Zomato SVP Growth Pramod Rao on how to scale globally

Setting up a globally successful app business is easier said than done. The biggest challenges are in mastering global audiences by localizing your content to suit global interests.

In the age of globalization and hyper connectivity, how do app developers and mobile marketers figure their global expansion plans while sitting in a different part of the globe altogether? It’s a tough ask any way you look at it.

I sat through InMobi’s ‘Winning Strategies for Going Global’ webinar featuring Supriya Goswami, Head of Marketing, India and SE Asia, InMobi and Pramod Rao, SVP Growth, Zomato to crack the whip on global expansion woes of startups.

Here’s how Zomato does it:

Product-Market Fit:
Ensure that your product-market fit is just right. Every market has its own nuances and aberrations. You’ve got to localize your content and mould your product to fit the local palate. For every startup looking to localize, it’s a tedious process.

“We did everything from local data collection, to translating content”, Rao says.

Localization is more than just translation as Rao points out.

China is another tough nut to crack. Unlike in Google Play, App Stores in China offer promotions in exchange for revenue share. Also, there are several App Stores. So it’s critical to decide which App Store your app should launch into.

In Czech Republic and Poland, restaurants change their lunch menu daily. Now those versions of the app have a ‘Daily Menu’ section.

“There isn’t a one model fits all solution”, Rao concludes.

Product Landscape:
It’s critical to assess a market before launching into it.

There may be local players who have significant market share. If you’re new to a market, community driven marketing always gets early adopters on board. The early mass of users and user generated content is also critical to expand your user-base.

Rao says Zomato does an extensive user-merchant study. He stayed in Malaysia, studying the local populace for over a week before deciding to launch there.

Here’s how Zomato decided it made more sense to launching into UAE before Australia.

Ease of Execution:
It’s important to consider how easy or tricky it is to scale.

One should focus on the regulatory framework, look at local partnerships, have local hires to do business and ensure they get it right with the first 100 customers. The rest will follow.

“Scale your business by doing things that don’t scale”, Rao concludes.

Image Credit: Indiatimes