Companies Face Important Choices in Global E-Commerce Initiatives

Digital River, Inc. (NASDAQ: DRIV), a leading provider of global e-commerce solutions, announced today the availability of a new white paper on the important factors to consider in launching international e-commerce initiatives. A complimentary copy of the white paper, entitled Going Global, Selling Local: Preparing Your Business to Grab its Share of the Online Market, is available for download on the company’s website.

"Global e-commerce will be bigger than ever in 2012,” said Jim Wehmann, Digital River’s senior vice president for global marketing. "Companies everywhere are drawn to the promise of additional revenue, enhanced margins and new opportunities. What may not be so obvious – especially for companies that are expanding into new geographies for the first time – are the complexities that can waste money, cause delays and sometimes stop global initiatives dead in their tracks. Readers of this paper will gain a sense of both the opportunities and the pitfalls.”

Wehmann noted that companies pursuing global e-commerce solutions generally take one of four approaches:

• A "Marketing-Only” approach, which drives traffic to a company’s existing e-commerce site through overall brand awareness and organic search engine results;
• The "Broad-Brush” approach in which companies go global by "skinning” a single site design with minimal localization features, such as language and currency;
• The "Market-Specific” approach that relies on intense customization and independent management of local sites in each market; and
• A "Multi-National” approach for companies that want a platform for long-term expansion plans, which can grow quickly and cost-effectively based on business conditions and objectives.

The pros and cons of each approach are discussed in the white paper. In addition, the report examines the factors a company should consider before entering a new e-commerce market.

"The good news is that there’s a solution out there for every company regardless of circumstances or resources,” said Wehmann. "Some companies can achieve their e-commerce objectives with a minimal e-commerce strategy, while others should take a more expansive approach. The challenge is to carefully assess your company’s circumstances and resources, and then apply those assessments to your objectives so that the right e-commerce solution is executed.”

To help companies make such an assessment, the paper concludes with a 12-point checklist to evaluate e-commerce readiness.

About Digital River, Inc.

Digital River, Inc., a leading provider of global e-commerce solutions, builds and manages online businesses for software and game publishers, consumer electronics manufacturers, distributors, online retailers and affiliates. Its multi-channel e-commerce solution, which supports both direct and indirect sales, is designed to help companies of all sizes maximize online revenues as well as reduce the costs and risks of running an e-commerce operation. The company’s comprehensive platform offers site development and hosting, order management, fraud management, export controls, tax management, physical and digital product fulfillment, multi-lingual customer service, advanced reporting and strategic marketing services.

Founded in 1994, Digital River is headquartered in Minneapolis with offices across the U.S., Asia, Europe and South America. For more details about Digital River, visit the corporate website, follow the company on Twitter or call +1 952-253-1234.

Digital River is a registered trademark of Digital River, Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners.

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Tweet This: Download @DigitalRiverInc’s free white paper Going Global, Selling Local: Preparing Your Business to Grab its Share of the Online Market http://bit.ly/AzJW04