Week 4: E-commerce

SHOPPING?

 

 

 

 

 

 

true story, bruh.
 
Shopping at brick and mortar store no longer appeal to most people. In the comfort of our own home, we can go shopping anytime we want. 24/7 shopping? No problem. Just add the products to your cart, pay and you are ready to go at any time of the day.

 Perks of online shopping?

1) Better price
Easily browse through dozens of different websites to find the best price within your budget.You can do the same at a mall, but it would take super long and it's taxing.

2) Variety
Since a store space is limited, you would not find the array of items exactly from online site at the store.

3) Convenience
Do I still have to say? 24/7 shopping. Period.

4) Discreet shopping
Value privacy? Don't want judgmental stares when you are purchasing things like...lingerie? Yup, turn to online shopping.

5) Fewer traps
Aka persuasion techniques from salesperson who will try to persuade you to buy more and make u freak out? No such things in the online world.

(source)

There are several types of e-commernce relationship, and I will touch on Carousell which uses Consumer to Consumer (C2C) model and mobile commerce. 

Basic information about Carousell: A singapore startup launched in 2012, that has developed a mobile app for consumers to buy and sell things. The tagline: "Snap-Sell, Chat-Buy". Simple to understand and follow. 

Did You Know?
- the average active Carousell user spends about 21 minutes a day browsing the app, which is comparable to Instagram.
- A popular tumblr blog, http://carouhell.tumblr.com (promise you will crack up) that specially set up to poke fun at users who mostly asked brainless questions and experiences that the users encounter. Too hilarious. Wish I could post my carouhell experiences too. 
- Carousell managed to raise a startup of US$6 million initially led by Sequoia Capital where the money would be used to further improve their mobile app and to expand to other Asia countries.
- The startup says its growth has been organic, with “practically no marketing” spent to make it a top app of its kind in the region. Which means Carousell hardly spent money to promote the app and yet it is able to turn into such a widely used and popular app in Singapore.
- Users can leave a feedback after every transaction which allow other buyers to assess the credibility of the sellers.

There are several categories to choose from, caters to young, old, female and male audiences. I used to sell my preloved (clothes I worn 1-2 times) for extra cash and also, to clear my wardrobe at the same time. Talk about killing two birds with one stone. After some time, I realized I do enjoyed selling clothes.

Hence, I wanted to set up a shop using this platform, I did my homework, managed to get a supplier and got myself into the world of e-commerce as a seller. I wasn't sure I would make profits which is why I decided to sell on Carousell instead. Currently, I am still running the "shop" and every now and then, I would get keen buyers. Being reputable and credible are essential for any business which is why I am trying to build up my own feedback section so that buyers are able to use that as reference and assess my credibility too. I am really glad I get to experience the feeling of running my online shop all thanks to Carousell. 

Week 3: Social Networking

Social media platforms had indeed taken over the world by storm and I am not alarmed to learn that companies are jumping on the bandwagon of social networking on various platforms.

So what is SOCIAL NETWORKING? 

"Social networking is the practice of expanding the number of one's business and/or social contacts by making connections through individuals. While social networking has gone on almost as long as societies themselves have existed, the unparalleled potential of the Internet to promote such connections is only now being fully recognized and exploited, through Web-based groups established for that purpose." source

It is true that if those companies that does not engage in any form of social media as part of their communication tools, it is very likely that they will lose out. Big companies will benefit more from social networking and small companies will have a stable headstart. With the advance of technology and Internet, consumers and clients are able to look at the companies social media accounts and make their respective decision on whether to buy the products and engage in their services.

Check this out, 60 seconds of social media sharing. It is amazing how these statistics speaks about social media.

Since social media networking is so prevalent nowadays, every company is jumping on the bandwagon in the hope of gaining more brand awareness and followings but! not every company is successful in doing so. To be successful, it is important to know the suitability of the target audience and the company products. For instance, it will be a nono if the target audience are senior citizens, brand awareness will not be spread successfully. 

Social networking is all about sharing information and SPREADDDD DA WORD.

Let me introduce one company that uses social networking to be EVEN more successful in building their customer base & loyalty to the brand.

Starbucks itself was already a very successful household name. Although Starbucks has several social media platforms like facebook, twitter, instagram and many more. I would like to focus on their twitter account just to give you a breakdown on how they connect with their followers.

Let's take a look at their twitter account @Starbucks. With over 7 million followers and counting and frequent updates of relevant engaging tweets such as the ones below:

From engaging with their followers by retweeting their tweet to Starbucks and answering questions, it goes to show that Starbucks actually acknowledged and paid attention to tweets directed at them. Be it customers or followers, I am sure they will feel appreciated that their online voices were recognized. Starbucks try to connect to the followers on a personal level. Note: look at the number of retweet and favourites it garnered from every tweet!

use of visuals and wait, what? they even have a Pinterest account? A for effort.

Hungry yet? oooo, & the use of hashtag!

Advertising tweet.

It is not difficult to see why they are still so successful. New or small companies could really learn a thing or two from Starbucks on how they connect with people online and how they manage their platforms.

The Social Media Generation

Here's a video painting the dark side of social media. Do watch it! Its quite thought-provoking.

As much as we like to deny the fact that we are not obsessed with likes, comments or the number of followings, we still uses social media as a tool to connect with everybody and make ourselves feel good. As seen in the video, after posting the drugs update on facebook, the guy was eagerly waiting for the FIRST LIKE to appear. Imagine what if that particular status has no likes?

It is saddening to know that people are seeking approval and acknowledgment from virtual audience.