When it comes to selling online, Shopee Malaysia has instinctively recognised the need and importance of supporting businesses, especially new sellers and the ones from the small and medium enterprise background.
We have been providing various seller support packages to help new and budding e-commerce entrepreneurs, says Li
Shopee Malaysia business development senior manager Zed Li said selling is indeed more than just setting up a store online as it also consists of various aspects which include customer service, advertising, product packaging and taking good photos for a product listing.
“Therefore, we have been providing various seller support packages to help new and budding e-commerce entrepreneurs, to propel them forward and guide them to be self-sustainable.
“For starters, taking into consideration that many sellers start off with a small capital while needing to consider capital and operational expenditure, Shopee does not impose commission fees for the first 99 orders to help sellers ease into and familiarise themselves with selling online,” he said to The Malaysian Reserve recently.
According to Li, Shopee University’s free seller workshop caters to new and seasoned sellers to provide guidance from store set-up to sales, marketing and operations, as well as how to keep growing the business on Shopee.
He said there are about 50 classes a month for sellers, conducted online in English, Malay and Chinese languages.
Interestingly, Shopee ensures its marketing support covers both in and out of the app, to help sellers connect with the platform’s extensive user base.
“For the in-app support, sellers can run a live stream of Shopee Live at any time to reach more buyers. They can also work with dedicated Shopee teams to participate in marketing campaigns or shopping festivals, such as our double-digit campaigns like 9.9, 11.11 and 12.12, and get more exposure via our banners, Push Notifications, Shocking Sales and more to grow their sales.
“For the out-of-app support, sellers can leverage Shopee’s social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
“Additionally, we have also built an affiliate marketing channel called the Shopee Ambassador Programme through which sellers can tap into our network of key opinion leaders to promote their store and products,” Li explained.
Besides the selling part, payments and logistics also make up a big factor in success stories, which is something Shopee pays critical attention to.
Li said Shopee provides integrated payment systems and delivery solutions, so that sellers can focus on their businesses.
“Apart from our own fleet, sellers can choose from the many third-party logistics partners on the platform such as PosLaju, DHL, J&T, Ninja Van and CityLink to fulfil delivery needs.
“Sellers simply need to print the auto-generated airway bill from the Shopee Seller Centre when an order comes in and drop off parcels at the nearest drop-off point,” he said.
Li added that most importantly, one of its goals is to make e-commerce convenient for everyone, therefore it is constantly looking for ways to better serve all segments of the markets, which includes payment methods.
“Payments can be made using credit and debit cards, online banking, ATM (automated-teller machine) transfer, ShopeePay mobile wallet, cash payment at 7-Eleven and KK Mart, as well as cash on delivery (COD).
“By enabling cash payments and COD, we are also giving the opportunity to those without banking facilities and products a chance to utilise e-commerce. With more buyers, sellers too can grow their market size and sales,” he said.
Additionally, Li said once businesses mature, the obvious next step is for sellers to begin serving the international market, proven by its Shopee International Platform (SIP) programme.
“Currently, Singapore is serving as the pilot market. In addition to smaller traders, we noticed that many local brands like Kluang Coffee, Elianware and Fipper have found a new and strong following in Singapore via SIP,” he said.
He said this feature allows sellers to expand current operations and consumer outreach, and enjoy value-added cross-border services and engage local selling experience without the need of setting up an overseas business office.
Shopee has also notably become an inclusive platform for all, supporting local traders of all sizes.
“We are beginning to see a lot more state delicacies on the platform like keropok lekor from the East Coast, tahai from Sarawak, amplang from Sabah, Harumanis mangoes from Perlis and dodol from Melaka. There is also an increase of locally produced rattan and wood furniture on Shopee,” he said.
In the spirit of inclusivity, many special-abled Malaysians turned to Shopee to start businesses and create a new livelihood, like a visually-impaired couple with a sambal business and a mother with an amputated leg who is now generating a four-figure daily revenue.
During the 6.6 Awesome Sale, Farah Hanim says she received 67 orders of her Sarawak kek lapis within a day
Farah Hanim Saimi, 24, a final year ACCA (accounting) student, has put her study on hold to take on her mother’s kek lapis business.
Her mother had a Sarawak kek lapis shop at the Kuching Waterfront, which was popular among tourists, but due to the pandemic and travel restrictions, there were no more tourists and the shop had to be shuttered last year.
The family-run business would generate about RM5,000 monthly from its sales of Sarawak kek lapis.
“A friend suggested that I start an online store on Shopee to allow the business to continue, but given the previous failure on other platforms, I was sceptical at first. However, we had nothing to lose and I launched the store on Shopee a few weeks before Hari Raya.
“Surprisingly, we received our first order almost immediately and before we knew it, orders started coming in, and soon, we had a regular flow of orders and even requests for more flavours,” she said.
Farah Hanim said among the things that kept her going was the customers, who were willing to wait for more than a week to receive the cakes.
“Their comments like ‘keep up the good work’ are what keep us going. Today, the Intan Kek Lapis online store generates more than RM5,000 monthly,” she added.
Farah Hanim said what worked most was the double-digit sales campaigns. During the 6.6 Awesome Sale, she received 67 orders within a day.
“It was a very tiring but exciting day for us,” Farah Hanim said.
Ooi says business soared the day he discovered Shopee Ads, which is a great marketing tool
Another success story is of Ooi Zhi Wei, who previously worked at a plantation company but saw greater opportunities in entrepreneurship.
Ooi’s parents’ medicinal store was doing well, but he saw a window of success in healthy food, particularly dried nuts and fruits.
“I chose Shopee because setting up a store online was so easy. I also considered marketing costs as my products were generic and it would take a lot to build my own e-commerce platform and generate traffic.
“However, Shopee has a ready customer base in the double-digit millions range. I had products but zero access to customers, but Shopee had the ability to create visibility and put my products in front of those who wanted it,” Ooi said.
Today, Ooi’s online store makes an average of RM2 million in revenue yearly.
He said business soared the day he discovered Shopee Ads, which was a great marketing tool.
“Shopee can draw millions of people onto the platform and allows sellers to connect with customers via Shopee Live.
“Shopee Live is a very powerful platform which I have been using since 2019,” he said.
Ooi has expanded into the Indonesia market with Shopee and received orders on the first day. To empower a “Malaysians for Malaysians” sentiment and support local businesses, Shopee has collaborated with the government to co-fund the Shop Malaysia Online (SMO) campaign, which rewards buyers with “Ringgit-to-Ringgit” discount vouchers, cashback and free shipping when a purchase is made from a local seller.
Apart from the SMO perks, Malaysians can also enjoy free shipping with no minimum spend required, 120% coins cashback and 7.7 million vouchers, and gain savings of up to 77%.
There will also be games where users can earn from a pool of 27 million Shopee coins and win a PlayStation 5 (PS5) during the 7.7 Mid-year Sale.
Source: https://themalaysianreserve.com/2021/07/05/shopee-malaysias-unique-support-allows-local-sellers-to-thrive/