Why Amazon Germany is a desirable market and how your customer support becomes an idea machine

Hey folks,

This blog post is from a friend of mine who I met twice in Germany already. Her name is Nadine and last year she set out to create the only Amazon customer support based in Germany for your expanding eCommerce business. The site is called ENIDA – check it out!

Whether you are selling in the UK, IT, ES, FR, the US or in Germany, Enida takes care of your customers and has your best interest at heart. Their focus is on delivering stellar service so your customers will recommend your brand to other potential customers (friends & family).

And the best thing: Due to their internal “replacement” system you no longer have to worry about filling in for your staff on the weekend or during holidays. Enida has got you covered.

Onto today’s blog post: 

Disclaimer: Some of the products may contain an affiliate link and we may make a commission if you click on it at no additional costs to you.

AN ODE TO CUSTOMER SUPPORT

First off, let’s talk about customer support and its perceived image around the world. I admit it is not the sexiest job in the world but it can be very, very beneficial for your eCommerce business.

For most business owners customer support is the last thing they think about. It is solely something they have to do once customers notice the company. Funnily enough, most business owners hire customer support last. It’s a huge  pain. It only wastes money. Sadly though, the majority ignore the potential benefits you get when you focus on what your customers have to say.

Here’s a big welcome to the business owners who run eCommerce businesses and want to explore how customer support can open doors for new possibilities. 

In the following paragraphs, we are going to look at a general perspective on customer support and then move deeper into European and German customer support along the way. Let’s get started in finding out out what your customers want and what they would potentially buy.

START TO LISTEN AND BUILD A CUSTOMER FAQ

There has been no function more important for the growth of a company than its support. I know, you think that is a myth. But I can assure you it’s not. Working closely with customers pays off, especially when you empower your support staff allowing them to make decisions, set up an FAQ and thereby cut their customer interaction in half. When your support staff pays attention, you know what will sell and what won’t. And if you treat your customers right, you can send out a newsletter and even ask them, whether they would rather buy the new product in blue or orange – or purple?

If your product often requires an additional explanation, let your staff make a list with frequent problems and questions. You can then design a product inlay that will enable the customers to help themselves. After all, the best support is no support.

Therefore: use your support team to better understand your customers problems, which features of the product could be improved upon and how the process could run more smoothly. Based on this information you can raise the customer experience to the next level.

So: the more customers have a great experience and don’t require a contacting support, the happier they will be. Now let’s move on to the next question.

IS EUROPEAN CUSTOMER SUPPORT ANY DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD?

The simple answer is yes. We are quite spoiled here in Europe – especially in Germany and the UK. And since I am running a German customer support agency, that also covers English speaking customers, I am going to focus on the German market now. 

Germans, as you may have already heard, are always on time. Therefore, we like things to be done quickly and precisely. Also we can find it rather rude if you don’t speak our language and try to get by with Google Translate. 

So, in a nutshell: we are picky. We want to be treated like VIPs. But Germans also love consuming: out of around 80.5 million Germans, 44 million own an Amazon account and use it on a regular basis! Over 50%! Therefore, the European (German) market is not something you should just ignore. Like one seller said during a recent podcast I was in: “If you are not selling in Germany yet, you’re an idiot.”

Exactly. 

Herewith I want to help you get a better understanding of the German customers – after all this is my area of expertise. So in the following section, I will answer some common questions that sellers ask me on a regular basis.

Can’t I just use google translate?

No and if you do: stop it immediately. I know you might think that it’s not a big deal, but if you don’t speak a second language, you have no idea how bad the translation actually is. If you are serious about selling in Germany, if you want to build up your brand and make a lasting impression: get a German native speaker and add it to your support team. Especially Germans are very picky about this. As I have pointed out, over 50% of the German population is using Amazon and they expect you to speak their language. This also includes your listings.

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Can I just use any German freelancer?

In theory, you could. But I advise you to at least know one German person who can look over their work. Why? Because Germans also make silly mistakes and typos can happen as well. If you pay for it, you better get flawless German. Get what I am saying? At Enida we have regular quality checks to make sure everyone is doing their job properly.

Can my listings just be in English?

Don’t do that. Seriously, don’t. Grab some money and get a good German copywriter or a translator to take care of your listing. After all, 44 million Germans browse and they compare. If you look at a product on Amazon in Spanish (because the Mexican seller didn’t bother to translate it) or a listing in broken English, would you think the product is a high quality product? Go figure.

Obviously, there are several translation services out there. Go get one that will help you optimize the listing even AFTER you have paid money for your PPC campaigns. For this reason, Enida runs their own translation service to help you get the best out of your listing: Enida Translations

Reach out to us and we will help you asap!

In the meanwhile, these are the main questions I get asked by foreign sellers. If you have any more, just send us a message at [email protected] and we will answer them swiftly.

Now: are you ready to tackle the German market?

Germany, as the second largest Amazon marketplace after the US, is the heart of the European Amazon battlefield. It might all sound complicated to you now, but once you have set up your system, it will run as smoothly as your current Amazon business. Therefore, we suggest starting with Germany and the UK and then expanding to all other European marketplaces.

If you are unsure whether you are ready for the German market, head over to Enida, click on the “English” button and sign up for our “6 Must Knows before you get into the German market!” Or, just click here to sign up and download the PDF.

After all, half of Germany’s population is waiting for you and with good product listings and hands on native customer support, there is far less to worry about. Obviously, there are also European taxes to consider but I won’t get into that for now. Because we know the right people to help you out there too. 

In case you are interested in Enida or Enida Translations, please make sure to mention “importdojo” – this will get you a discount.

Bis bald! Cheers!

Nadine

Founder Enida

www.enida.de



Analyzed by Jon Elder

Jon has sold over $10 million in sales on Amazon since 2014 and exited 5 Amazon brands for millions. He now helps Amazon sellers experience the same level of success through 1:1 coaching. He is happily married with two kids in Texas!