Learnings from iAdvisory Seminar: Expand overseas with e-commerce Don’t worry if you missed last month’s iAdvisory seminar on expanding overseas with e-commerce. Here are some nuggets from our e-commerce experts in 7 easy-to-read infographics.

1. WHAT WE LEARNT FROM
Expand Overseas with E-commerce
30 JULY 2015 | NOVOTEL CLARKE QUAY

2. Facebook and
mobile ads are a
must to generate
e-commerce revenue.
Before rushing out to buy
Facebook and mobile ads,
first know where your
most valuable customers
come from –
in terms of
both online
channels
and geography.
#IE_ecommerce
EXPAND OVERSEAS
WITH E-COMMERCE
There's no need
to start an online
e-commerce site
when my business
is flourishing in a
credible marketplace.
Having your own e-commerce
site should be your ultimate
goal as direct interaction with
your customers builds up
long-term relationships and
brand loyalty. Why rely on
other platforms when you
can own one?
I don't need to invest too much in IT, as long as the site gets built.
Once your online business scales up, you’ll need a strong IT team to support your operations
for a smooth user experience. Other aspects you’ll need to pay attention to: logistics,
payment, delivery, customer service.
My mobile site can be done later on.
Your customers will be buying through their mobile
phones, so a mobile-responsive site is a must.
Smartphone penetration expected to climb to
50% in South-east Asia.
Physical shops
are redundant since
the digital space is
where the action is.
An omnichannel strategy
is the way to go. Physical
shops build trust and allow
customers to feel and
experience the product
before purchase – this is an
important consideration for
certain product categories.
Setting up an
e-commerce outfit is
the same as setting
up a traditional
retail store.
Every aspect of
e-commerce is
different from
an offline
business: from
how you balance your
sheets to who you hire.
For e-commerce, you need
to hire two groups of people:
those who know your
business well and those
who speak the IT language.
6 COMMON
MISCONCEPTIONS
ABOUT E-COMMERCE

3. #IE_ecommerce
EXPAND OVERSEAS
WITH E-COMMERCE
5 QUESTIONS
YOU MUST ASK WHEN STARTING E-COMMERCE
Who are my target
audience and what are
they like? Which markets
do I want to go into?
Different markets and consumers
have different needs and
preferences, online and off. Knowing
what they are like will deepen your
engagement with them.
Can I understand my
customers better?
The good thing about e-commerce is that everything
is trackable; from where your customer segments
come from, how much they are buying, to whether
they are buying for themselves and where they are
shipping it to. These analytics allow you to better
target them for the next purchase.
Do I have the capability to
scale up as my business grows?
Remember: Whatever is made available must be
fulfilled, so ensure your customer care, integration
system, payment system, warehouse and shipping
can handle high volumes.
How do I want
to go online?
Which model should I choose?
Do I put the selected goods all in
one place, or sell
through different
channels and/or
marketplaces?
How do I fulfil the
orders?
Note: Delivery becomes more
complex with cross-border
transactions.

4. These days, more companies are
listing products on ready ecommerce
marketplace like Taobao.com,
Tmall.com, Amazon.com etc.
Building your own e-commerce website
from scratch was the traditional way
of going into e-commerce.
Transactions handled fully by marketplace
so no need for inventory management
or order fulfilment. But generally, there is
less control over transaction and no
control over product pricing .
100% control over your own
inventory and transactional process.
Your overhead costs becomes
drastically reduced as you typically only
pay listing fees and other admin costs.
Could be capital intensive to develop
and maintain your own site and in
fulfilling orders and delivery.
Marketplaces typically attract large
volume of consumers and could be
a good way for new users to chance
upon your products.
Good for products that already have
strong brand presence in the market.
As the seller, you have no access to
customer data as all transactions go
through the marketplace.
You have 100% access to customer data
to understand their preferences and
re-target them for future purchases.
TWO WAYS
TO GO INTO E-COMMERCE
Getting your products
listed on a marketplaceVS
Setting up your own
e-commerce platform
#IE_ecommerce
EXPAND OVERSEAS
WITH E-COMMERCE

5. Agility
Businesses must be agile to capture
customers. They can do so by adopting
tools and analytics that recognise
market changes and shifts in buyer
behavior as well as scalable systems
that allow for fast action when
opportunities present themselves.
Convenience
Convenience is more than
a benefit to time-strapped
shoppers, it is essential for a
strong customer experience.
Consistency
Creating experiences
based on a unified brand
presence will help build
trust with consumers.
Relevance
Consumers expect
interactions to be
real-time and personalised
– businesses can use their
buying preferences,
purchase history and user
behavior to achieve this.
Empowerment
Brands that empower and
help buyers to make the best
purchasing decisions create
loyal customers.
#IE_ecommerce
EXPAND OVERSEAS
WITH E-COMMERCE
5 KEY SUCCESS FACTORS
FOR E-COMMERCE
According to HerVelvetVase founder Clare Chan
HerVelvetVase started as a blogshop selling ladies’
apparel. Today it offers an integrated shopping experience
incorporating wellness, beauty and lifestyle products.
Its successful online-to-offline strategy has even seen it
setting up a physical store in New York City!

6. Every channel
counts
Traditional options such
as newspapers, TV and
billboards are still feasible
marketing options, but
they are costly. These
days, Instant Messaging
and social media are
equally viable and
cheaper too.
Understand
each channel
Online and offline
marketing channels
have their own
characteristics. Know
each channel for its
strengths and push out
an integrated campaign
for an effective cross
channel strategy.
Speak the
internet language
Don’t use digital channels
to do direct advertising.
Craft your messages to
start a conversation and
pique your customers’
interest to try out
your product.
Identify and
cultivate your
influential
customers
This customer is the
one who can influence
more people to try your
brand. In the long run, he
will bring more profit to
you than someone who
buys a lot but doesn’t
talk about your brand.
Milk customer data
Once you know what your customers like, you can give them what they
want, and foster their trust in you. This leads to recurring transactions
without recurring marketing.
#IE_ecommerce
EXPAND OVERSEAS
WITH E-COMMERCE
MARKETING
TIPS
TO BENEFIT YOUR
E-COMMERCE
BUSINESS

7. 7 MUST-KNOW
TRENDS SHAPING
ASEAN’S E-COMMERCE
LANDSCAPE
Purchases
tell tales
Businesses are
increasingly looking at
online transactions and big
data to gain insight into
customer needs.
Customers are chameleons
People shop online for different
reasons. Therefore, you shouldn't
focus on just selling cheap products.
Rather, understand what your
customer is really looking for, be it
convenience, variety or even
customisation.
Social media rules
Social media referrals are
a strong driver of buyer
acquisition.
Small markets, big potential
Online retail in ASEAN is still very small,
relative to markets like China, the UK
and the US. But it’s expected to increase
by 25% over the next 3 years.
Mobile first
Most buyers prefer to
shop online with their
mobile phones. 57% of
ASEAN users surveyed are
likely to make an online
mobile purchase in the the
next 6 months.
Be local and global
Offering only global goods
doesn't cut it. Go for a
right mix of local and
international products to
stand out from the rest.
Bricks + clicks
Businesses need to be online to
survive. Offline and online stores
should complement one another.
#IE_ecommerce
EXPAND OVERSEAS
WITH E-COMMERCE

8. #IE_ecommerce
EXPAND OVERSEAS
WITH E-COMMERCE
SIMPLE BUT
EFFECTIVE STEPS
TO ENTER CHINA’S
E-COMMERCE SCENE
Step1: A small budget can go a long way
• Pick a suitable e-commerce channel, like WeChat, RenRen or Taobao
• Use digital marketing to engage your customers and attract your first batch of fans
Step 2: Expand your online presence
• Open a small shop to showcase your brand
• Offer discounts and promotions to entice your customers from Step 1 to buy
• Find ways, such as referral privileges, to encourage them to share your brand
• The referrals will lead to your second group of followers
Step 3: Don’t stop raising the bar
• Improve customer service and branding to get more attention
• Continue to influence buyers with more intensive digital marketing efforts
• With a solid customer base built up, bigger companies are more likely to approach
you with investment offers

9. •We support companies in
developing an e-commerce
strategy for overseas expansion.
- Up to 70% of costs
incurred in engaging a third
party professional.
(For SMEs*)
- Up to 50% of the costs
incurred in engaging a third
party professional
(For non-SMEs)
* SMEs are defined as having less than $100
million per annum turnover
Developing an
e-commerce strategy
•Under MRA grant,
we can defray up to
70% of third party
costs incurred for
search engine marketing
and/or optimisation,
social media marketing
campaigns and online
advertising campaigns
Marketing &
promotion
Listing on regional/
global marketplaces
•IE has partnerships with
3 online marketplaces
(Amazon, T-Mall, Lelong)
which will help Singapore
companies list by lowering the
barriers of entry and offsetting
some initial costs.
•For those marketplaces and
beyond, you can defray up
to 70% of third party costs
incurred for listing/ subscription on
global online retail/ e-commerce
platforms with international reach
as well as e-fulfilment, payment
and logistics capabilities.
HOW IE CAN HELP YOU
IN EXPANDING OVERSEAS
WITH E-COMMERCE
#IE_ecommerce
EXPAND OVERSEAS
WITH E-COMMERCE

10. #IE_ecommerce
EXPAND OVERSEAS
WITH E-COMMERCE
MY GREATEST
REWARD IN STARTING
AN E-COMMERCE
BUSINESS IS…
COMPANIES WITH
E-COMMERCE OPERATIONS SHARE:
The enlarged customer
base in addition to
enhanced efficiency
brought about by the
improved workflow.
Jonathan Phoon,
executive director,
Freshening Industries
Knowing that I can do it. It's
not about how much money
I can make from it, but that I
was able to overcome my
inhibitions to try it out.
Sreenivas Saba,
founder, Ecourierz
The opportunity to recreate the
online fashion experience.
Clare Chan, co-founder,
HerVelvetVase
Knowing we possess the ability to
empower women when we hear
testimonials of our customers being
confident and feeling beautiful. This
inspires and pushes me to expand to
regional countries so we can touch
the lives of women in Asia.
Viola Tan,
founder,
Love, Bonito