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The ultimate E-commerce checklist for building a business

Marketing

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Building an online business nowadays has proven to be a lot easier because of technology. A few simple clicks and taps will have you ready to provide E-commerce service in the Philippines.

Similar to any new exciting venture, you need to be prepared before taking off. What better way to do it than to have an E-commerce checklist to help you cover all your bases? Here’s your ultimate E-commerce checklist to jumpstart your online selling journey. If you already have one, you can use this to make sure you don’t miss anything important.

Start your journey with a business idea

Kicking off your E-commerce checklist is developing a business idea. What’s a business that you’ve always wanted to put up? Are there consumer needs that you would like to address? Now’s your chance to make that idea into a reality. If you’re still undecided, you can read about trends on what’s hot or up and coming in the market. Go for an idea that you can fully commit to, especially in the long run.

Things to consider:

  • The type of business you’ve always wanted
  • A business that addresses a particular need in the market
  • Business inspired by upcoming or hot market trends
  • Potential products and services you want to sell
  • Structure of your business
  • Requirements for registration and permits

Work on your branding

After nailing down your business idea, next is branding. From your business logo to your brand personality and voice, this is all about how you want to present yourself to your potential customers. It would also help to have mission and vision statements to guide you daily and remind you of your long-term goal.

Things to consider:

  • Business objective
  • Mission and vision
  • Key selling proposition or your competitive edge
  • Brand personality and voice
  • Visuals (logo, designs, layouts, packaging, etc.)
  • External communication

Check the quality of products or services

Essentially, your products and services will do the hardest work of all as they are what customers would be seeing and using more often. That said, it is only apt that you offer them nothing less than the best. Having dedicated time to do quality assurance is also part of this E-commerce checklist to ensure what you are selling are in their best shape.

Things to consider:

  • Products and services that are hot in the market
  • Competitive edge against competitor products and services
  • Supply production and procurement
  • Quality assurance process
  • Shelf life of products in storage and upon use

Choose an E-commerce platform

Thanks to technology, you now have a lot of options where you want to set up your business and sell your products. Your own website, social media sites, or online marketplaces like Shopee and Lazada – these are just some of the popular platforms that you can explore. Since you’re only starting, it would be best to stick to at least one. If you’re eager to reach more people, you can always expand to a different platform.

Things to consider:

  • Where your target audience is most visible
  • Pros and cons of each platform
  • Preference for using one vs multiple platforms
  • Platform-specific designs and content

Develop a logistics plan and strategy

Logistics is a crucial item on this E-commerce checklist because this is part of the operational side of your business. Lay down a plan of how you’ll be managing orders, customer service, storage, packaging, handling, as well as shipment and delivery. Keep in mind that the customer experience does not end until after orders have been received. You also need to factor in return and service recovery processes should there be a need for it.

Things to consider:

  • Storage facilities and hygiene
  • Order management process
  • Fulfillment process
  • Payment and shipping options
  • Partner couriers and tracking capabilities
  • Customer service representatives and escalation process
  • Return policy and service recovery

Prepare for your grand launch

After all the backend preparations, it’s time for your online business’ grand launch. You can spread the word through social media posts and asking friends to share the big news. If your budget permits, you can also consider doing PR efforts and running digital advertisements to reach more potential customers.

Things to consider:

  • Readiness for the launch (product quality and order management process)
  • Channels to spread the word
  • Supporting launch collateral
  • Communication lines
  • Budget for additional promotions (digital and traditional ads, influencers and ambassadors, other PR and marketing efforts)

Putting up an online business and providing E-commerce service in the Philippines may seem easy with the tools available at your disposal. With this ultimate E-commerce checklist, it is that much easier because you already know what to consider in each step of the process. If things do get overwhelming, Payo is the reliable partner that you can seek help from.

Payo is a leading E-Commerce enabler in the Philippines. It is an ideal partner to make online selling easier especially for budding merchants.  Payo offers services that can ease up various aspects of your operations. These include Warehousing, Fulfillment, Live Customer Support, Marketplace Optimization, and even Cash-on-Delivery.

Want to discuss your business idea further? Sign up with Payo today or send us a message at [email protected]. Let’s see how we can get your business off the ground!