6 Steps to Start a Successful eCommerce Business › wp-content › uploads › 2020 › ... · I lost sales, time and money. So…I moved it back to Shopify and never looked back
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Presented by WARRICK KERNES SA’s eCommerce Expert Founder of the Insaka eCommerce Academy 6 Steps to Start a Successful eCommerce Business
WARRICK KERNESSA’s eCommerce Expert Founder of the Insaka eCommerce Academy
6 Steps to Start a Successful eCommerce Business
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Presentation Notes
Good Afternoon :) How many of you have bought something online…? How many of you are selling online? Traditional retail is dying. I get why you think that, cos it’s been that way for generations. But look at Amazon and Alibaba which have rocketed to some of the most valuable businesses in the world. Heck look at what Takealot has done in SA! These companies are focusing simply on online selling If you’d like to learn how you can apply the same tactics and techniques that these massive companies have used and learn how you can do this yourself - then stay with me
Here’s what you’ll learn by hanging out today…
1. Finding the right products to sell
2. Deciding on the right CMS platform and building the site
Theme: It’s easier than you think. Finding the right products to sell Deciding on the right CMS platform and building the site Setting up online payments Getting your first sales (with zero marketing budget) Delivering your orders How much time does it take?
How eCommerce has changed my life and my bus ines s …
��eCommerce is the easiest path to entrepreneurship and it’s entrepreneurship that’s going to uplift our beautiful country!
The Insaka eCommerce Academy…
Our VISION: To help 100,000 entrepreneurs to start and grow their own online businesses
Our WHY: “Growing eCommerce is crucial to uplifting South Africa because it’s the easiest and least risky stepping stone into entrepreneurship and it’s entrepreneurship that will create new jobs and raise the economy” - Warrick Kernes
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Mention growth of eCom in past 5 years. 25% yoy growth (world wide worx - Arthur Goldstuck) 2018 = 1.4% of GDP (R14b) 2025 = 5% (R60b) Instagram pic of street pole news article. Statistica.com - Up to 35% yoy 2020 expecting R57b 32.6m online shoppers.
How we are growing eCommerce…
✓ Guest lecturer to MBA class at WITS Business School
✓ Committee Member of the eCommerce Forum of Africa
Guest lecturer to MBA class at WITS Business School Committee Member of the eCommerce Forum of Africa Author for the Entrepreneur Magazine Speaker at most eCom events around SA Founded the Insaka eCommerce Community
I’m now OBSESSED with helping entrepreneurs s tart online bus ines s es …
It’s why I’ve been sending out surveys to ask YOU what you want to learn more about
What if you don’t have a product to sell? Or you want more winner products Recurring purchases / subscriptions Import duties Local regulations High margins High demand END: Will your product sell online? Tips to find winner products
Finding WINNING Products…--- REAL LIFE STORIES ---
Donovan York www.yorksbiltong.co.za
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Challenge: He had a product but wanted to get more sales and grow his business. My story. I started my website in 2010 and my problem was that no one knew about the product I was selling. Overseas people knew about it and loved it. But I believed in it and knew that people would love it if I could get them to know about it. That product was the GoPro Camera. END: If you have a product or you find one using our training, then the next question is how to you start creating an online store?
Step 2: Deciding on the right CMS platform and building the s ite…
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What about the tech?
Step 2: Deciding on the right CMS platform and building the s ite…
What about the tech? Anyone here feel that way???? (hand up)
Selecting The Best Website Platform… --- REAL LIFE STORIES ---
Mim Gerhardt - www.mirelle.co.za
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Presentation Notes
I started my online journey on Shopify, and got to learn it well. Then I was influenced by a web designer to move my site to wordpress. The moment that it was switched over I knew I had made a mistake. I lost control of my spaceship…was in the hands of someone who was too busy to do the tweaks and changes and I was too scared to touch it! I lost sales, time and money. So…I moved it back to Shopify and never looked back. I would say besides the ease of use to build a Shopify site, together with all the tutorials and help guides, the big one is the 24 hour live help service. This is invaluable and means that you don’t need to outlay money to the web designer and be caught in their net”! MY STORY: Started on XCart > Magento > Shopify NEXT - How to take payments online? Workshop Practical: Setting up WooCommerce Wizard
Step 3: Setting up online payments...
● 2010 vs 2020
● 24hr turnaround time
● No business, no problem!
Action Item 1: Opening PayFast account Action Item 2: Turn on your site!
2010 vs 2020 - My Story of waiting for merchant account and getting 1st sale. 24hr turnaround time No business, no problem! Action Item 1: Opening PayFast account Action Item 2: Turn on your site! What about payments? Can my site take payments? Is it a mission to set up? The lean start up - Eric Reis
Offering The Right Payment Options… --- REAL LIFE STORIES ---
Wesley Vos - www.vosk.co.za
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Challenge: Online payments PayFast = 77% Wes says: 25.8% of transactions since 1 January were made through SnapScan. Quote: The more payment options you offer the higher your conversion rate NEXT - Deliveries
With over 1 billion sites on the net how are you going to get customers to find your site and choose to buy from you?? What if I launch my site and get zero sales? What if I go through all of this just to fail? My Story - Selling at events and building happy customers who referred us. At Launch Sell to friends and family Promote to your social reach Sell your products in person
Two types of traffic… Organic and Paid Organic Traffic Tips (SEO) Relevance & Authority Write guest blogs Bizcommunity listing Action Item: Registering on Google Business
Paid Ads Tips ✓ Retargeting ✓ Building your database ✓ Lookalike audiences ✓ Adwords! Action Item: Set up your Facebook Pixel
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Two types of traffic… Organic and Paid Paid Ads Tips Retargeting Building your database Lookalike audiences Adwords! Action Item: Set up your Facebook Pixel
Building Sales Momentum… --- REAL LIFE STORIES ---
Ryan Amory - www.africamadeonly.co.za
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Challenge: Not enough traffic Ryan Amory: "You have to try different things to see what works for your customers and that will translate positively for your business. Once you find something that works, then double down on it" Investec Start up school. R100k
Step 5: Delivering your orders…
● Which couriers to consider:
The Courier Guy, MDS Collivery, Dawn Wing, FastWay, SendR.
● Use a courier aggregator service like uAfrica ● Consider outsourcing your warehousing
Deliveries are expensive? Where would I even start with courier deliveries for my customer orders? Which couriers to consider: The Courier Guy, MDS Collivery, Dawn Wing, FastWay, SendR. Use a courier aggregator service like uAfrica Consider outsourcing your warehousing MY STORY IN-OUT-IN Action Item: Send a dummy order using uAfrica
Smooth Deliveries = Happy Customers--- REAL LIFE STORIES ---
Carolyn Ashmore - www.atriumplants.co.za
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Challenge: Your image relies on couriers and they let you down so often. As you can imagine packaging plants can be a challenge. We went through a process of trial & error and continuous feedback. People didn’t like bubble wrap, for example, because it’s not eco-friendly. We also had to make it cost effective. The surprise and joy when a customer receives something like a plant needs to be spot on. When they’ve emailed you to say thanks or posted their newly opened purchase on Instagram, then you know you’ve done it right.” Challenge: She wanted to sell plants online but how would she deliver them? She started off driving orders to JHB customers Then learnt how to work with TCG Imagine if she hadn’t used couriers she’d not have been able to grow the business without a fleet of cars Now she’s getting heaps of orders all the time and, best of all, she LOVES what she’s doing Objection busted: Find a solution to deliveries. NEXT = How long does this take?
Step 6: How much time does it take?
It depends…
✓ Focus on the correct actions ✓ Focus on quick wins / low hanging fruit ✓ Get guidance from the community✓ Make it your priority
It depends… Focus on the correct actions Focus on quick wins / low hanging fruit Get guidance from the community Make it your priority
Time to Success...--- REAL LIFE STORIES ---
Nalisha Pillay - www.koodoo.co.za
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Challenge: I don’t have the time to do this. Nalisha started this in October last year. (less than a year ago!) Got the site live in just 3 days! Wanted to go live for Black Friday Saw them at Comic Con (doing a couple hundred thousand Rand in sales!) Objection busted: Time is not a worry. NEXT - Recap
Quick recap…
1. Finding the right products to sell
2. Deciding on the right CMS platform and building the site
3 Major Takeaways: eCommerce is growing and this is absolutely an opportunity that you should be looking at There are people just like you who have simpy followed the steps of this presentation and now have successful online businesses It’s easier than you think
