More and more Filipinos are embracing entrepreneurship, especially as it’s now much easier to join the ecommerce fold. And if you’re thinking more and more how to start an online business, below are more reasons to finally push for it.
It can be as easy as setting up a Facebook page to start selling products, or setting up shop in popular marketplaces like Lazada and Shopee to start your business. If you have the capital, you can build your ecommerce website and partner with 3PLs to handle your logistics.
Whatever path’s ahead of you, let us give you the best reasons start an online business.
Also read: How 3PLs Help Your Ecommerce Business Grow
The 3 Ds of ECommerce
Digital Momentum
Ecommerce continues to thrive due to a combination of evolving consumer behaviors, technological innovations and ongoing global market trends. The convenience of online shopping remains a primary driver, enabling consumers to browse and purchase products from the comfort of their homes or on-the-go through mobile devices.
Technological advancements, such as improved user interfaces, personalized recommendations and secure payment systems, enhance the overall online shopping experience.
The dynamic and adaptable nature of e-commerce, coupled with its ability to cater to a diverse range of consumer needs, contributes to its sustained growth in the contemporary marketplace.
Digital Solutions
With digital momentum comes digital solutions. Companies all over the country have seen the shift. They know that the Philippine market is ready to turn to digital platforms — from banking to buying groceries to paying bills and shopping for the things they used to buy from malls and physical stores.
Customers still rely on the convenience of online transactions, despite the return of malls and physical stores. Why go out of the house to wait through long lines when you can transfer payments through an app? Why drive all the way to the grocery, when you can have it delivered to your doorstep?
Discovery Commerce
Because of these major shifts, we entered a season of discovery commerce, which is a major contributor in changes in purchasing behavior.
If traditional purchasing meant people used to look for the products they wanted to buy, these days it’s the products finding the people through strategic and data-driven advertising.
People discover things they need or want to buy while browsing through their social media and favorite marketplaces.
Sabi nga nila, tell me what’s on your “suggested items” and I’ll tell you the kind of shopper you are because that’s the nature of targeted ads. It shadows your purchasing behavior and presents you with more options — products that may appeal to you and you’ll realize, “Hey, I do need that!”
With discovery commerce, it’s now easier to market your online shop. Create enticing ads and identify your target audience through Facebook ads marketing. Then you can sit back and let your products find your buyers.
How to start a business online: 4 important steps
So you see, the odds are in your favor if you want to launch that ecommerce business idea you’ve been dreaming about.
But the question remains: How to start a business — an ecommerce business, to be specific? Here are the three crucial steps.
Find out what’s selling
Do your research to find out what people need, what products are selling or trending.
Or you can try to find out how your online business can fill a gap in the market. How can you solve a problem with a product or service that is scarcely available or comes with a unique feature?
From here, it’s crucial to know exactly who you’re trying to sell to:
- Where will you find them (where do they shop?)?
- How are they buying (purchase behavior)?
- What are their interests (where can you place your ads?)?
Market your online business right
When you know who you need to sell to, it’ll be easier to decide where you should be: should you be on Facebook? Tiktok? Instagram? Chat Boxes? In their emails? This will depend on who you’re trying to reach.
Platform – There are 3 routes for business owners: create a website, partner with e-commerce platforms like Shopee or Lazada, or establish your brand through social media or chat.
Conversational Commerce – This trend is especially popular in the Philippines, where buyers like to chat with the people or businesses they want to buy from. Buyers use free messenger apps to ask questions about the products and even try to haggle. So consider installing a chatbot on your chosen platform.
Here’s our step-by-step guide on Creating Your Own Facebook Messenger Chatbot.
Business Page – As a pro-tip, sign up for a Facebook Business page instead of using your personal profile because the data you get is GOLD. With a business page, you get features specifically designed to help scale your business online. You’ll get insights on who visits your page, where they’re from, what people usually ask for, etc. This will help you target the right customers with your ads.
Ads spending – Invest in your business by putting out targeted ads. Create ads that resonate with your target audience and don’t be afraid to keep testing them to see what works. Start with a small budget (PhPh100 a day will do) or play around with a certain amount first, then once you find the ad that drives people your way, that’s when you can increase your ads budget.
Provide payment options
Ecommerce is booming because of how convenient it is to purchase and receive items, so make it easy for customers to pay for your products.
While COD is undoubtedly the most popular option, also consider payment gateways, e-wallets (Gcash, PayMaya, etc) and bank transfers. Filipinos are now getting comfortable with cashless transactions and not everyone may want to pay cash all the time.
Choose the right courier partner
Finally, when you’ve opened your business online and start selling, make sure you have a courier service that delivers your parcels fast and secure. More importantly, find a logistics provider that will easily adapt to your business’ changing needs.
Ninja Van’s VIP shipping account is not just a last-mile delivery service, we’ll help boost your ecommerce with the following perks:
- Dedicated Account Manager to assist with your shipping needs
- Exclusive shipping rates (based on volume)
- Fast COD remittances and low COD fees
- Earn points for every shipment to redeem rewards
- Reach more customers with our nationwide delivery
Ninja Van is your online business partner
As your online negosyo grows, Ninja Van will help you expand faster and streamline your operations with our one-stop logistics solutions — from inventory management to order fulfillment to last-mile delivery. No need to look for different partners, you can seamlessly scale up while leaving the logistics to us.
Start an online business right from the start by following our tips above and choosing Ninja Van.
