Selling to German Christmas Online Shoppers Can Be Less Expensive and More Profitable Than the U.S. Market

MUNICH, Dec. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Looking to increase ecommerce sales in a market that's less competitive and less costly?

Think Germany.

Christmas German online sales are expected to increase by 18 percent from last year. Germany is also the fifth largest ecommerce market in the world with yearly online sales approaching $40 billion. It's also up 27 percent this year due to the pandemic.  

Often, it's easier and less expensive to sell to Germans because there's less competition than any other market. However, cultural differences make it difficult for many U.S. companies to successfully sell online products.

"For every dollar a client spends on German digital advertising with us, our goal is to make sure they generate at least five dollars back in online sales," said Twist & Schirm Social Media GmbH CEO Lukas Schirmer. "We have many case studies of clients, who have exceeded that amount." 

His agency specializes in helping ecommerce companies promote themselves within the German community. The agency focuses on German Google, Facebook & Instagram advertising and works solely with E-Commerce companies. They routinely receive inquiries from U.S. and U.K. companies and agencies.

When you come to the German market, the first thing you need to do is to have a German website and make sure orders are delivered within two to three days. If Germans have to wait 20 days for delivery from the U.S., they won't buy.

"That's why it's important for companies to have a fulfillment partner in Germany," said Schirmer.

Germans view advertising differently from U.S. consumers. In the U.S., advertising is very direct and, in your face but in Germany it must be more subtle. If Germans, see an ad that's too direct, they'll be turned off.

"You start off by broadly introducing your brand and tell Germans who you are to generate interest. Only later in the campaign, would you be direct enough to ask Germans to buy your products and maybe include a discount code to motivate them," said Schirmer.

Germans also require more trust and usually compare more than other countries. You need to have social proof with many reviews or use some big media where products have been featured.

His agency has seen better results than the big U.S. agencies because they're in Germany and understand all the nuances within the culture. That helps when writing better targeted advertising copy.

Since they specialize in only German digital advertising for ecommerce companies, they know all the tricks of the trade. In just under a month they doubled the online sales of a recent client, who has been with a big international advertising agency.

The problem with many agencies is that they claim to be experts in all forms of advertising. Digital advertising changes daily, so unless you're focused, it's hard to keep up to date with all the changes.

"When starting a project, we generally need less money in the German market than in the U.S. market. To reach everyone in the U.S. and to gain significant data, you need a higher advertising budget with Facebook and Google ads because there's more people, and it's more competitive," said Schirmer. 

Since it's less competitive and cheaper in Germany, it's like running an advertising campaign two to three years ago in the U.S. It's also easier and less expensive to have a small testing budget to see how well a campaign will work.

"We also look at the advertising that the client has done in the past. If they've done advertising already in the U.S., we would take a look at the ads to see what will work and what doesn't here. We would also give recommendations to the type of campaign they should run," said Schirmer.

They might recommend starting off with Google Shopping or Facebook ads.

"Choosing which ads depends on what the client is selling and what advertising stage they're in. If they sell products that need explaining, then Facebook & Instagram ads are usually the better choice.

"If it's a demanded product then we would usually start with Google Shopping. If someone Googles a product their intent on buying that product is really high. The ultimate goal is to have both advertising channels running quickly and efficiently," said Schirmer.

To find out how Twist & Schirm Social Media GmbH can increase your online sales, take their quiz or book a no-obligation call.

For further information or to schedule an interview contact Lukas Schirmer at +49 175 906 9448 or [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Lukas Schirmer
Founder, CEO
Twist & Schirm Social Media GmbH 
twistundschirm.com 
Leopoldstr. 31, 80802
Munich, Germany
Phone: +49 175 906 9448
Email: [email protected] 

SOURCE Twist & Schirm Social Media GmbH