Five Key Breakthrough Points for Traditional Foreign Trade to Transform into Cross-border E-commerce

The Five Key Breakthrough Points for Traditional Foreign Trade to Transition to Cross-border E-commerce

In recent years, with the rapid development of global e-commerce and changes in consumer shopping habits, traditional foreign trade enterprises have been facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities. In order to adapt to the new market environment, an increasing number of traditional foreign trade enterprises are beginning to transition to the cross-border e-commerce field. This transformation is not achieved overnight but requires breakthroughs in multiple aspects. Below are the five key breakthrough points that traditional foreign trade enterprises must focus on during the transition process.

Firstly, establishing a comprehensive online sales platform is the foundation for a successful transition. Traditional foreign trade enterprises often rely on offline exhibitions or intermediaries for product promotion and sales, while cross-border e-commerce requires companies to possess strong online operational capabilities. For example, international platforms such as Amazon and eBay provide vast market spaces for small and medium-sized enterprises. However, companies need to invest resources into optimizing product page design, enhancing user experience, and developing effective marketing strategies. Building an independent website has also become a choice for many enterprises, as it enables them to better control their brand image and service quality. According to relevant data, by 2025, the number of independent cross-border e-commerce sites in China increased by more than 30% year-on-year, showing that an increasing number of enterprises are realizing the importance of this aspect.

Secondly, accurately targeting the target market is crucial. Different countries and regions have completely different cultural backgrounds, legal regulations, and consumption preferences. Before entering a new market, thorough market research must be conducted. For instance, young people in Southeast Asia have a high demand for fashion and trendy products; whereas in Europe, there is a greater emphasis on the environmental attributes and social responsibility performance of products. By deeply analyzing the characteristics of the target market, companies can adjust their product structures, packaging methods, and even pricing strategies accordingly, thereby enhancing competitiveness. Additionally, using big data analysis tools can help companies track market trends in real time and respond promptly.

Thirdly, strengthening supply chain management capabilities is one of the core elements ensuring continuous business development. Unlike the traditional bulk export model, cross-border e-commerce typically operates on a small-batch, multi-batch basis, which imposes higher requirements on logistics efficiency. Building an efficient and stable supply chain system is particularly important. This includes finding reliable supplier partners, optimizing inventory management processes, and shortening order delivery cycles, among other things. It is worth noting that with the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership RCEP, tariff barriers within the region have significantly decreased, creating favorable conditions for enterprises to expand their cross-border e-commerce businesses. According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs, in the first half of 2025, China's total import and export volume with RCEP member countries reached approximately 6 trillion yuan, growing nearly 8% year-on-year.

Fourthly, paying attention to brand building helps enhance long-term value. For a long time, many traditional foreign trade enterprises have been accustomed to doing OEM/ODM business and lack awareness of building their own brands. However, in today’s increasingly competitive international market, relying solely on price advantages is no longer sufficient to attract consumers' attention. Companies should start from multiple dimensions such as product quality and after-sales service to gradually establish a good brand image. On one hand, they can conduct marketing activities through social media platforms to increase brand exposure; on the other hand, they can participate in various industry exhibitions or sponsor public welfare activities to expand influence. In fact, some pioneers like Anta and Li-Ning have already made a name for themselves on the international stage, and their successful experiences are worth learning from.

Lastly, cultivating a composite talent team is an important guarantee for smoothly advancing the transition. Facing a completely new business model and technological means, enterprises not only need professionals familiar with international trade rules but also require young people who understand technology and communication to join in. To this end, enterprises should actively build training systems, encourage employees to participate in online and offline courses, and regularly organize exchange sharing sessions to promote knowledge sharing. At the same time, cooperation with universities to set up internship bases can attract more outstanding graduates to engage in cross-border e-commerce. Statistics show that by the end of 2025, over 50 colleges and universities across the country had opened majors or directions related to cross-border e-commerce, providing a large amount of fresh blood for the industry's development.

In summary, traditional foreign trade enterprises must make efforts around the above five aspects to successfully complete the transition to the cross-border e-commerce field. Of course, specific problems will arise during actual operations, so enterprises must maintain an open mindset, dare to try innovative methods, and continuously explore paths suitable for their own development. Believe that as long as we persist, we will surely find our place in the new era tide.