Many companies in the North live well with local customers and wonder whether there is a market elsewhere: Lisbon, the Algarve, the islands, Spain, other countries. It is a good question, and the answer has more to do with method than with courage: test a little, one destination at a time, and grow with what works.
Step 1: see whether you already receive enquiries from outside
Before planning, look at what already exists. Where do the enquiries you receive come from? Are there contacts from other regions or countries who arrived without you doing anything? That shows real demand and points to where to start. If you do not record the source, start there: how to tell whether your website brings enquiries explains how.
Step 2: choose a destination
One. Not three. Choose the one that already shows signs, or the one your offer serves best. One region or country at a time gives you focus, and lets you learn what works before spending more.
Step 3: understand what changes
- Logistics and timing: can you deliver or serve with the same quality? In how long?
- Travel: if you go to the customer, how much it costs and who pays.
- Language and wording: the way of saying things changes from area to area, and from country to country.
- Rules: in some sectors there are different rules depending on the region or country. Check them with a professional (accountant, lawyer, professional body) before promising.
- Local competition: who already serves that destination and with what arguments.
Step 4: get proof from there
A customer, a recommendation or a case from that destination is worth more than any text. If you do not have one yet, look for a first experience, even on special terms, and ask for permission to tell it. Whoever does not know you in the destination needs to see that others like them have already trusted you.
Step 5: say on the website that you serve that area
A section or page that says clearly where you work, how delivery or travel works and, if relevant, who your reference is locally. If you will serve another country, consider the website in Portuguese and English or in another language. No pages for each town by routine: read whether a page per town is worth it.
Step 6: choose the test channel
- Ads targeted by area, with a small budget and a specific message.
- Partnerships with those who already serve those customers, like local partnerships, but in the destination.
- Direct contacts with companies in that destination that look like your best customers.
- Presence at events or associations in the area.
Step 7: test small and measure
Define what counts as a result (for example, a number of conversations of interest) and for how long you will test. If it works, you grow; if not, adjust the message or change destination, without having spent the year's budget. For the wider internationalisation case, we have the guide to internationalising your brand. In Digital Marketing, the first test is always small and with a criterion written beforehand.
The one-destination sheet
Make a sheet with five lines: the chosen destination, the proof you already have from there, what changes in the offer (timing, travel, language, rules), the test channel and the success criterion, with an end date. Write a paragraph explaining your offer to someone from that destination who has never heard of you, and show it to someone from that area, if you know anyone. Ask them to say what they understood and what seemed strange. Adjust before spending on any channel.
In short
- Start with one destination, not several, and where you already receive enquiries.
- Understand what changes: logistics, travel, language, rules and competition.
- Get proof from there and say on the website that you serve that area.
- Test small, with a success criterion written beforehand, and only then grow.
Quick questions
Should I open an office in the destination?
No, at least not at first. Test demand at low cost first. Only when there are regular enquiries does it make sense to think about a physical presence.
Do I need a website in another language?
It depends on the destination. For other regions of the country, the same website is enough, with a section on the area. For other countries, a version in the destination's language helps.
What if the price in the destination is different?
It may be. Set your price by what it costs to deliver the service there, including travel, and check with an accountant the tax and legal rules that apply.
Want to see what already reaches you from outside your region?
The exploratory call is a 30-minute conversation, at no cost. We see what already reaches you from outside your region and where to start. You keep the written summary.
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