As e-commerce shopping booms, Canadians are making their way to online stores and many of them are choosing outside merchants. At least 70 percent of Canadians' purchases in 2015 were from merchants based outside the country because these online retailers often have better prices or provide goods not available in Canada.

China is one of the fastest-growing markets, and small business owners shouldn't be intimidated by perceived complexity around regulations or not being able to connect with a new culture and customer base. By thoughtfully making small changes to business and marketing methods as well as taking advantage of the myriad resources available, entrepreneurs can easily navigate these international waters.

There's a wake-up call for American digital marketers who aren't actively developing their international online markets. While there are many risks to taking your business online to other nations, the risk of not going global, or of waiting too long to make the move, almost certainly will be greater.