Online marketing in Austria offers numerous opportunities thanks to the growing popularity of e-commerce and consumers' strong confidence in online shopping. Moreover, they speak the same language as in Germany.
While experts admit that the online market in Austria lags a bit behind the European average, it has started to catch up. Austria's attitude between traditions and changes, their local pride and international orientation make it a very interesting market to explore. An important aspect to consider is the local .at domain: Google.at is the most popular website in Austria. Google.com only comes in at spot 4 and Google.de even only at spot 20.
Many international companies enter the Austrian market by simply copying their strategy for Germany. While this seems like an easy solution, don't let yourself be fooled: While Germany and Austria are strongly connected in trade relations, share many of the same values and almost the same language, sensitivity to their own culture will go a long way in helping you get into Austria. A local .at domain, using the right local terms and researching their different holidays and customs may seem like small details, but can make a significant difference
The need for security is evident in the online behavior of Austrian consumers. Compared to the Dutch, Austrians are more cautious when it comes to privacy. This means they pay more attention to the security of their devices, are less inclined to share personal information on social media and are more cautious about online banking.
Besides wanting good quality and that the price should be commensurate with what you get for it, Austrian online shoppers find it important that shopping is fast and easy, that they can easily return goods and that there are clear product descriptions. Austrians also like to buy from abroad: 63% say they have bought products online from other countries. Amazon is therefore a very important player to keep an eye on when you want to enter the Austrian market.
The most important seal of approval for online shops in Austria is the Trusted Shops Seal of Approval. This seal provides a comprehensive certification that guarantees the safety and reliability of web shops. Webshops carrying this seal have gone through an extensive review process that includes privacy protection, data security, cost transparency, and the quality of customer service and return policy.
Another important quality mark is the Webshop Keurmerk, managed by Stichting Webshop Keurmerk, which also operates in Austria. This mark aims to protect consumers and provide confidence in online purchases. The hallmark checks Web shops on various criteria such as the correct display of prices, shipping costs, and conditions for returns.
When choosing marketing channels for the Austrian market, thorough market research is crucial, as the online marketing environment in Austria differs in many ways from that in the Netherlands. For example, there are significant differences in search volumes, competition levels and cost per click in search engine marketing. This can mean that at lower levels of competition, SEO can be an effective strategy to generate organic traffic. In contrast, at higher levels of competition for specific keywords, it may be wiser to invest in paid advertising (PPC/ SEA).
In addition to search engine marketing, social media and digital marketplaces are important channels in Austria. While bol.com is not active in Austria, other platforms such as Amazon, Willhaben and Shöpping are very important for e-commerce. Willhaben, for example, is popular for selling secondhand goods and local products.
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Belgium is a neighboring country with cultural and linguistic similarities. Yet there are also many differences. Flemish-Dutch is slightly different and a large part of Belgium uses the French language. It would be a shame to overlook this, because it is a promising market!
The United Kingdom has one of the most mature European e-commerce markets with the highest online sales in Europe. Thanks in part to enthusiastic online shopping by British consumers, e-commerce in this country is stable and stronger than ever.
I'm Roel, founder of Tomahawk. I am happy to help you from our office in Nijmegen.
