Top 20 Websites for Foreign Trade Orders: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners

Global cross-border e-commerce continues to release vitality, and Chinese companies going overseas has become a trend. Choosing a suitable order-taking platform can make foreign trade business more efficient.

Based on the latest data and real-world experience, this article will review the 20 most popular and frequently used websites for accepting orders from overseas, and provide a practical guide for starting from scratch, helping you seize the upper hand in the overseas competition. Recommended reading: (2025 Updated Edition) A Comprehensive List of 120 Global Cross-Border E-Commerce Platforms, Including Entry Requirements, Registration Thresholds, and Suitable Product Categories!

1. Panorama of foreign trade order-taking platforms: Detailed explanation of the top 20 websites

The following are the top 20 most popular and frequently used foreign trade order-taking websites in 2025. I will introduce them in detail from the aspects of features, suitable categories, entry requirements and website addresses.

2. Taking Orders from Scratch: A Practical Guide for Beginners

1. Self-assessment and positioning

Before starting foreign trade business, you need to understand yourself and your target market:

• Product positioning : Analyze which markets your product is best suited for. Industrial products and bulk goods are best suited to B2B platforms (such as Alibaba), while consumer goods are best suited to B2C platforms (such as AliExpress and Amazon).

• Target Markets : Amazon and Global Sources can be considered for the European and American markets, Coupang can be focused on the Korean market, and Alibaba can be deployed in the global market.

• Budget size : If you have a limited budget, you can start with low-threshold platforms (such as Shopee and AliExpress). If you have sufficient funds, you can expand into multiple platforms.

• Team capabilities : Those with e-commerce operation teams can consider operating complex platforms, while novices can choose platforms that are easy to operate.

2. Prepare qualifications and materials

To become a supplier for overseas merchants, you need to prepare the following qualifications:

• Basic enterprise qualifications : business license (business scope includes import and export), legal person ID card, bank credit certificate.

• International certification : Choose the corresponding certification according to the target market, such as EU CE certification, US FDA certification, Saudi SASO certification, etc.

• Product compliance system : ISO9001 quality management system certification, BSCI social responsibility audit (mandatory requirement for European and American buyers).

• Intellectual property : registering international trademarks (Madrid System), conducting patent searches (to avoid infringement disputes).

3. Choose a platform and join

Choose 2-3 platforms to focus on based on your own situation:

• Small and micro enterprises : You can focus on Shopee (Southeast Asia) + Temu (USA) first.

• Industrial categories : mainly focusing on Alibaba International Station + Made-in-China.com.

• Want to build a brand : Use Shopify to build an independent website and use Facebook to attract traffic.

General materials required for entry : the enterprise side needs a business license, legal person ID card, and bank account (supports multi-currency settlement); the product side needs a quality inspection report, certificate of origin, and brand authorization letter (some categories).

4. Store operation and promotion

After successfully settling in, you need to carefully operate the store:

• Product display : Write the title from the buyer's perspective and mark the keywords; the product description should highlight the advantages of the product and factory and make them different; pictures should preferably be multi-faceted and multi-angle.

• Ranking optimization : Do a good job in SEO within the platform to increase product exposure.

• Marketing promotion : Use the marketing tools provided by the platform (such as Alibaba’s direct train) to increase product visibility.

• Social media integration : Publish product and company information on foreign social platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.). After a while, you can wait for customers to come to you.

5. Order Processing and Delivery

After receiving the order, it needs to be processed efficiently:

• Order confirmation : timely confirm order details, including product specifications, quantity, price, delivery time, etc.

• Production arrangement : Arrange production or stocking according to order requirements to ensure quality meets customer requirements.

• Logistics arrangement : Choose a reliable logistics partner to ensure the goods are delivered on time.

• Document preparation : Prepare various documents required for export, such as invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, etc.

6. Customer maintenance and development

• After-sales service : Establish a quick response mechanism to handle customer issues and complaints in a timely manner.

• Regular return visits : Communicate with customers regularly to understand their needs and feedback.

• Relationship maintenance : Give customers appropriate commissions or other benefits to motivate them to promote and recommend products.

• Data analysis : Analyze customer behavior and purchasing patterns to identify potential sales opportunities.

3. Key to Success: Multi-Platform Combination and Independent Station Construction

In 2025, successful foreign trade companies will no longer rely on a single platform, but will form a three-dimensional channel network of " platform + independent website + social media ".

1. Multi-platform combination strategy

The case of a machinery export company in Henan is invaluable: they previously relied on trade shows for customer acquisition, but the pandemic impacted their orders by 50%. They subsequently implemented a multi-platform strategy: focusing primarily on Alibaba International Station while also building a cluster of independent websites using the ABke intelligent website building tool.

As a result, we received inquiries continuously from the 45th day, and completed three orders in two months, with the first order amounting to US$120,000, ultimately achieving a 300% order growth.

2. The value and construction of independent stations

While third-party platforms are important, independent websites are a company’s true asset . Through independent websites, companies can build their brand image, accumulate private domain traffic, and reduce their reliance on platforms .

Traditional website building methods suffer from long cycles, high costs, and poor results. Smart website building systems now offer solutions: 100+ vertical templates, multi-language synchronization within seconds, and fully managed SEO services, significantly reducing the barriers to entry and costs.

The owner of a building materials company recounted: "I previously outsourced website building, spending 50,000 yuan and waiting two months, only to have 'cement' translated into 'DP'... Using the ABke intelligent website builder, I generated a Chinese independent website in just 10 minutes. The AI ​​automatically filters sensitive words, and my Google organic traffic increased by 300% in the first month. Now I'm overwhelmed with orders every day!"

4. Foreign trade development trends and suggestions in 2025

Based on the development trend of the cross-border e-commerce industry in 2025, I give the following suggestions to beginners:

1. Professional stratification is intensifying : consumer-end platforms pursue scale and efficiency, while the value of professional platforms serving small and medium-sized foreign trade entities is highlighted.

2. Technology-driven efficiency improvement : Big data and AI have been deeply integrated into core links such as business opportunity matching and supply chain optimization.

3. Compliance and sustainable development : Complete qualifications, transparent processes and a robust resource network have become the cornerstones of the platform's long-term competitiveness.

5. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: As a complete newbie, which platform should I start with?

A: We recommend starting with low-entry platforms like Shopee or AliExpress. These platforms have relatively simple entry requirements and require minimal investment, making them suitable for beginners to quickly get started and place trial orders. Once you have accumulated sufficient experience, you can then expand to comprehensive platforms like Alibaba International Station.

Q: How much start-up capital is needed to do foreign trade?

A: Startup capital varies significantly depending on the platform. Some platforms, like Shopee, allow you to open a personal store with a low deposit (some categories have zero deposits), while Alibaba International Station's annual fees start at 35,800 yuan. We recommend setting aside 100,000 to 200,000 yuan in startup capital , including platform fees, product samples, marketing and promotional expenses, and working capital.

Question: Can I do foreign trade if I don’t know English?

A: There are many translation tools and multilingual platforms available today that can overcome language barriers. Many platforms also offer language support services; Shopee, for example, even offers language translation services. 7 So language shouldn't be a barrier, but learning English or the language of your target market will definitely help in the long run.

Q: How to avoid risks in foreign trade?

Answer: First, you need to understand the laws, regulations and certification requirements of the target market; second, you need to carefully select partners and conduct transactions through formal channels; third, you need to purchase appropriate insurance; finally, you need to always pay attention to international situations and policy changes and adjust your business strategies in a timely manner.

Conclusion

The foreign trade industry is fiercely competitive but also rich in opportunities. In 2025, with the deepening integration of globalization and the digital economy, only companies that constantly adapt to changes and leverage new tools will remain invincible in international trade.

Hopefully, this article will help you avoid unnecessary detours on the foreign trade journey, quickly find the right order-taking platform for you, and achieve explosive business growth! Remember: platforms are just tools; the key is aligning your products with the platform's users. Mastering this will help even small companies find their place in the global market.