We are currently doing business in a physical store, but we are considering the possibility of selling the products we carry in a sort of online store, which would allow us to develop a sales channel and help us when the local battle becomes more difficult. Is this realistic?
In addition to store sales, it is recommended to do mail order through an online store. In particular, repeatable products are appreciated, as there is a demand for them to be sent automatically by mail order.
E-commerce sites themselves are easy to start nowadays on a small scale, so you don’t have to anticipate much cost.
Related FAQs
- I want to start an online store, but I’m worried about the cost and hassle. Can small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) start easily?
- Yes, it is possible. Nowadays, there are services that allow you to easily create an online store with a well-designed design and payment functions for free or a few thousand yen per month.
Unlike a decade ago, you can now easily set up an online store with services such as Shopify or BASE without much expense or expertise. Monthly fees range from free to several thousand yen, and many services offer a pay-as-you-sell system, making it easy to minimize risk. Design templates and a variety of payment methods are available in advance, so as long as you have product information and photos, you may be able to start a convenient online store right away. - Our company’s products may be difficult to sell online. What kind of things are suitable?
- No matter what type of business you are in, if you have a product or service that customers buy on a regular basis, online shopping, especially “recurring sales,” is the way to go.
You may feel that “it’s difficult for our business,” but experience has shown that in any business, you can often find one or two products that can be made into a regular sales channel. For example, it could be consumables that you use on a daily basis, food products that you enjoy on a regular basis, or even B2B services. A system that prevents forgetful purchases and delivers value on a regular basis is highly convenient for the customer. - How can we increase the number of fans without falling into price competition in online shopping?
- It is effective to make proposals that are close to the lives of customers through “regular sales. This will transform you from a mere seller to a company that supports people’s lifestyles.
Since regular sales involve a longer relationship with customers, it is easier to make lifestyle proposals such as, “Why don’t you spend the year like this? By telling the story behind your products and becoming a supporter of your customers’ lifestyles and dreams, you have the potential to create a sense of value that goes beyond just price. If you have more fans who share your values, it will be harder for them to switch to other companies, which may lead to a stable business. - Is there anything to keep in mind when starting an online store?
- Even if you start small, it is important to be attentive to your customers. Half-hearted operations may actually undermine trust in your business.
Do not neglect customer service just because it is easy to start. If you are slow to reply to inquiries or your shipping is messy, you will lose out on opportunities. It is important to start small, within a reasonable range, and steadily build up your fan base and revenue base.
Also available via podcast/webinar
EC/internet shopping is now being conducted by an increasing number of companies in the middle of Corona at a stretch. In the last 1-2 years, the number of companies engaged in e-commerce and online shopping has increased dramatically, and a variety of know-how has been accumulated in this life-or-death battle. In addition, the number of companies offering services there is also increasing.
Therefore, we tend to focus on methods such as which tools are best, which products to offer, what photos to use, malls ...etc. However, there are “actions” that we would like you to take before that, and cautions that can be derived from them.
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The threshold for starting online shopping has dropped significantly.
A decade ago, starting online shopping and internet shopping would have required a large expense in systems and work.
In addition, monthly system usage fees were also significant, and opening a store on Rakuten, Yahoo! Shopping, or Amazon would have cost tens of thousands of dollars in monthly usage fees, advertising costs, and point resources.
However, now there are services that make it easy for individuals to build small-scale stores for small businesses, and the threshold has been lowered all at once.
For example, Shopify, Store.jp, and BASE are well-known examples. Although the details of each service vary, they all have the following characteristics.
- Monthly costs range from free to several thousand yen.
- A commission of a few percent is taken from the amount sold. A system where you only pay for what you sell.
- Design templates are already available and do not need to be created. Smartphone compatibility is also standard and commonplace.
- A wide range of payment methods are available, including credit cards, cash on delivery, payment at convenience stores, bank transfers, AmazonPay, Rakuten Pay, etc.
- There is an inquiry form, FAQ creation function, and optional fulfillment (shipping and packaging) to make things easier.
In short, all you need to do is to customize the product information to be registered, photos, and auto-reply e-mail text, and you can create a convenient online store without any troublesome contracts with payment processing companies.
It is also important to note that some services also support subscription purchases.
Regular sales and other activities are a good match and have a future, to build relationships.
We especially recommend regular sales.
It is a hassle to go out and buy things that you use in your daily life and need to buy regularly, but it is also difficult if you forget to buy them.
We recommend that the first step is to create a package that delivers some value on a regular basis around these items.
People tend to think that we are a “XX shop, so I don’t think we have that kind of thing…” But in my experience, every business has one or two things that can be regularly mail-ordered.
Now, subscription models, which include hanpukai, are spreading, and there are services ranging from perishable products such as vegetables to cosmetics, stationery, pets, and even B2B services such as making monthly videos for you.
The good thing about regular sales is that since we have a long relationship with them, we can make lifestyle proposals such as “Why don’t you spend a year like this?
There are so many different products on the market today that it is difficult for everyone to know which one to choose and which one you would feel good about using. This is because we cannot imagine what the future holds.
So, by putting together some kind of product with a story to tell, you become a support company that helps people’s lives and dreams come true, instead of a company that sells things.
If they like that and become a customer, they will not easily switch to others. If we increase the number of such fans, customers who share our values, our business will be very stable, and I am sure everyone will enjoy it.
This kind of relationship building can be done outside of mail order, and all businesses are now turning in this direction. The oldest is probably Disney, whose commercials often feature parents and children, in order to bring them closer together across generations.
We invite you to start your single item mail-order business with our easy-to-use service!
It is tough to be a one-off, reaping type of business. I highly recommend lifestyle-type regular mail order as the next step in a storefront business that will lead to people falling in love with you all.
However, since you have started, half-hearted responses, such as not noticing inquiries or not shipping properly, are not acceptable. Why not start small and easy, and try to build a fan base and a pillar of revenue?
If you have any concerns, please contact us.
