Laptops and desktops still account for 49% of internet use in Australia, versus 45% for mobile. Especially in a business context, most Aussies go from mobile to desktop when it's time to finalise research, choose a supplier, or gather information to share with colleagues.
• Take a hard look at web performance and mobile responsiveness. Australia’s mobile download speeds are almost twice as fast as New Zealand’s – but fixed connection downloads are only around half as fast. A poor experience when switching from mobile to desktop will see prospects lose interest, so make sure websites are fast and responsive in both environments.
  
• Use local terminology, and align your SEO or SEM to match the most commonly used search keywords in the market. We recently saw one business lift their click-through by 27 percent just by using terminology that was more familiar to their Australian target customers. If you’re selling B2B, feature any Australian case studies on your website, with client logos and locations if possible. 
• For phone enquiries and live chat, consider time differences if your customer service team is based in New Zealand. Include hours of operation on your website – in your key Australian time zones – and give information on response times and different ways to contact your team, so you don’t miss important enquiries after hours or before weekends.

With digital playing an increasingly significant role in every stage of the purchasing journey, it's essential to adapt your marketing strategies for Australian buyers. By taking a multichannel approach in Australia, and focusing on providing a personalised and seamless experience for your customers, you can create a competitive advantage and drive business growth. 

To take your plans further, check out more digital insights online via myNZTE, or reach out to us for advice to lift your digital strategy game in Australia or beyond. 

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) is a Partner of Techweek