Is eCommerce viable in Malaysia?

Venturing into an unknown domain is risky. Especially when decisions are made without concrete evidence that points to a clear direction. Malaysia has in recent years picked up on an economic front (Malaysia was one of the 13 countries identified by the Commission on Growth and Development in its 2008 Growth Report to have recorded average growth of more than 7% per year for 25 years or more - World Bank).

Have Malaysians taken to the Internet positively?

Clear indicators from some sources have pointed positively towards the acceptability and usage of the Internet in Malaysia. Thus concluding that Malaysia has grown to become a nation that in recent years have come to understand that the Internet is a powerful tool that helps Malaysians in their everyday lives.

1. 60.7% of the country in 2012 is using the Internet. "An example is Zalora Malaysia a large online fashion store, which has seen a tremendous growth since its official launch in March 2012" - Internet World Statistics
2. Trend Micro's recent (Aug 2013) online survey shows that 8 out of 10 Malaysian Internet users now shop online. Computer World Malaysia
3. The number of Malaysians accessing the Internet hit 41% in 2010 a 15% increase over the previous year, according to The Nielsen Company's Mobile Insights Survey

What is eCommerce?

It is defined to be that eCommerce is a form of commerce/business that is conducted via the Internet. - Merriam Webster Online Dictionary

What are the benefits of eCommerce?

1. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Your business runs online without a physical store sales person, without ever needing a break or holiday!
2. Cheaper. Keeping an eCommerce business running on the Internet is comparatively cheaper to a bricks and mortars shop that have utility, rent and other costs.
3. Opportunity. What are your chances of a new international customer that phones you to buy something over the phone? I doubt it is going to happen often, but with an eCommerce store that now becomes possible, because more and more people are connected to the Internet, and the Internet is accessible anywhere.
4. Sell a wider range of stock items. Physical stores have limited display space, but an eCommerce store has unlimited display space.
5. Make more profit. In point 2 it has been stated that costs are greatly reduced in an eCommerce business, thus this logically results in more money!
6. Email marketing. If configured correctly your eCommerce store should be collecting email addresses for you of your potential customers to keep in contact with in future. With email marketing (executed properly) you have a very low cost way of continually driving traffic back to your store. Further reading: Discounts & Deals Don't 'Bite'
7. Important Data. With analytics installed on your eCommerce store you will have found out very critical information that forms an actionable data sheet about your customer's behaviors!

Why would Malaysians consider eCommerce?

With strong indications above showing the market responding actively and positively towards the Internet for shopping options, and the benefits of eCommerce clearly shown, Malaysians should consider eCommerce to be viable.

How to start a small eCommerce business on the Internet?

Now that you have seen that eCommerce is an exciting industry, just where do you start? Attempting to start an eCommerce store is no different from starting any business. Here are some basics to starting a business to get you moving along:

1. Find a need and fill it.
2. Write copy (sales pitch) that sells.
3. Design and build an easy-to-use website.
4. Establish an expert reputation for yourself.
5. Follow up with your customers and subscribers well with e-mail.
6. Increase your income through back-end sales and upselling.

How EVERWORKS keeps your eCommerce business online?

EVERWORKS is Malaysia's leading hosting and colocation hosting service provider that has successfully serviced notable companies, providing them with hosting plans that give their businesses reliability and effective costs reducing technical difficulty, and heavy initial investments.

For a total solution package feel free to contact an EVERWORKS specialist to find out how you can have an eCommerce business online.

Email: info@everworks.com

or alternatively 

Phone: + (603) 78 06 3550  

(Malaysia local landline - Not Toll Free - Only during office hours)

photo by psdblast

Posted in: 2014, Ecommerce, EVERWORKS, Internet, malaysia, Tips