As the VC firm nears its 10th anniversary, East Ventures Partner Melisa Irene looked back into some of the most important milestones it has made

Entering the first decade since its launch in Indonesia, East Ventures Partner Melisa Irene sits down with e27 to discuss the most important milestones that the venture capital (VC) firm has made, especially in the past one year.

The firm was founded in 2010 with the goal to help propel Indonesia forward through the use of technology, and in 2018, it has seen what Irene described as “the accumulation” of all the things they have worked for.

“… We believe that we should begin by building the ecosystem as a supporting infrastructure. When we have managed to successfully build an infrastructure, we are going to enable other businesses to be built upon this existing infrastructure. That way we can make greater impact,” she explains.

Irene gives an example of Tokopedia which started out as an online marketplace that enables small- and medium-sized businesses to build an online presence, supported by features such as cashless payment, which is currently being provided by OVO.

In addition to building an ecosystem, East Ventures had also proven that it is able to grow a business “very fast” by solving “invisible problems” as done by their portfolio company Warung Pintar (a New Retail platform that works with street stalls or warung) and Fore (an on-demand coffee service).

In less than 1.5 years, Warung Pintar has worked with more than 1,000 warungs while Fore has operated 30 outlets in just six months.

Also Read: Ladies, tell us about your startup and win 5 FREE Echelon Asia Summit 2019 tickets!

“We also want to prove our recent learning that the time it takes for founders to innovate is getting shorter and shorter,” Irene says.

The firm was the investor behind some of the leading tech startups in Indonesia, including unicorns Tokopedia and Traveloka.

It has also seen exits such as the acquisition of O2O e-commerce platform Kudo by Southeast Asian ride-hailing giant Grab in 2017.

What’s trending in Indonesia?

For the future, East Ventures wants to continue on working to realise its vision to help Indonesia; it also aims to continue on seizing new opportunities in the market.

Some of the most exciting themes in the market currently include O2O (online-to-offline and vice versa) and New Retail.

“There will be more online-only services acquiring their customers through offline means; it has started to make sense as online means have begun to get too costly,” Irene points out.

Also Read: Ladies, share this article and win tickets to Echelon Asia Summit 2019!

Irene also believes that certain aspects of logistics industry has called for new innovation.

“Players will go beyond last-mile delivery; they will also touch the distribution process as a whole, including from its back-end,” she explains.

Businesses will also continue on building upon the existing infrastructure, which Irene sees as a great news as companies “can now focus on their creativity in innovating a certain industry.”

“For example, with Fore, we don’t build our own e-commerce platform. We also don’t build our own fleet or marketing agency. We simply innovate how people consume coffee by utilising the existing ecosystem, using services such as Moka POS or Go-Food,” she further elaborates.

“From the perspective of big data, this can also be really attractive … It is able to provide feedback to business players on which industry to enter. In the end, we will have a clearer mapping of our whole ecosystem and it will enable us to make progress faster,” she adds.

Also Read: How Nurul Hussain’s Codette Project helps Muslim women get into tech and be successful

Another exciting change that is set to happen in 2019 is that many light-asset companies are going to make a move to become more heavy-asset. While a greater prospect for IPO is never guaranteed, Irene sees that these changes will open more opportunities for exit through IPO.

“We need to consider timing, but the door is opened more widely,” she closes.

—

Don’t miss Melisa Irene at Echelon Asia Summit 2019! Get your tickets at US$10 here.

Image Credit: East Ventures

The post A decade of innovation: How East Ventures is building Indonesian tech ecosystem from the ground up appeared first on e27.

80 per cent of Singaporeans use the internet every day, and the online market is growing steadily

According to Statista.com, by 2021, e-commerce shares in retail sales worldwide would have reached a staggering 17.5 per cent, growing from 10.2 per cent in 2017.

E-commerce penetrates markets all over the world, and buying online is becoming a common routine. In most countries, you can easily purchase clothes, order food or book tickets with your smartphone.

In this article, we will talk about the dropshipping business model, its features and dropshipping in Singapore.

Dropshipping vs traditional retail

Dropshipping is a form of retail business that became popular with the development of the internet and e-commerce.

In the traditional retail model, an entrepreneur buys products from a wholesaler or manufacturer, stocks them in a warehouse and then resells them to a customer.

Also Read: ClauseMatch commences APAC operations with new Singapore office

Although this scheme is a thousand years old, it has quite distinct drawbacks.

The owner of a store has to keep products in stock which causes additional expenses like renting a warehouse and increase in prices to compensate these expenses.

But the worst part of traditional retail is that you can never accurately predict the demand for your goods.

Since entrepreneurs purchase products beforehand, being unable to sell them means failed investment.

The dropshipping model implies shipping products directly from manufacturer/wholesaler to clients with the retailer serving as a mediator taking care of promotion and customer service.

This results in a number of strategic advantages:

1. The entrepreneur purchases products from the wholesaler/manufacturer only after receiving an order from a customer. It means there’s no need to predict demand fluctuations: if customers lose interest in the given goods, the entrepreneur simply stops ordering them from the wholesaler.

2. Since products are sent directly to customers, there’s no need to rent a warehouse, which saves you money, time and effort.

3. For the same reason, it is possible to do dropshipping business online. An entrepreneur can create a web store using the information and media from the wholesaler, but doesn’t need to have a real stock of goods.

4. Since a potential owner of a dropshipping business doesn’t have to invest in bulk purchase and warehouse, it is possible to start this business with a relatively little budget. As a result, almost anyone can use this model and even try it as an additional source of income without quitting their main job.

However, this model has a number of drawbacks as well:

• It is usually the dropshipping store owners who takes care of clients’ complaints and refunds.
• In this business, errors in shipment and inventory issues are a common problem.
• Since entrepreneurs can’t even see the products they sell, they have no control over their quality. Same goes for quality and speed of delivery.

Still, despite these disadvantages, a lot of people find this model quite profitable.

Why do you need to start dropshipping in Singapore?

Dropshipping requires only a computer and an internet connection, so one can dropship from anywhere in the world.

Also Read: Singaporean fintech Hydra X partners with Chicago-based Seed CX

However, the choice of sale markets depend on many factors like the demand for the products within the given niche, the purchasing power of the population, the frequency of online deals in the given country and the availability of free shipment.

Thus, this is what makes Singapore a good candidate for dropshipping:

• According to Eshopworld.com, by 2021, the number of e-commerce users in Singapore will reach 4.1 million, with each spending online an average of US$1234.
• According to Statista.com, e-commerce user penetration in Singaporean retail equals to 69.6 per cent and by 2023 will reach 73.2 per cent.
• According to Hashmeta.com, 70 per cent of Singaporeans are active social media users, which is an important statistic for e-commerce.
• Due to the high costs of living and high prices, online stores importing goods from ‘cheaper’ countries (mostly from China) can easily compete with local retailers.
• Most online stores (including dropshipping ones) use the English language which is one of the official languages in Singapore.
• While there are big companies using dropshipping business model, individual entrepreneurs can open online dropshipping stores too. It’s become a common practice to order products from popular wholesaler platforms such as Salehoo, Amazon and AliExpress.

About 80 per cent of Singaporeans use the internet every day, and the online market is growing steadily. In fact, the e-commerce industry in Singapore is expected to be worth US$5.4 billion by 2025.

—

e27 publishes relevant guest contributions from the community. Share your honest opinions and expert knowledge by submitting your content here.

The post Why you should start dropshipping from Singapore appeared first on e27.

Plus, Alibaba buys Israeli AR company and Dathena raises funding

Vietnamese social influencer startup raises “seven-digit” Series A — [e27]</h3

Hiip, a startup offering an automated influencer platform to help brands and advertisers connect with social influencers in Vietnam and Thailand, has secured a “7-digit Series A round” led by Thai VC firm Vnet Capital.

Japan Strategic Capital, Tokyo-listed marketing technology company Rentracks and Singapore-based Vulpes Investment Management have also joined the round.

Launched in April 2016, Hiip is an online platform to help connect brands, advertisers directly with the appropriate impact on the first social network in Vietnam and Thailand. Using AI and Big Data technologies, the platform helps brands and advertisers to reach target customers, build brand reputation and increase sales by connecting directly with a network of thousands of influencers to promote products product, service or specific campaigns.

Taiwan vacation rental startup AsiaYo expands to Singapore and Malaysia — [Press Release]

AsiaYo, a travel startup that recently raised US$7 million from Alibaba Taiwan Entrepreneurs Fund and China Development Financial, announced today plans to expand to Singapore and Malaysia. In Southeast Asia, the company already has a presence in Thailand.

The company will launch their service in Singapore and Malaysia during the second quarter of 2019. It also plans to expand to Japan in H2 2019.

AsiaYo is a vacation rental platform based in Taiwan that claims to have over 60,000 listings across Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Thailand.

Alibaba buys Infinity Augmented Reality, an Israel VR company — [TechCrunch]

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has bought Infinity Augmented Reality, an Israeli startup focussed on virtual reality, according to TechCrunch.

Alibaba had led Infinity’s Series C funding round in 2016 and has worked with the company on numerous projects since that time.

The company has built a platform that makes it easier for companies to integrate augmented and virtual reality into their apps. As part of the deal, Infinity’s R&D team will work out of Alibaba’s Israel Machine Laboratory based in Tel Aviv.

Singapore AI data protection startup raises funding — [e27]

Singapore-based Dathena, an AI-based data protection and privacy management platform, has announced the closing of a funding round led by MS&AD Ventures Inc. Participating in the round are existing investors CerraCap Ventures and Demetis.

Dathena said it will use the funding to support the global deployment of new customers. Later this year, the company plans to have another funding round to enable further scaling.

Singtel appoints McKinsey veteran to board — [Press Release]

The Singaporean telco Singtel announced today it has appointed Dominic Barton as an Independent Director of the company Board, effective immediately. The news brings the total number of people on the Singtel board to 12.

Barton has a long history at McKinsey and worked as the Global Managing Partner for nine years. He also is the Chair of the Board for Teck Resources, a Canadian mining company.

“The diversity of his experience will be invaluable as Singtel’s digital transformation takes the Group into businesses and partnerships that cut across multiple industries. I’m delighted to welcome Dominic to the Singtel board,” said Singtel Chairman Simon Israel in a statement.

—

Photo by Gian Cescon on Unsplash

The post Today’s top tech news, March 25: Hiip nabs Series A and AsiaYo expands to Southeast Asia appeared first on e27.

The home maintenance service joins forces with OrangeTee & Tie to let property agents and clients book housekeeping services

Home service platform Helpling announces that it will be integrated into Singaporean OrangeTee & Tie’s property agents app to bring housekeeping services booking to agents and their clients.

With this partnership, Helpling will have access to a network of over 4,200 property agents who are on board to provide on-demand home services in Singapore. OrangeTee & Tie’s agents can now book professional housekeepers to clean the property before presentation through the Helpling platform using the Agent App.

Besides booking cleaners, agents can also refer their clients to Helpling.

Coining the integration as “Services 4.0 technologies”, the app will provide cloud-native applications to accelerate their digital transformation and deliver better customer experience.

“It is important that our agents are provided with a seamless experience of booking home cleaning services for their clients. This strategic partnership with Helpling will help OrangeTee
& Tie agents provide personalised services via our app and it will definitely add value along the whole customer journey,” said Steven Tan, Managing Director of OrangeTee & Tie.

Also Read: In fintech, Asia is giving the West a run for its money: Alex Manson of Standard Chartered’s investment arm

James Lim, Managing Director (Asia-Pacific) of Helpling, said, “Having a clean home at a
house viewing is key to making or breaking a deal. The pairing with OrangeTee & Tie will give new impetus to Helpling’s mission of delivering hotel-grade housekeeping to households islandwide.”

All OrangeTee & Tie agents and their clients will get to enjoy US$20 off their first cleaning as part of the launch.

–

Photo by Volha Flaxeco on Unsplash

The post Helpling partners with Singaporean real estate agency OrangeTee & Tie for house cleaning service appeared first on e27.

The project aims to create a sustainable economic impact by providing minority women with awareness and access to the tech industry

There are quite a few initiatives aimed at empowering women and providing them with various opportunities, globally. But there are not many that are specifically aimed at Muslim women, who are under-represented in many industries.

Can technology help bring in a change?

“Yes,” believes Nurul Jihadah Hussain, Founder of The Codette Project.

Launched in December 2015, The Codette Project is a non-profit ground-up initiative with a mission to get more minority women in Singapore into technology by building an ecosystem of support, skills training and access. The project aims to have a sustainable economic impact through providing minority women with awareness and access to the tech industry.

Ladies, tell us about your startup and win 5 FREE Echelon Asia Summit 2019 tickets!

It mainly focuses on three aspects:

1. Skills-building through workshops, hackathons and classes
2. Story- shaping to reclaim the narrative of minority/Muslim women in tech via traditional and social media outreach
3. Community creation through providing a platform for minority/ Muslim women to come together

“The Codette Project is providing better access and opportunity for minority/Muslim women to get into the tech industry, as well as building an ecosystem around success for minority/Muslim women. We are founded on the belief that minority/Muslim women deserve success and that tech will help them get there,” Nurul, who is also a Fellow in the inaugural Facebook Community Leadership Programme, tells e27.

The Codette Project is aimed not just at underprivileged women, but all minority/Muslim women, no matter their background. Up to 20 per cent of their attendees are non-minority/Muslim women.

The team conducts regular three-hour workshops covering a wide variety of topics, ranging from resume building, coding, data analysis all the way to UX design. Last July, it also ran Singapore’s first women-only hackathon, called Tech for Good, which aimed to create a safe space for women of all backgrounds (regardless of tech experience) to come together and create innovative tech solutions to address various societal issues,” she says.

So far, initiative has helped around 1,000 women, with more than 500 people attending in 2017-2018 alone.

“Muslim women are incredibly motivated, smart and creative. So many more things can be done to provide concrete support, sponsorship and funding for Muslim women that we need to achieve the equality in social and economic capital that we deserve. The Codette Project has created a supportive environment that is focused on collaboration and empowerment to encourage women to achieve the success that they deserve,” Nurul, an MBA from the Singapore Management University, adds.

According to Nurul, one of the key issues that still remains is that there are still too many areas where there isn’t any female representation. For example, on panels, especially tech panels, there are still too many that do not have any women, or even if they do, they only include women of a specific background. “We believe that true diversity means ensuring that everyone has a chance, a voice and a seat at the table,” she observes.

Anastasia Pavlovic, Co-Lead (Events and Partnerships), The Codette Project, says while it’s typically difficult for women to enter the field, it can be incredibly difficult for women of minority/Muslim backgrounds to do the same, given the underrepresentation of minority/Muslim women. “We hope to unlock the potential that minority/Muslim women hold to enter the industry, providing workshops focusing on tech topics, panels to showcase the success stories in the community, as well as encourage more diverse perspectives to improve our world.”

Attiya Ashraf, Research Lead for The Codette Project, believes that empowerment also comes through highlighting the minority/Muslim women who are making their mark in the tech industry — by giving them a platform to share their works and experiences. It is an indication to minority/Muslim women that success does not take the shape of a particular gender or ethnicity, and it is within their reach, she says. “Why I feel very strongly for the movement is because as compared to other industries, tech is something that people can learn relatively independently, which makes the barriers to entry into the industry quite low. The tech industry is therefore a potential way in which minority/Muslim women can attain economic empowerment.”

Asked if the team has plans to take the initiative to South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, where Muslim women are facing many challenges?

Also Read: In fintech, Asia is giving the West a run for its money: Alex Manson of Standard Chartered’s investment arm

“There are quite a lot of local programmes for women in South Asia, such as FemProw (Pakistan) and Mumpreneurs India, which I think need to be recognized and supported a lot more, especially as these are ground-up movements with local female leaders. We don’t have any plans at the moment to expand our workshops internationally but even if we did, we wouldn’t enter these countries as competitors. We would want to work as collaborators with our sister organisations, who are working for similar causes. We really believe in empowering women to do what they choose to do rather than telling women what they should do — women get quite enough of that already,” says Nurul.

Although The Codette Project has been backed by Mendaki, National Youth Council, and Facebook, Nurul says the project’s major challenge has always been financial sustainability, as most classes are free and rental costs for event spaces are high in crowded Singapore.

How is your Facebook experience helping you in the project? “There has been a lot of learning from Facebook about how to better build communities as well as how to be a better leader. Being able to connect and learn from community leaders from all around the world has been an incredible experience,” shares Nurul.

“Facebook’s recognition has meant a lot to us, as we kept hearing that we were a niche cause, and there were a lot of doubts locally as to the impact of what we do. Being recognised by Facebook has really opened doors because Facebook was willing to recognise us on a global stage, recognise why the work we do is important, and they’ve given us the support that we need to keep doing it,” Nurul adds, wrapping up the interview.

—

(Don’t miss Nurul Jihadah Hussain at Echelon Asia Summit 2019! Get your tickets at US$10 here).

The post How Nurul Hussain’s Codette Project helps Muslim women get into tech and be successful appeared first on e27.

The program will be called SCA-TAP, aimed at startups focussing on the supply chain and logistics industry

Supply Chain Asia (SCA), a non-profit professional body dedicated for logistics and supply chain industry people, announced the launch of Singapore’s first Tech Accelerator Program or SCA-TAP. SCA said that it looks to spur innovation and create technology-driven solutions to accelerate the industry’s startup ecosystem.

As the appointed Startup SG Accelerator under the Startup SG program managed by Enterprise Singapore, SCA will open SCA-TAP for companies less than five years old to test new logistics and supply chain applications.

It will include the test-bedding of innovations for faster, more flexible, and more ecologically-sound logistics and supply chain of the future and showcasing the latest industry innovation in Singapore and Asia.

“SCA-TAP will be a unique platform for the industry here in Singapore and Asia, whereby new solutions and technologies from corporations, startups and even individual professionals can set up their solutions in a controlled operating environment. The vision is to create synergistic networks for new ideas and accelerate their development from prototype to actual implementation,” said Paul Lim, founder and President of SCA.

TAP-partners will be able to expand its network through participation in SCA’s curated events hosted throughout the year.

Also Read: In fintech, Asia is giving the West a run for its money: Alex Manson of Standard Chartered’s investment arm

SCA shared that an upcoming event would be the Innovation Day on May 17, which will be held at the Trade Association Hub to be the platform that will showcase emerging tech solutions that include: Autonomous Robotics, Industrial IoT and Sensors, AI-application systems and use of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality solutions for businesses.

Furthermore, SCA detailed on the plans to provide various avenues to showcase and promote startups who have become a TAP-partner, that would include SCA Community Hub Café as a venue to promote their services on location, and the SCA Forum to showcase their solutions and services, as well as to participate in the Accelerator Pitch to get nominated with a presentation slot at the Accelerator Forum.
–

Photo by Mael BALLAND on Unsplash

The post Non-profit organisation Supply Chain Asia to launch tech accelerator program appeared first on e27.

You snooze you lose

Social media has evolved from being a trending platform to a must-have for businesses.

Businesses can interact directly with customers, unlike one-sided traditional marketing endeavours.

Here is how the top brands market themselves on social media.

Choosing the right platform

Companies have an array of platforms which they can choose from.

For instance, they have Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. However, the key here is to find out which platform is used most by your target audience.

Top companies identify such platforms in the very beginning and then promote their brand with the right strategies.

Focusing on engagement

Social media is also about engagement! The right kind of content can help you connect with customers and create a positive brand image among them.

Having a social media profile is not the end of it. It is also crucial to keep interacting with customers on a regular basis.

Also Read: This Filipino startup turns your traffic stress into money

Post things that would actually intrigue people and participate in the forums as well as discussions. Like and comment on your customer’s posts and respond to their comments promptly.

It is important to note that social media marketing has a lot of potential in bringing in invaluable clientele. In fact, it is the face of your business.

Make sure you invest in maintaining a strong social media presence which is not only engaging but also shows expertise.

Keeping it simple

Gone are the days when brands had to over-promote their services. Talking only about your products and services is a recipe for disaster.

Successful companies always keep their social media pages focused on customers. Their posts revolve around the needs and pain points of the audience.

Some also follow the one-in-seven rule which means having one promotional post for every six general posts. Trying to sell your products/services aggressively on social platforms can even make people unfollow your page.

It is always a good idea to keep the posts generic and relevant to the industry. You can share the offers and discounts or the latest announcements regarding the products.

Giving away free promotional items is also a great idea.

Resolving issues on social platforms

Social media has become a platform for sharing feedback too.

Some customers might not be happy with your offerings and would end up commenting on your posts. It is highly important to catch any such issue before they escalate.

Engage with the person on your social media page and apologize to them publicly. This shows that your brand really cares about the customer issues and that you are responsible for your products and services.

Also Read: Bangkok TOP100 champion is bringing smiles across Thailand

Things cannot always be perfect and companies might face certain hurdles while serving customers. However, keeping a tab on all your social media platforms will help maintain a positive brand image.

Even if you have excellent quality service, you might end up losing potential customers if you don’t check social media.

Providing value

This is perhaps the most important way by which companies promote their services and products.

Creating something which audiences will find useful is the first step to gaining their trust.

When you share content which is actually meaningful and full of information, you are viewed as an expert by your audience. This attracts the right type of customers who would actually avail the services you have to offer. It is also a great way of retaining current customers.

Big companies and brands focus on creating value which brings customers automatically. Simply promoting the products and talking about your offerings is not helpful.

Thus, you too can build a good community with potential customers through social media.

Just make sure to engage them with meaningful content and share free business promotional items that will introduce them to your brand.

Keep the strategy customer-centric instead of being overly promotional. Interact with customers regularly and always address all their concerns promptly.

—

e27 publishes relevant guest contributions from the community. Share your honest opinions and expert knowledge by submitting your content here.

The post Social media isn’t child’s play, it’s a vital marketing tool appeared first on e27.

Jojo is a delivery app that connects those who want to send their shipments with transporters already heading towards the direction of the package

It is extremely stressful to sit and spend our precious time inside the car, or even public transport, while stuck in road traffic. All along the journey, we keep cursing the governments and their short-sighted policies for the traffic mess (after all, what else can we do in the middle of the streets?).

However, people in the Philippines, especially those living in Manila and Metro Manila, are long used to it. They have adjusted their lifestyle to the every day traffic situation (during peak hours, it takes an average of one and a half hours to cover even a relatively short distance of 10 kilometres inside the city).

A group of smart entrepreneurs found a way to convert this traffic snarl into a money-making business — not just for itself, but for commuters, too. In the process, it converts every commuter in the city into entrepreneurs.

“An average Filipino spends one hour and six minutes on the road each day, wasting 16 days of their precious time per year. If I earned for every kilometre spent in horrible traffic during my daily commute, that would have made it much more bearable, not to mention profitable,” says Jay Fajardo, Chief Strategy Officer of Jojo, a courier crowdshipping app that helps commuters/motorists earn additional income.

Jojo calls itself a ‘Pasabay’ delivery app that connects those who want to send their packages/shipments (documents you need ASAP and items you shop for and want to be delivered the same day) with transporters already heading towards the direction of the package (‘Pasabay’ in local lingo means ‘ride with you’).

As a customer, you don’t need to clear your schedule just to send a package. When you make the booking, the Jojo transporter can meet you at the location of your choice and convenience. As long as your legal package fits within the standard large backpack, you can send it to anywhere in Metro Manila. With Jojo’s advanced GPS tracking system, you’ll get the exact location of your package at a single click.

“For senders, we ensure fast and secure shipping with real-time tracking features, and an access to a verified pool of transporters, whereas for Transporters, we are providing a convenient side-gig since they are delivering items on the way anyway,” says Fajardo.

“With traffic congestion getting worse, daily commuters are actually an invisible and untapped logistics and supply chain that can be used to help aid the growing and thriving e-commerce industry. It’s a more efficient and sustainable way to ship,” according to Eunice San Miguel, Marketing Manager of Jojo.

During the testing period, items can be delivered in as fast as 45 minutes within Metro Manila through a motorcycle, claims the company. “However, we cannot specify the time due to changing traffic conditions but what we guarantee is same-day delivery,” says Fajardo.

The platform will also allow the sender to be able to choose among three modes of transportation: commuter, motorcycle, and vehicle. The commuter might be the slowest due to traffic conditions but it is the cheapest. Motorcycle is mid-priced and is the fastest. Vehicles are the most expensive but it can carry a bigger load. So it really depends on what the sender needs, and the platform has the flexibility to address that, says the startup.

In the event that the recipient is unavailable to receive the package, two things can be done: He/she may give the 4-digit code to the person who will receive the package on his/her behalf. From there, this will be given to the transporter, who will end the transaction. If no one is available to receive, the package will be sent to Jojo’s headquarters in Makati and succeeding dispatch will be in the account of the sender/recipient.

Also Read: Breaking down how Grab is doubling-down on its financial product

The shipping starts at Php99 for the first three kms, and then at Php8 for every additional kilometre.

Delivery guaranteed

According to Jojo, transporter applicants are properly vetted before they become verified transporters. To be a transporter, he/she must submit two government IDs (one of which should be the driver’s license if planning to transport using a motorcycle). Likewise, he/she must submit an updated National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) /police clearance, or CR of the motor vehicle, sketch of permanent residence and authorisation letter of the motor vehicle, if not owned.

The transporter must also attend a seminar/briefing on requirements, rights, duties and obligations of a transporter to be scheduled by Jojo from time to time. Failure to attend will result in not being admitted, suspended or deactivated as a transporter.

“We do this rigorous procedure to ensure that items will be in the secured hands of a Jojo transporter. During the app usage, the sender will also see a photo of the Jojo transporter, as well as his/her rating. The sender will also be able to track the transporter during the transaction through our real-time GPS tracking,” Fajardo elaborates.

The company has also employed a mechanism to ensure it doesn’t transport illegal/contraband items. “Jojo transporters are independent contractors and are aware of their responsibility to diligently check items to be delivered. The transporter may refuse to pick up and/or deliver the goods that are not packed in his/her presence, or when the sender (or the person handing the goods to Jojo) refuses to open the packaging for inspection,” he clarifies.

The company is also particular about data protection, as it only keeps a minimum amount of information of senders/transporters required to be able to deliver the needed transaction. There’s also no third party sharing of information.

Jojo aims to clock 18,000 downloads during the first month of operations.

Growing e-commerce

E-commerce is growing steadily in the Philippines with a revenue of US$840 million in 2018 and is growing at an average of 12 per cent a year. This has paved the way for shipping and fulfilment companies to enter and serve this market need.

However, despite the growth in the country’s logistics industry, overall customer satisfaction remains low. “With a crowdshipping model, Jojo will answer the consumer pain points on reliability (available supply of transporters) and time/speed since we are tapping transporters who are heading to your package’s drop-off point already,” Miguel explains.

Also Read: The Philippines rejects Go-Jek’s appeal for ride-hailing licence

However, certain challenges remain, adds Miguel. “As it is with any two-sided marketplace, the biggest challenge is to balance the two user segments — our senders and transporters. We have to make sure that the needs of both segments are fulfilled: the senders to have a steady access to a pool of transporters, and for our transporters, that there are enough senders to make them stay with the platform.”

How Jojo aims to differentiate itself from other courier apps like Grab Express and Lalamove?

“Jojo is a crowdshipping platform. We allow everyday people who are commuters to become your transporters. Also, since transporters are on their way with point-to-point delivery, item arrives fast and transporters have the ability to cover last-mile, even inner barangays,” says Fajardo.

Jojo is one of Metro Manila-based First Shoshin Solutions’s projects, a tech startup which aims to develop platforms to address everyday concerns. Bootstrapped so far, the company has plans to raise funds eventually to be able to scale the product.

The post This Filipino startup turns your traffic stress into money appeared first on e27.

The Myanmar-based Royal Golden Owls Co Ltd (RGO) operates online e-commerce marketplace rgo47

Royal Golden Owls Co Ltd (RGO), the parent company of online e-commerce marketplace rgo47, announced yesterday that it has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from Daiwa PI Partners, a subsidiary of Daiwa Securities Group Inc. For Daiwa PI Partners, this will be the fifth private equity deal, as reported by Deal Street Asia.

Also Read: Meet the 11 female-founded startups of Simona Accelerator first batch

The funding will be used for further expansion of the e-commerce marketplace business. DPI will also hold a board seat in RGO.

rgo47 was established in 2013 and currently is helmed by CEO Win Nander Thyke. The platform focusses on lifestyle and fashion products and it is said to have a network coverage across 230 cities in Myanmar.

Kazuyoshi Mizukoshi, managing director of the International Investment Department of Daiwa PI Partners Co Ltd mentioned that the organisation much more focusses on investment opportunities in the area of communications, finance, online business, and consumer space.

“We are much more focused on emerging countries like Myanmar and Vietnam than developed countries like Singapore or Hong Kong that are already developed, For us, it is more interesting,“ said Mizukoshi.

Also Read: This Filipino startup turns your traffic stress into money

Daiwa PI Partners is said to be able to invest or give debt up to US$100 million per deal (and above upon consideration) mainly in Japan and other Asian countries for both equity and quasi-equity investment.
–

The post E-commerce marketplace rgo47 secures funding from Daiwa PI Partners appeared first on e27.

It’s time to stop cheating on your loyal customers

An e-commerce marketer or entrepreneur always looks for how to drive more traffic and sales for their business.

They get many pieces of advice from people on how to double their e-commerce sales or how to get more traffic to their store, but most of it is generic, and in many cases, outdated.

In this article, I want to avoid the obvious or — let’s say the general type of advice — and share some of the more advanced strategies that most of the successful e-commerce businesses are already using to gain competitive advantage.

Well, I’m not saying that all of these strategies will help everyone, but I hope you’ll get some good ideas and can experiment the same.

Here are some of the tips which might help you to get more traffic and sales to your store.

1. Target existing customers

Many times we tend to forget our existing customers, who are our happy buyers and a significant loss for us to ignore them.

Many online stores think that they don’t have enough customers when their business has trouble ‘growing up’.

This is the most common misconception, so don’t jump into conclusions. Instead of focusing on getting new customers, you should think about how to go ahead with customer retention and plan your strategy accordingly.

Repeating customers are the reason for generating 40 per cent of your store’s revenue.

Loyal or say repeating customers add more items to their shopping carts, generate more revenue each time they visit your site and have a higher conversion rate compared to new customers who are yet to purchase from your website.

Although I concede that it is a necessity for your business to get new customers, that’s a more expensive marketing strategy. In fact, going after your existing customer base is much more cost efficient.

Why? Because these people are familiar with your brand, and there’s no learning curve. So focus on improving their experience.

2. Use video demonstration

We all love to see videos, and if you do a video demonstration of your products on your e-commerce site, it’s more likely that the visitors might convert into buyers.

Many experts have talked about the importance of video demonstration and that it gives a better ROI than other marketing tactics.

According to a survey, 84 per cent of customers have been convinced to purchase after watching a brand’s or product’s video. This creates an increase in visitors and interest in what you are trying to sell.

Also Read: Bangkok TOP100 champion is bringing smiles across Thailand

As videos resonate more with people, it is likely that they’ll remember what they saw as opposed to just reading about it.

Listing is one thing, but showing customers how the product will work through video demonstration is much more effective.

This strategy wouldn’t work for all products though. For example, if you are selling underwear, you can’t possible show how to put them on.

3. Trustworthy display icons

Nobody will want to buy from your site if the icons on your website appear sketchy. So the most important thing to do is make sure your e-commerce website is secured.

These days cybersecurity is one of the primary concern for shoppers, so having a trust seal on your online store will give the customers a sigh of relief when buying from your website.

These icons prove that your site is fully secured and has a secure payment method indicating the safety concerns of buyers. Any potential hacker will not breach your personal data.

Here are some of the popular choices.

Information security is a top priority for online shoppers. If you are confused about what to do to prove that your website is trustworthy, just proudly display the security badges that your website uses.

4. Make sure the website is mobile friendly

As the use of smartphones is increasing nowadays, buyers are now frequently using their mobile devices to shop online.

According to statista, by 2021 more than half of the online sales are expected to happen on mobile devices.

Google strongly recommends developing mobile-friendly websites due to the increase in smartphone users. Google prioritises indexing mobile-friendly content giving those websites ranking benefits in the SERP.

The reason why Google gives high priority to mobile friendly sites is that just in the past six months, 62 per cent of smartphone users have made a purchase online using their mobile device.

5. Offer discounts on various occasions

Offering discounts to your customers is one of the best ways to boost customer loyalty. This sounds simple, but many companies are not offering discounts to their customers.

If you are worried about the profit margins, then use marketing strategies like giving out free shipping after purchasing a certain amount.

It’s that simple, and you won’t have to worry about the profits margins.

Petflow uses a strategy to create personalized urgency offers that is irresistible for a user. Have a look.

6. FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)

Create a sense of urgency while selling products on your e-commerce site. This will get your buyers to act fast instead of buying on a later date (which they hardly do).

Also Read: Social media isn’t child’s play, it’s a vital marketing tool

Inform your customers that you have limited items remaining and hence they should not be left behind.

The best example of FOMO I can give you is that of airlines. They do this all the time.

Here they have shown two lowest prices in economy class and have kept only five seats remaining. This strategy can get most people to make an impulsive buying decision.

This creates a fear of people’s mind that if you don’t buy it now, you’ll end up paying more money later.

7. Accept different payment options

So, your business only accepts Visa. What about people using MasterCard? Or PayPal? Or Amex? Or COD?

You have to give multiple payment options to the people for the products and services that your business has to offer.

If you are accepting only Visa or MasterCard, then you might lose many potential customers. You can even add Apple Pay as a payment option which is growing now in popularity.

By offering multiple options, you’re making it easier for customers to give you their money.

It can be difficult to optimise your site to include all these options, but doing so will be a great way to increase online sales.

Over to you

If your sales are stagnant or starting to slow down, then it’s time for you to come out with some new marketing strategies for the products and services of your e-commerce site.

Rather than trying to get new customers, focus on marketing efforts for your existing customers.

Don’t forget the importance of mobile users. At least, make sure that your website is optimised for mobile devices. If you want to go an extra mile, consider having a mobile application.

Also, don’t forget to promote your top selling products.

Now you have a list of tips which can help you generate more traffic and sales to your e-commerce business. Good luck!

—

Image Credits: wavebreakmediamicro

e27 publishes relevant guest contributions from the community. Share your honest opinions and expert knowledge by submitting your content here.

The post Doubling your e-commerce sales the non-generic way appeared first on e27.