One anti-cliché business website tip a day—let's start today with the keyboard!

Author: Xiao Chuang

Analysis of the market segment: 3C (computer, communication, and consumer electronics) segment – ​​Mechanical Keyboards

Breaking through in niche product categories may be the key to a company's fate by breaking free from the fierce competition.

— — CTMON

According to data from Globenewswire, the mechanical keyboard market is projected to grow from a valuation of $1.3 billion in 2022 to $5.6 billion in 2032, with a compound annual growth rate of 16.2% from 2023 to 2032.

Among them, the niche brand "Akko" has succeeded by leveraging a differentiated international expansion strategy and a business website international expansion! In just three years, it has expanded its territory to North America, Europe, Southeast Asia and other regions, with a footprint in more than 30 countries around the world.

Akko is a rising star in the custom keyboard industry, making orders as soon as it joins the platform. What makes it so special?

In the "differentiation" arena, Akko has forged its core advantage in international expansion.

ask :

1. If European consumers need that kind of keyboard, why can't we be the ones to provide it?

2. If someone can always make money on the European platform, why can't it be us?

Before completing the construction of her business website, Akko conducted extensive market research in Europe and ultimately decided to pursue an overseas digital marketing strategy that combines localization, digital marketing, and technology tracking .

○ 1. Design "localization" and product "customization"

It turns out that Europe is a multilingual market with many countries that speak languages ​​other than English. Because of different input methods, the corresponding key layout and usage habits are also different.

By conducting in-depth research into the consumption habits, aesthetic preferences, and usage scenarios of overseas users, AKKO has launched customized products and services for users in different regions and cultural backgrounds, and carried out differentiated research and development to meet the "localized" keyboard needs of European users.

For example, a "European keyboard" was designed for European consumers, changing the rectangular Enter key of the American keyboard to a "7-shaped" key that is more in line with European habits.

Meanwhile, to meet the DIY and personalization needs of users in Germany, France and other regions, and to make the keyboard more playable, Akko has also launched a DIY custom keyboard.

Through meticulous "localization," Akko has achieved deep penetration into the European market, rapidly expanded its user base, and built a good brand reputation.

As of June 2024, Akko's products have covered more than 30 countries and regions in Europe, including Italy, Germany, France, and Spain.

○ 2. Seize the overseas digital marketing market

How can niche brands conduct marketing?

How to accurately target the core user group?

How can we reach a wider audience and expand our reach beyond our initial target audience?

Akko's answer is: "Vertical community building + horizontal social media expansion." This involves implementing a multi-dimensional overseas digital marketing strategy.

According to Similarweb, in the three months ending June 18, 2024, Akko's average traffic for US business websites was around 300K, with organic search and direct traffic accounting for 63.03% and 28.42% respectively, making them the two largest sources of traffic for business websites.

AKKO's business website has a very stable monthly traffic, maintaining around 400,000 visits. It's worth mentioning that the business website has zero paid traffic, relying entirely on organic traffic, with brand traffic accounting for 90.4%. One has to admire its great reputation in the mechanical keyboard industry.

Secondly, YouTube and Reddit are the two major sources of social media traffic for business websites, accounting for 61.89% and 30.48% respectively.

As of June 2024, Akko had built an online community of about 11,000 people on Discord, encouraging members to discuss products, exchange technologies, share ideas and showcase personalized keyboards, cultivating a large number of enthusiasts.

○ 3. A step-by-step guide to analyzing your competitor's business website from scratch.

For companies newly entering the international expansion field in foreign trade, every step Akko takes is worth learning from for similar brands. This includes not only market research and international marketing strategies, but more importantly, the methods used to analyze and dissect competitors' business websites.

First, we need to exclude platform websites such as 比如alibaba.com and made-in-china.com. We can use Google's advanced search commands to uncover competitor business websites. Search: glass bottle -amazon.com -alibaba.com -wikipedia.org

Next, CTMON analyzes a business website from these four dimensions:

1. Website Building Technology Analysis

We can use the Wappalyzer plugin to perform technical checks on competitors' websites.

This website is built using the WordPress system. If a business wants to create a similar website, it can use WordPress. CTMON's PHP development team has prepared 50 frequently asked WordPress questions; you can scan the QR code to receive them for free.

2. Domain Name Analysis

Using a WHOIS website, you can look up domain registration information, including registration date, domain registrar, and more. Alternatively, you can install the WebRank Whois Lookup Google Chrome extension for convenient access to this information anytime.

3. SEO Data Analysis

The most commonly used SEO data analysis tools are Semrush and Ahrefs.

You can view:

■   Website Domain Authority

■   website organic traffic

■   Keyword Output (Top 100 Organic Keywords on Google)

■   External Link Building

■ Country distribution of   traffic

■   traffic trend

■   Top pages: Pages with the most website traffic

Detailed tutorials on using Semrush will be updated gradually in the future.

4. Similarweb Data Analysis

Similarweb websites can help us analyze the traffic sources of our competitors!

That's all for today. If you have any questions about WordPress or need advice on building a business website, feel free to contact me anytime.

CTMON's View on Brand Overseas Digital Marketing

After all that, how difficult is it to run a B2B business website for foreign trade? CTMON will give you the honest answer today!

As the barrier to entry for website creation becomes lower and lower, making a business website is becoming simpler and simpler, but achieving results is becoming increasingly difficult.

I believe that a company's goal is not just to build a business website, but to use it to generate inquiries! New opportunities arise only when businesses convert. What do you think?

CTMON has been deeply involved in overseas digital marketing for 11 years, possessing rich practical experience in business website building, Google SEM, social media, and more. We can help your business avoid pitfalls and detours! Whether you are currently doing it or planning to, you can scan the QR code to add me and discuss problems and solutions together. I will answer all your questions to the best of my ability!