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Should I take my business online?

Online Business

As of mid-2014, out of a population of 100 million, Pinoy internet users is now at 38 million, according to the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP). Also, last year’s stats show that Pinoys use social media platforms on an average of 53 hours a week – 11 hours more than the 42 hour global average. The Philippines has remained the Social Media Capital of the World and now that we’re a couple and a half months past 2015, these numbers have grown, notwithstanding the state of our local internet connection.

With that, do you think your brick and mortar store could survive without an online presence? Not in today’s digital world, it won’t. And apart from aforementioned statistical reasons of why small business owners should take their buy and sell businesses online, we’ve also listed down some of the benefits we can think of to help you make a choice:

Zero to Minimal Costs

The startup costs for setting up an online retail store is way more affordable than building (or maintaining) a brick and mortar shop. There’s no upfront payment for space rental, electricity bills, or employees. Some people just hire an IT professional to help in building their websites or, in an online marketplace such as Sulit.ph, you don’t even need an IT person. You can simply sign up for a seller account, upload your products to your seller profile page and you’re done.

Wider Customer Base

Whether you have an existing shop or you’re starting from scratch, having a solid online presence for your brand makes it easier to implement a working marketing strategy. A simple share or a retweet or reblog is enough to reach hundreds to thousands of customers looking for your products online.

Operate from ANYWHERE, ANYTIME

And when we say anywhere, we mean anywhere. E-commerce websites and online marketplaces help transcend the geographical limitations you’re normally faced with in an office-based business. All you need to have is access to the internet, your emails, and your phone and you can basically run your e-commerce business whether you’re stuck in traffic or flying off to Boracay or waiting to pick your kids up from school.

Measurability

Using various analytics tools, it’s easier for business owners to track the statistics of their e-commerce brands. You can check out the total revenue your website has gained, cart abandonment rate, which products are being looked at more by your customers, their shopping patterns, etc. Plus, with the ability to track where your website traffic is coming from, you can definitely predict which dates and days is it more advisable to promote a new product or test the market for a new one.

Learn more how to catch the Pinoy buyer’s heart with Sulit Shopping 2015 – What Digital Marketers Need to Know. And don’t forget to sign up and claim your brand name on Sulit before someone else does!