In recent times, eCommerce has been increasingly popular in the Vietnamese market and is becoming a potential business model pursued by many enterprises across various industries. Particularly in the mobile phone retail sector, the online market share of mobile phone retail systems is growing rapidly. For instance, The Gioi Di Dong – the largest mobile phone retail system in Vietnam, saw its online market share increase from 11.6% to 17.5% in just one month (from July to August 2021)

Nowadays, many mobile phone retail businesses in Vietnam often choose to implement eCommerce websites as their main channel in online commerce. Thanks to the effective development of website systems, many mobile phone retail businesses have not only seized the opportunity to boost revenue but also achieved sustainable business growth. The common factor contributing to this success lies in the eCommerce platform.

Each type of eCommerce platform has its unique features that can support businesses in developing their online presence. Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms are designed by providers with the entire system pre-built, including hosting, interface, features, and infrastructure maintenance. Therefore, businesses can easily build and operate a website system without much concern for technical issues and without investing too much time and money from the outset.

However, businesses using SaaS platforms will not own the source code and data, and the system’s scalability and integration capabilities are limited. Usage costs may increase over time. On the other hand, open-source platforms give businesses full ownership and control over the source code and data, allowing freedom in designing interfaces and offering high scalability and flexibility. Nevertheless, using open-source platforms often requires a specialized development team and more investment in terms of cost and time.

So, which eCommerce platform will be suitable for mobile phone retail businesses?

The criteria for choosing a platform

User interface and administrative interface

The user interface of an eCommerce system is considered the face and highest scoring aspect in online business. Therefore, besides meeting UI/UX standards and expressing the brand’s characteristics, products, businesses also need to focus on the presentation of product images on the website, ensuring synchronization and clarity. 

This ensures a complete and satisfying experience for customers.  The admin interface must be user-friendly, allowing easy navigation, control, and management of all data within the system.

A diverse range of eCommerce system features 

With online retail of mobile phones, the eCommerce system’s feature set needs to be diverse, ranging from basic to advanced and specialized, aiming to provide an optimal experience for buyers and facilitate the efficient and sustainable development of the eCommerce system.

Some essential functions in the eCommerce website system for mobile phone retail businesses include:

• Basic Functions: Meeting the most basic operational needs of the eCommerce system, such as order management, categories, content, marketing management, customer management, inventory, system management, reporting, checkout, payment, shipping, etc.
• Advanced Functions: Enhancing the consumer experience and expediting the shopping process with features like order tracking, abandoned cart recovery, product suggestions, quick product search, layered product categories, etc.
• Specialized Functions: Addressing specific challenges in implementing eCommerce for mobile phone retail, catering to the unique needs of customer segments and businesses. Examples include Flash sale programs, instalment plans, buy now pay later options, etc.

High integration capability

To have a seamless online business system, businesses often need to integrate eCommerce platforms with other software and technology platforms they are currently using, such as:

• Payment Integration: Integrating various payment methods from domestic to international cards, payment gateways (Paypal, Stripe, OnePay), e-wallets (Momo, ZaloPay), etc.
• Shipping Integration: Integrating international shipping providers (DHL Express, FedEx, UPS, USPS, etc.) and local ones in Vietnam (Giao Hang Nhanh, Giao Hang Tiet Kiem, Ninja Van, etc.). Additionally, order-tracking applications help streamline and operate shipping processes.
• Management Software: Easily integrating CRM, ERP, and POS software for seamless connectivity across all supply channels from offline to online.
• Marketing Management: Integrating additional marketing tools such as email marketing software (MailChimp, Drip…), marketing analytics software (Google Analytics, Google Adwords Keywords…), and social media management software (Buffer, Hootsuite…). Integrating these marketing management tools can help businesses implement marketing campaigns, attract customers, and increase conversion rates to maximize both eCommerce and overall business revenue.

The chosen eCommerce platform must have flexible, seamless, and effective integration capabilities with this software without affecting the execution level of each system. This integration helps businesses overcome the limitations of manual operation and increases automation for both back-office management and sales, ensuring high accuracy and operational efficiency for business development.

High scalability capability

eCommerce platforms need to have high scalability to adapt and grow alongside businesses of all models. Choosing the right platform can accompany businesses from startup and SME stages to becoming large enterprises, and from B2B, B2C, and D2C models to B2B2C, helping save long-term budget while still building a sustainable, efficient system suitable for the business.

High scalability meets all future development needs of the business, such as expanding multiple websites, across countries, currencies, channels, etc. Moreover, platforms with high scalability ensure stable system operation regardless of increasing traffic and transactions over time.

Review 5 eCommerce platforms for mobile phone retail websites 

Shopify

Shopify is a well-known giant in the field of building eCommerce systems as a Software as a Service (SaaS). This platform is favoured for its user-friendly nature, quick build time, and low initial costs, making it suitable for many SMEs.

User Interface Criteria

Shopify provides attractive, responsive themes suitable for various industries, including mobile phone retail. While adhering to UI/UX standards, it lacks customization options for businesses to showcase their unique branding.

Admin Interface Criteria

The admin interface is user-friendly on desktops, allowing easy management of the website’s aspects. However, mobile functionality is limited, restricting businesses to perform specific functions on the mobile version.

Functionality System Criteria

Shopify’s functionality system is comprehensive, meeting both the basic and advanced needs of small and medium-sized enterprises. However, accessing advanced features requires additional monthly payments, leading to increasing usage costs. Shopify, however, lacks certain features crucial for mobile phone retail, aside from instalment payment options.

Integration Capability Criteria

Shopify restricts access to the source code, making integration with third-party software challenging. Businesses can only integrate with partner software available on the platform or those directly developed by Shopify.

Scalability Criteria

Scalability on the Shopify platform is limited because businesses cannot modify or upgrade the website source code. Therefore, it’s often used by mobile phone retail businesses in their early stages.

Usage Cost Criteria

Shopify offers various service packages to cater to different business needs, ranging from $29/month for Basic Shopify to $2000/month for Shopify Plus. However, businesses may face limitations in advanced features, necessitating a platform switch for a specialized and sustainable system.

→ Overall Rating based on 5 criteria: 2/5

Shopify is suitable for SMEs that want a cost-effective and quick eCommerce system. However, it falls short in advanced features, specific functionalities, and customization options. Businesses must accept the limitations and be prepared to switch platforms for a tailored and sustainable solution in the future.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is an open-source CMS plugin for WordPress introduced in 2011, completely free, enabling businesses to turn their WordPress websites into online stores.

User Interface Criteria

WooCommerce offers a diverse library of templates for mobile phone retail and electronic goods, designed meticulously and user-friendly. This allows businesses to conveniently design and build an eCommerce system from the start without requiring in-depth technical knowledge.

Because WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin, administrators continue to manage the website through the WordPress interface, making it easy for businesses already using WordPress to adapt, use, and navigate the system.

Functionality System Criteria

WooCommerce has many features, both basic and advanced, to support businesses in operating an eCommerce website. However, the platform has some limitations regarding specific features for mobile phone retail. Although it’s open-source, developing unique features on WooCommerce can be challenging and may lead to system instability.

Integration Capability Criteria

Third-party software integrates well with WooCommerce, helping businesses save time, and costs, improve operational efficiency, and automate management processes.

• Payment: Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Square…
• Shipping: USPS, UPS, and FedEx…
• Management Software: Odoo, Square POS, and WP ERP.
• Marketing Management: Google Listings, Google Ads, Facebook Pixel…

Scalability Criteria

WooCommerce’s most significant drawback is its limited scalability. The platform tends to become unstable and easily overloaded when there are more than 2,000 SKUs or too many themes and plugins on the system.

Usage Cost Criteria

WooCommerce is an open-source platform, so it’s entirely free to use. However, businesses need to pay for additional services such as domain registration ($15), hosting fees ($120/year), and system development costs (ranging from $3,000 to $10,000, depending on system complexity).

→ Overall Rating based on 5 criteria: 3/5

WooCommerce is a good platform for businesses currently using WordPress and looking to develop an eCommerce system. However, the platform has limitations in customization and adjusting unique features. Intervening in the system is likely to cause instability, and there is a high probability that the built-in features are not compatible with the platform. Additionally, to customize the system based on the existing feature set, businesses will need to invest a significant budget and time.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a SaaS platform based in the USA with over 600,000 online stores used by consumers worldwide.

User Interface Criteria

BigCommerce possesses a diverse theme repository with over 160 templates, catering to various industries, including mobile phone retail and electronics. All these templates are designed following UI/UX standards, allowing for easy adjustments to fit the brand.

For the administrator interface, businesses can manage their stores on a real-time and easily trackable screen.

Functionality System Criteria

BigCommerce’s functionality is relatively comprehensive, meeting basic and advanced needs, as well as specific features for mobile phone retail businesses. However, since BigCommerce is a SaaS platform, businesses cannot modify the source code or develop additional features not already available on the platform. Businesses can only use the features provided by BigCommerce or those offered by the platform’s partners.

Some notable advanced and specific features available on BigCommerce suitable for mobile phone retail businesses include multi-currency support, advanced SEO, rating and review features, advanced reporting, and instalment payment capabilities.

Integration Capability Criteria

BigCommerce has a relatively high integration capability, allowing integration with many popular third-party software to support business operations.

Some software that can be integrated with BigCommerce includes various payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal, ApplePay, Checkout), shipping solutions (ShipStation, Amazon Shipping, Easyship, Route), ERP systems (NetSuite ERP, Acumatica Cloud ERP), CRM (HubSpot, Revamp), and marketing tools (email marketing, social media integration).

Scalability Criteria

The system’s scalability depends on the BigCommerce service package that the business is using. The platform can support business expansion into new markets, multiple currencies, and languages. Additionally, BigCommerce can support stable system operations for businesses handling thousands of SKUs.

Usage Cost Criteria

BigCommerce currently supports three bundled solutions and one on-demand solution:

• Standard Plan: $29.95/month, suitable for businesses with sales over $50,000
• Plus Plan: $79.95/month, suitable for businesses with sales over $180,000
• Pro Plan: $299.95/month, suitable for businesses with sales over $400,000
• Enterprise Plan: for large enterprises, and the cost will be based on the online sales volume of the brand.

→ Overall Rating based on 5 criteria: 3/5

BigCommerce is almost a comprehensive SaaS platform for businesses entering the mobile phone retail eCommerce journey. The platform can be suitable for various business models, including B2B, B2C, and B2B2C, depending on the chosen subscription package. However, the limitation of using this platform is that businesses are restricted in their ability to customize functions on the system, limited in annual revenue with each subscription tier, and unable to own the source code. 

Haravan

Haravan, founded in 2014, stands as one of the renowned platforms in the Vietnamese market, boasting over 50,000 businesses and consumer brands. It operates as a service platform modelled on Shopify.

User Interface Criteria

Similar to other SaaS platforms, Haravan boasts a diverse theme repository with over 400 templates, all designed following UX/UI standards. Beyond that, businesses can customize the interface to align with their distinctive brand identity. The admin interface, supporting the Vietnamese language, ensures a user-friendly experience for businesses.

Functionality System Criteria

Haravan offers a comprehensive set of both basic and advanced features, enabling businesses to swiftly establish an eCommerce website. The platform includes specific functionalities tailored for mobile phone retail, such as installment payment options. However, akin to Shopify and BigCommerce, businesses cannot develop additional features beyond what Haravan offers in its repository.

Integration Capability Criteria

Integration with third-party utilities outside Haravan’s ecosystem can be challenging, representing a significant limitation of service-type platforms. However, it does support integration with widely used services in Vietnam, including various payment methods (Momo, VNPay, ZaloPay, etc.), shipping services (Giao Hàng Nhanh, Viettel Post, DHL), and management tools (CRMViet, Teamcrop).

Scalability Criteria

Haravan’s scalability is limited; it supports multilingual and multi-currency features but lacks the capability to expand to multiple websites or efficiently manage extensive data on the platform.

Usage Cost Criteria

To use Haravan, businesses need to pay a reasonable monthly fee ranging from 200,000 VND to 3,000,000 VND, depending on business needs:

• Standard: 200,000 VND/month for individual sellers
• Pro: 600,000 VND/month for businesses wanting to implement Omnichannel
• Grow: 1,500,000 VND/month with the advantage of automating customer care and re-engagement programs
• Scale: 3,000,000 VND/month to build a loyal customer base.

→ Overall Rating based on 5 criteria: 3/5

Haravan is a suitable platform for businesses in Vietnam with limited technology experience and budget constraints. However, as businesses grow, Haravan may not provide sufficient functionality to sustain operations. Eventually, transitioning to more specialized platforms like Magento, WooCommerce, or OpenCart becomes necessary, albeit with challenges such as costs, time, and human resources.

Magento

Magento is an open-source eCommerce platform with deep expertise in online commerce. It currently offers two versions: Open Source (free) and Commerce (paid). Recognized as one of the most comprehensive eCommerce platforms, Magento boasts diverse features, high flexibility, scalability, a diverse ecosystem, and optimal security.

User Interface Criteria

Unlike other platforms, Magento doesn’t have an extensive theme repository. However, each theme is meticulously designed, unique, adheres to UX/UI standards, and emphasizes high aesthetics to convey brand and product values, attracting customers to the system.

Businesses can save costs and time by using available themes, while also having the option to customize for brand identity. Additionally, businesses can fully design their interface, enhancing brand recognition, though this requires careful investment in design time and costs.

For the admin interface, Magento 1 was criticized for being challenging to use. However, Magento 2 introduced a more intuitive dashboard, making navigation easier, user-friendly, and adaptable.

Functionality System Criteria

Magento’s eCommerce platform has a diverse and deep feature system, catering from basic to advanced and specific functions. This allows mobile phone retail businesses to easily and rapidly build and develop their system in the short and long term. Basic functions include Category Management, Content Management, Customer Management, Marketing Management, Order Management, Store Management, System Management, Cart and Checkout, and Reporting & Analysis.

Specialized features include support for multiple languages, currencies, stores, Progressive Web Applications (PWA), Multi-Source Inventory (MSI), ElasticSearch, etc., enhancing the customer experience and accelerating the shopping process.

Integration Capability Criteria

Magento excels in easy integration with third-party software for payments (credit cards, e-wallets, payment gateways, cash on delivery), shipping (Fedex, DHL, local carriers), management software (POS, CRM, ERP), and marketing tools (email marketing, advertising).

Scalability Criteria

Magento ensures stable system operation even with increasing traffic over time or sudden spikes in business campaigns. It can handle up to 500,000 products and thousands of transactions within an hour. Magento supports the expansion of multiple websites for various countries, all manageable on one screen, allowing businesses to access and manage data for multiple websites/stores simultaneously.

Usage Cost Criteria

One significant limitation for mobile phone retailers opting for Magento is the high initial development cost. A fully functional Magento system development is estimated to range from $10,000 to $100,000. Beyond complex and advanced features, the need for an experienced professional team contributes to the higher implementation costs compared to other platforms.

→ Overall Rating based on 5 criteria:  4/5

Magento is a comprehensive platform suitable for mobile phone retail businesses, whether B2B, B2C, or D2C, especially those with an existing customer base and a desire to develop a long-term eCommerce system. With Magento, businesses can continuously develop components of the eCommerce system, ensuring optimal performance and sustainable growth.

Choosing the right platform for eCommerce is crucial for mobile phone retailers. An accurate choice helps businesses shorten development time, save costs, and maximize resources to achieve the highest revenue levels. SECOMM understands the challenges facing mobile phone retail businesses and provides expert advice. 

Contact SECOMM now for a free consultation!

The retail market for mobile phones in Vietnam is booming like never before! With 61 million users, Vietnam is currently among the top 10 markets with the highest mobile phone usage in Asia. Furthermore, this market is predicted to grow in 2022 by 47.5% (according to Trendforce).

Taking advantage of this opportunity, many retail businesses in Vietnam have achieved tremendous success and continuously expanded their scale, such as The Gioi Di Dong, FPT Shop, Viettel Store, etc.

To contribute to this success, one cannot ignore e-commerce. Online sales channels such as websites, mobile apps, and e-commerce platforms play an increasingly important role for retail businesses in the mobile phone industry, especially post-pandemic.

According to Debasish Jana, an expert from the market research company Counterpoint Research, online sales of mobile phones have increased compared to the same period last year, accounting for 14% of the total market share. Not stopping there, the growth rate of online mobile phone retail is projected to increase even further shortly, reaching 29% by 2025 (according to Google, Temasek, Bain & Company).

E-commerce helps retail businesses develop their business models and contributes to revenue growth for enterprises.

The Gioi Di Dong

The Gioi Di Dong is a brand under the company The Gioi Di Dong Joint Stock Company, established in 2004. According to Euromonitor International, The Gioi Di Dong is the largest online retail company in Vietnam, holding a 10% market share. It is also the leading retail chain for mobile devices in Vietnam, with approximately 1,000 stores present in all 63 provinces and cities nationwide.

Currently, this retail business is heavily investing in online sales systems such as websites and apps.

• Website: https://www.thegioididong.com/  
• Website Traffic: 30.20M/mn

CellphoneS

CellphoneS is a retail system for well-known technology products in Vietnam. Currently, the business has a presence in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Binh Duong, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Bac Ninh, Vinh Phuc, Thai Nguyen, and Vung Tau.

• Website: https://cellphones.com.vn/
• Website Traffic: 9.08M/mn

FPT Shop

FPT Shop is under the ownership of FPT Corporation Vietnam, established in 2012. It is an officially authorized dealer of Apple in Vietnam at the highest level, specializing in providing genuine electronic products. Currently, the retail chain system spans across the country with stores in all 63 provinces and cities.

• Website: https://www.fptshop.com.vn
• Website Traffic: 5.933M/mn

Hoang Ha Mobile

Hoang Ha Mobile is a retail system specializing in providing genuine technology products and well-known mobile phones in Vietnam, established in 2014. Currently, the business has over 90 branches spanning from the North to the South.

• Website: https://www.hoanghamobile.com
• Website Traffic: 4.818M/mn

Di Dong Viet

The Mobile Technology Company Limited operates the Didongviet.vn retail chain, established in 2009 as a reputable system specializing in genuine technology products, notably mobile phones, tablets, laptops, accessories, and components.

• Website: https://www.didongviet.vn
• Website Traffic: 1.787M/mn

Viettel Store

Viettel Store was launched in 2009 with thousands of continuously updated products to meet the online shopping needs of customers nationwide. With over 200 stores, Viettel Store’s retail system provides a wide range of high-tech devices and products, including mobile phones, laptops, tablets, and medical equipment.

• Website: https://www.viettelstore.vn
• Website Traffic: 1.673M/mn

Sony Store

Sony is one of the most globally renowned brands in consumer electronics, thanks to its revolutionary innovations and product quality. After 21 years in Vietnam, Sony has established a retail system consisting of 11 Sony Shops and Sony Centers, over 160 official dealers, and 70 authorized service stations spread across the country.

• Website: https://www. store.sony.com.vn/
• Website Traffic: 1.649M/mn

Phong Vu

Phong Vũ is known as a long-established and reputable retail unit in Vietnam since 2007, with over 30 stores nationwide. Specializing in the business of information technology products, gaming and entertainment devices, office equipment, and high-tech devices from various major brands.

• Website: https://www.phongvu.vn
• Website Traffic: 1.479M/mn

Mobile City

Mobile City is one of the popular retailers of smartphones, tablets, and technology accessories in Vietnam, with over 10 years of experience.

• Website: https://mobilecity.vn/
• Website Traffic: 1.216M/mn

Clickbuy

Clickbuy is a retail system offering well-known technology products in Vietnam, established in 2012. Currently, Clickbuy has expanded to include 5 stores and 2 modern service centers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

• Website: https://clickbuy.com.vn/
• Website Traffic: 1.190M/mn

Developing E-commerce Solutions for the Mobile Phone Retail Industry

Online business in the mobile phone industry presents numerous growth opportunities. However, to succeed, businesses need a partner with extensive experience in the e-commerce landscape.

With a successful track record in implementing complex e-commerce systems, SECOMM understands the challenges that businesses face.

Contact us now for a free consultation on comprehensive e-commerce system development solutions!

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted shopping trends from traditional stores to online channels. Due to the pandemic, the demand for electronic products such as phones, laptops, and tablets has increased. This has helped mobile phone retail businesses achieve high revenue growth and profitability. 

The “leap” into e-commerce has opened up many opportunities for businesses to develop – opportunities to provide a fast and seamless shopping experience for customers, expand sales channels, increase revenue, and establish brand identity.

In this context, owning an e-commerce website is almost a prerequisite for starting a successful online business. An e-commerce website can support businesses in several ways:

• Maximize Revenue: Businesses can add sales channels to expand their business model, increase profits, and avoid limitations on time and space compared to traditional in-store sales.
• Cost Savings: It saves costs related to renting physical space and human resources, and especially reduces dependence on e-commerce platforms.
• Data Collection: Businesses can rely on customer journeys on the system to collect data, then analyze and leverage it to personalize the user experience.
• Enhance Competitive Ability: Utilizing and exploiting the strengths of an e-commerce website with a visually appealing and unique interface will make it easier for businesses to position their brand and attract customers.
• Brand Promotion: It increases trust, professionalism, and accessibility to potential customers.
• These factors highlight the importance of having an e-commerce website for businesses looking to thrive in the evolving market landscape influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Related article: Top 10 retail websites for mobile phones in Vietnam

Though the benefits are plentiful, how can one design a comprehensive e-commerce website for a business professionally and effectively? 

Below is the journey to build a comprehensive e-commerce website for a mobile phone retail business with two main stages: (1) building the basic e-commerce website and (2) transitioning to building an in-depth e-commerce website.

Phase 1: Building the Basic Mobile Phone E-commerce Website

Define Objectives

The first step in constructing an e-commerce website is for the business to determine elements such as objectives, budget, and time for project development.

• Regarding Objectives: Businesses need to review and cross-reference all goals in the E-commerce Business Plan with the overall Business Plan to ensure the correct and effective implementation of E-commerce, assisting in organizing and prioritizing specific objectives in each development stage.
• Long-term objectives play a guiding role, providing a general framework for e-commerce and overall business development. These may include sustainable brand awareness, the brand’s market value, total revenue, etc.
• Short-term objectives help shape strategies with specific tasks and detailed outcomes corresponding to certain timeframes. These may include brand building, increased e-commerce revenue, enhanced competitive capabilities, product quality/diversity, service quality, etc.
• Regarding Timeframes: To ensure the correct execution of objectives, specific time milestones need to be planned with appropriate prioritization in each stage of the e-commerce journey. Once an overall development timeline is established, it becomes easier to determine the payback period and allocate the budget more effectively.
• Regarding Budget: Businesses can prioritize the implementation of essential components of the e-commerce system when the budget is limited, and later expand in subsequent stages. However, if there are sufficient financial resources, businesses can deploy a comprehensive business plan across departments and stages to enhance performance and achieve sustainable development.

After completing the “ideation” for the e-commerce website, businesses can kickstart the project by purchasing suitable hosting and domain names aligned with the products or services the business intends to offer.

Choosing an E-commerce Platform

Once the specific business strategy has been identified, the business needs to carefully consider choosing a platform for building the e-commerce website. Currently, the two most popular types of e-commerce platforms are Software as a Service (SaaS) and open-source platforms.

For SaaS Platforms

With SaaS platforms, businesses can choose from various pre-designed templates and features to build a website through simple drag-and-drop operations, requiring minimal investment in terms of time and development costs. However, with SaaS platforms, businesses do not own the source code and data; they can only utilize the available features of the platform. The flexibility and scalability of the system are limited, and usage costs may increase over time. Some popular SaaS platforms in Vietnam include Haravan, Shopify, Sapo, etc.

For Open-Source Platforms

With open-source platforms, businesses have complete freedom to design the interface according to their requirements. These platforms offer high flexibility and can be customized extensively. Open-source platforms provide a full range of features and additional utilities, supporting sustainable development. Businesses own all the source code and data. However, businesses will need a skilled in-house team or experienced development partners to accompany them, investing time and money in development. Some popular open-source platforms include Magento, WooCommerce, OpenCart, etc.

Interface Design

Businesses can initiate the interface design for the website on the selected platform by using existing templates or themes available on the system. Alternatively, they can customize and design a unique interface that aligns with the brand image and specific preferences of the mobile phone retail industry.

Developing Basic E-commerce System Features

At this stage, the business collaborates with an in-house IT team or a deployment unit to establish fundamental eCommerce features, ensuring smooth sales processes on the system. On both SaaS and open-source platforms mentioned earlier, businesses can choose suitable functions and integrate them into the website. Some common basic features include:

• Category Management: Control over product data, functions, attributes, prices, inventory, images, and videos (brand, price, phone type, performance, memory, special features, design, screen, size, etc.).
• Content Management: Develop and optimize content for CMS pages (origin, brand, product reviews, usage guides in video form, and success stories relevant to business development needs). Store images, customize themes, and design the website.
• Sales Management: Control and operate sales processes, orders, barcode-based payments, and brand-based sales (iPhone, Samsung, etc.). Integration with customer management to ensure warranty times align with customer purchases. Set up payment methods (COD, card payments, e-wallets, payment gateways), and shipping methods.
• Marketing Management: Deploy and manage various marketing programs and campaigns based on seasons and events (Tet, Black Friday, Christmas, Flash Sales, etc.), especially during product launches by major companies like Samsung, Apple, and Oppo.
• Customer Management: Manage and collect customer information for personalized user experiences, post-purchase customer care, or collaborate with marketing campaigns to attract returning or potential customers.
• Inventory Management: Proactively control the number of available phones in stock (grouped by type, brand, product code, and country of origin).
• Reporting & Analysis: Exploit data and measure performance using tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Pixels, and Google Tag Manager.
• System Management: Maintain a secure and stable eCommerce system. Grant administrator permissions to manage and review the best security practices. Additionally, the platform may offer tools for regular management and maintenance to support stable system operations.

Fulfilling Legal Procedures with the Ministry of Industry and Trade

A mandatory criterion for the official operation of a business’s eCommerce website is the completion of legal documents following regulations. According to Decree 52/2013/ND-CP by the Government, individuals or organizations owning eCommerce websites for selling goods are required to notify or register with the Ministry of Industry and Trade on the eCommerce Management Portal.

Businesses can either complete the registration process themselves or enlist the services of law firms that provide related services.

Phase 2: Developing a Comprehensive eCommerce System

Typically, a basic website may only support a business in its initial stages and face challenges as the business model evolves. Businesses gradually realize the need to develop a more specialized eCommerce system to enhance service quality and improve the overall experience for both customers and the business itself. The development of a sophisticated system requires businesses to be more prepared in terms of time and costs compared to the initial phase.

Redefining Objectives

Similar to developing a basic eCommerce system, the first step in developing a sophisticated e-commerce website is for the business to redefine its objectives, costs, and timelines for the project. It is crucial to explore specific features and advancements within the industry. This allows the business to plan a detailed and accurate development strategy that aligns with its business model.

Choosing a Platform for Transformation

To develop a deep eCommerce system, businesses should opt for open-source platforms such as Magento, WooCommerce, OpenCart, etc. Open-source platforms can best meet the expanding system needs and sustain development alongside the business. However, besides the drawbacks of high development costs and an extended construction period, businesses also need an experienced IT team to effectively utilize these platforms.

Criteria for Platform Selection at This Stage:

• User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) Development

Allows the development of a standardised user interface that reflects the brand’s characteristics and showcases product images clearly and cohesively.

Enhances brand identity and differentiation.

The admin interface should be user-friendly, facilitating easy navigation, control, and management of the entire system’s data.

• Basic and Advanced Features

The system should support basic functions and be flexible enough to accommodate the development or integration of advanced and specific features.

This flexibility ensures stable business operations in the long term and the ability to adapt to evolving business models.

Seamless integration with other software without compromising the performance of individual systems.

• Scalability

High scalability to adapt and grow alongside the business, catering to various business models.

Cost-effective long-term budgeting while constructing a sustainable and efficient system suitable for the business.

The ability to expand, whether it’s adding multiple websites, operating in multiple countries, dealing with various currencies, or managing multiple channels.

• Extensibility

Ensures the system can efficiently meet the evolving needs of the business.

Can extend to multiple websites, support internationalisation, handle diverse currencies, and manage various sales channels.

Ensures stable system operation regardless of increasing web traffic and transaction volumes over time.

Choosing Development Resources for eCommerce Website Development

To build a sophisticated eCommerce website, businesses can either establish an in-house team or collaborate with external development partners. In both cases, a skilled and experienced workforce with a professional work ethic is essential.

In-House Team:

• Provides control and flexibility in managing daily tasks, timelines, and data.
• Allows the business to have direct oversight of its data and a clear understanding of product values.
• Challenges include limited manpower depending on the company’s size, restricted ideation due to internal expertise, and potential development limitations.

External Development Partners:

• Collaboration with eCommerce system development experts facilitates a smooth platform transition.
• Businesses don’t need to worry about the intricacies of the transition process as external developers offer optimal support.
• However, there might be a trade-off between having 100% control over the development process and the limitation of collaboration.

Recommended Service Providers: Several service providers specialize in deploying advanced eCommerce systems. Some notable examples include SECOMM, SmartOSC, Co-Well Asia, Isobar, and Magenest.

Choosing between an in-house team and external partners depends on the business’s specific needs, resources, and preferences. Each option has its advantages and challenges, and businesses must carefully evaluate their circumstances before making a decision.

Improving the Interface

While transitioning to a new eCommerce platform, businesses have the flexibility to retain their current website interface or redesign it for an enhanced user experience and improved brand positioning. Redesigning involves adjusting existing themes to save time and budget. However, some businesses opt for a custom redesign to meticulously tailor the interface to their specific needs, which may require a higher investment in terms of time and budget.

Platform Migration

Platform migration is a crucial step in building a deep eCommerce website. Automation is typically used to minimize errors during the transition. Businesses need a comprehensive plan encompassing features, data, and scenarios to ensure a smooth and effective transition. The process begins with data extraction from the old system and recording it into the new system.

Post-migration, thorough testing is essential to verify that all components and data have been accurately and adequately transferred according to the plan.

Developing Advanced and Specialized Features

When constructing a deep eCommerce website, businesses must introduce advanced and specialized features to support business model expansion, enhance competitiveness, adapt to market changes, increase revenue, and improve the shopping experience. Some advanced features for eCommerce and mobile retail may include Buy Now Pay Later, Flash Sales, and advanced product search functionalities.

Continuous learning and staying informed about necessary features are crucial for system development. This can be achieved through online applications, an in-house development team, or external development experts. After outlining the development plan, collaboration with design experts to create a system model is essential. The subsequent step involves programming features based on the approved plan. Before deployment, thorough testing, based on the requirements specification document, is conducted to update test scenarios and log errors using error management tools.

Operation, Maintenance, and Development of eCommerce Websites

After developing an eCommerce website, regular maintenance, care, and updates are necessary to ensure continuous online business operation, seamless system operation from online to offline, and optimal user satisfaction. Ongoing research is vital to optimize and develop the website to create a satisfying and comfortable shopping experience.

In summary, a comprehensive eCommerce website is crucial for the current and future success of mobile phone retail businesses. Building such a website involves a meticulous process, and each step is critical. Businesses can contact SECOMM for free consultations on comprehensive eCommerce website solutions tailored to mobile phone retail businesses.

Consumer demand for beauty and health care is rising as the quality of life gradually improves. The fact that so many individuals are involved in commerce has also contributed to the cosmetics industry’s reputation as one of the most important sectors in the modern economy.

Additionally, the rapid growth of eCommerce following the pandemic is gradually emerging as a successful business strategy and a crucial step in the digital transformation of every industry, including the cosmetics industry.

The market size for cosmetics sold online is estimated by CommonThread to be $483 billion in 2020 and expand to $511 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.75%. The market size is anticipated to surpass 716 billion USD by 2025 and reach 784.6 billion USD by 2027.

How do cosmetics firms benefit from eCommerce?

Keep up rapidly with the market shift

In the past pandemic years, the global economy has witnessed a sudden decline in sales in many industries, including the cosmetics industry.

People are compelled to reduce their social interactions while social distancing mechanisms are in effect.

At this time, people’s psychology will be more concerned with keeping an eye on and caring for themselves. Due to the unpredictable changes of the pandemic, there has been a sharp rise in the need for skincare, hair care, and body care products to enhance spiritual life.

Due to restrictions on leaving the house, online shopping at the time had become not only a need but also an urgent method of purchasing in place of in-person purchases. That serves as a springboard for eCommerce to take off and spur significant growth in other industries like fashion, grocery, wine, and even cosmetics.

These two elements highlight the enormous potential of this “cake,” assisting several cosmetic companies in realizing and swiftly implementing eCommerce for both sustainable development and market revolution.

Scale up the business

Using eCommerce as a solution will allow the cosmetics industry to shift from offline to online (O2O) business models rather than allowing their businesses to “get lost” in the crisis of the global pandemic.

Additionally, if businesses still do not have a competent eCommerce website to introduce and sell products to customers who love to shop online ​​in the age of digital transformation, they will quickly lose many potential customers to rivals.

This is especially true for a highly competitive industry like cosmetics, but several firms, including Hasaki, LixiBox, Watsons, Guardian, etc., have embraced the trend early and are now the market leaders in cosmetic eCommerce.

Furthermore, early eCommerce development will also provide benefits that will make marketing efforts more successful, broadening the economic opportunities for businesses.

Enhance customer’s shopping experience

​​Businesses must consider customers’ purchasing experiences when launching eCommerce websites, and not just for the cosmetic industry.

Thanks to the use of contemporary technologies, which are quite popular in the cosmetics industry, the purchasing procedure will be swift, and effective, and bring customers satisfaction when they choose to buy cosmetics online.

For example, a 360-degree intuitive vision, virtual reality (VR), or augmented reality (AR) technology (AR).

eCommerce enables businesses to quickly and effortlessly tailor the experience for customers by gathering, evaluating, and synthesizing the consumption behavior of each target group. Typically, this is done with the capabilities listed below: Products have seen, similar product recommendations, etc.
eCommerce provides clients with a seamless experience in addition to an intuitive one across a variety of channels, including social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Zalo, etc.), eCommerce platforms (Shopee, Lazada, Tiki, Sendo, etc.), eCommerce websites, mobile apps, etc.

Best cosmetics eCommerce sites that really stand out

Kylie Cosmetics

One of the most successful cosmetic brands that has a significant global media impact is Kylie Cosmetics. When it comes to Kylie Cosmetics, it’s tough not to give Kylie Jenner credit.

She’s the youngest female millionaire in the US and has been hailed as a business genius by prominent publications like Forbes due to her success in the saturated cosmetics industry.

​​When Kylie Cosmetics was founded in 2015, it generated an astonishing $ 420 million in revenue in its first 18 months. It is predicted that by 2022, net sales will have reached $ 1 billion.

The sensible business strategy, in addition to the founder’s reputation, focuses on utilizing the “gold mine” of eCommerce and launching social media marketing campaigns, which are the factors that contribute to that respectable revenue block.

As a result, the company used Shopify, a platform that specializes in creating websites for the top online retailers in North America, to develop its eCommerce website.

With pink and white as its primary colors, the website’s design is incredibly clean and uncomplicated. The layout of the website centers on showcasing the company’s products.

Also, this is a part of Kylie Cosmetics’ business strategy, which includes releasing collections of cosmetic products like lipsticks, eyeshadow, and eyebrow pencils with limited design and manufacturing to appeal to customers’ FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).

It is not surprising that Kylie’s new collections or cosmetics Cosmetics are continually “sold out” every time it is published because this is thought to be a very intelligent strategy of Kylie Cosmetics, completely different from other well-known cosmetic firms.

The business also utilizes social media platforms that are hugely popular in the US, like Instagram, Youtube, and Snapchat, to create content to market brands and products and engage with a huge audience across three platforms before driving traffic to the eCommerce website and generating conversions.

The company’s inventiveness and innovation are also on display in offline events that draw customers to free product samples. Here, the company wins over even customers who have reservations about the product’s quality, which greatly increases sales.

Since Kylie Cosmetics established its first traditional cosmetic retail store in 2018, customers may now purchase cosmetics from this cult brand at Ulta Beauty locations around the US.

Indeed, Kylie Cosmetics started off quite shrewdly and went on to tremendous success by keeping up with market changes by building an online business model at first, that is, selling through an eCommerce website and relying primarily on social media for promotion.

Guardian

Since entering the Vietnamese market in 2011, Guardian has grown to be a very well-known and recognizable brand among consumers of cosmetics. This brand is a part of the Dairy Farm Group, a company that manufactures and distributes health and beauty products in Asia.

Since its start, Guardian has made ongoing improvements to encourage millions of followers to lead healthy lifestyles and offer a trustworthy, high-quality purchasing experience at the finest rates and services.

With a system of more than 100 outlets “encompassing everywhere,” this retail chain is delighted to be a place to shop for cosmetics “for everyone” who can “purchase everything” and simply select appropriate items.

A clever business strategy and significant investment in successful marketing efforts are the only explanations needed to understand Guardian’s success.

When first entering the Vietnamese market, Guardian specifically pushed to quickly expand its business chain, focusing on cities with high purchasing power, with 80% of stores located in Ho Chi Minh City, the rest in Hanoi and some other major cities such as Da Nang, Can Tho, Bien Hoa, and Vung Tau.

Because at the time, online channels were not really well-known and powerful enough for this business to keep an eye on.

As a result, the company successfully raises the level of brand recognition with extensive coverage from the Guardian orange white wave, taking into account the characteristics of the cosmetics and beauty care industry, which require customers to have a direct point of contact, learn from, and test.
By 2019, the company began its journey toward digital transformation by combining offline and online (O2O) business models in parallel, and simultaneously, deploying Omnichannel.

It is even more critical for Guardian to immediately implement potential sales channels like marketplaces, applications, fast delivery services like GrabMart, and eCommerce website operate side by side with a chain of 105 retail outlets in strategic locations due to the pandemic’s dual effects, which include changing market trends and altering consumer buying habits.

The orange and white colors and quick page loads make the Guardian website’s design stunning. Additionally, Guardian offers enticing incentives in the shipping policy, such as free fast delivery within 4 hours with orders from 349,000 VND, to encourage online shoppers.

The company’s unique product catalog, which is prominently shown on Guardian’s eCommerce website and features items like shampoos, shower gels, and hand sanitizers, is another standout.

The foundation for helping Guardian dominate the cosmetic retail market and leave a lasting impact on customers is a deliberate investment in developing a multi-channel ecosystem.

Hasaki

​​Modernity and growth come with invisible pressures that have an impact on everyone’s life as people struggle to keep up with the “standards” of the times.

However, that does not result in a drop in the demand for beauty and self-care, on the contrary, it is always rising, with a diversity of sufficient options to match customer expectations.

Vietnamese women are among the most beautiful in Asia, but, due to the responsibilities of work pressure and family, they occasionally neglect to care for and love themselves.

Because of this, Hasaki Beauty & Clinic was established with the desire to become a reliable beauty and spiritual care destination for Vietnamese women.

The Hasaki store system, which was introduced in 2016 and now has 76 locations across 29 Vietnamese provinces and cities, has steadily established itself as one of the top retail chains for real cosmetics. Hasaki is dedicated to offering real cosmetics at discounted pricing, living up to its motto of “True Quality – True Value”.

Along with system expansion, Hasaki also works on creating an eCommerce website with features appropriate for the cosmetics industry and always enhancing and upgrading the system to provide customers with the greatest online shopping experience.

The Magento platform was used to build the website, and the interface is attractive with green serving as the primary color tone for the entire eCommerce website and app system. Customers can check current promotions and conveniently look up order details when accessing the Hasaki website.

Additionally, the “handbook” section at Hasaki has a wealth of knowledge on cosmetics and skin care tips that each customer may learn and arm themselves with before making a purchase decision. Since then, the process of beauty restoration is safe and effective.

Similar to Guardian, Hasaki encourages people to order online with NowFree 2h and take advantage of free shipping rules.

As a result, Hasaki will provide free delivery to customers within two hours of receiving orders of 90,000 VND in 29 provinces and cities where the company has locations, including on Saturday and Sunday. Customers will benefit from free national shipping on orders that are at least 249,000 VND.

Therefore, Hasaki has sparked a “green craze” among many beauty fans and is now gradually competing with the country’s top cosmetics brands thanks to its quick recognition of market trends and broad perspective with an efficient marketing mix strategy.

It is clear that the growth of the furniture market has been hastened by the speed at which eCommerce is developing.

Today, numerous local and international cosmetics companies participate in and offer the greatest shopping experiences to customers through the effective implementation of an eCommerce website, including Kylie Cosmetics (USA), Guardian, and Hasaki (Vietnam).

From there, companies may quickly connect with a wider pool of Internet users and generate conversions through efficient marketing strategies.

However, business leaders need to carefully and comprehensively take into account the growing customer expectations and rapidly shifting market trends, not to mention specifically describe a systematic and precise business strategy for taking the most advantageous actions in the short and long term.

Completing that difficult task will take a lot of time and resources. As a result, many cosmetics companies opt for a more straightforward approach to the issue, enlisting the assistance of a highly qualified and dependable unit.

SECOMM has many years of expertise in effectively executing eCommerce for numerous customers in various countries. We specialize in offering free consultation services with qualified eCommerce implementation solutions.

Contact us right away for free counsel and assistance.

Exporting and trading internationally has become challenging due to the Covid-19 epidemic. In order to increase sales and find online customers, numerous companies in several industries, including the cosmetics industry, have used eCommerce.

Additionally, to support eCommerce activities and achieve the objective of growth and scalability, cosmetic retailers shift from traditional business practices to keep up with the general development trend of the global economy.

In Vietnam alone, a handful of cosmetic firms in Vietnam have demonstrated extraordinary flexibility and agility in reacting to market adjustments “despite” the complicated changes brought on by the global pandemic.

The following brands have gained the trust of and made a lasting impression on cosmetic customers by creating professional and insightful eCommerce websites.

Hasaki

Hasaki, a company founded in April 2016 to provide full health and beauty care for Vietnamese people, has developed secure and quick online shopping experiences with a choice of high-quality cosmetic items from many of the world’s leading brands in today’s market.

Hasaki’s eCommerce website was invested in and methodically developed from the start with the open-source platform – Magento – in order to deliver clients satisfaction in terms of comfort and efficiency when purchasing online.

More than 7 million visitors per month of traffic at a very high level demonstrate the wisdom of Hasaki’s eCommerce investment. This company’s expansion of its distribution network increased market penetration, and identification and diversification of the target customer were all made possible by sensible strategy.

• Website: https://hasaki.vn/
• eCommerce platform: Magento
• Traffic: 7.244m/month
• Ranking: 514 (Vietnam); 26,288 (Global)

The Gioi Skin Food

The Gioi Skin Food is another well-known eCommerce site with over 2 million monthly visitors that focuses on selling cosmetics. This business worked with Haravan to create an effective eCommerce website with an easy-to-use interface.

The Gioi Skin Food has up now employed eCommerce in addition to the conventional retail shop method, which has been incredibly successful. This would enable the business to catch up with the online-to-offline (O2O) trend and raise brand awareness and revenue.

• Website: https://thegioiskinfood.com/
• eCommerce platform: Haravan
• Traffic: 2.285M/month
• Ranking: 1,670 (Vietnam); 84,473 (Global)

Watsons Vietnam

The Watsons Group, Asia’s top retail organization for health and beauty products, owns the Watsons Vietnam brand. The company desires to provide Vietnamese customers with the finest shopping experience possible while also bringing them high-quality products that are appropriate for their needs.

Notably, Watsons adopted the O2O business model right away after entering the Vietnamese market. With the goal of dominating the market, Watsons Vietnam invests in developing an eCommerce website with SAP Commerce Cloud in addition to the store system dispersed throughout the neighbourhoods of Ho Chi Minh City.

Additionally, the user-friendly and aesthetically designed interface contributes to the website’s amazing monthly visitation of more than 1 million.

• Website: https://www.watsons.vn/
• eCommerce platform: SAP Commerce Cloud
• Traffic: 1.267M/month
• Ranking: 2,715 (Vietnam); 129,769 (Global)

The Gioi Son Moi

The Gioi Son Moi is one of the places where people go to get lipstick that is well-known and reputable because of the guaranteed product quality and the courteousness of the staff. Every day, new products are added to the site, ensuring that there is always enough supply of well-known companies’ lipstick lines in the right hues at competitive rates.

The Gioi Son Moi also swiftly launched an eCommerce website to join the common playground of the cosmetic retail sector, in addition to two physical locations in HCMC that are constantly being renovated, extending the amount of shopping space. As a result, the website is built on the Haravan platform and has a straightforward interface that is nonetheless opulent and complex.

Also, the extremely high monthly traffic volume (more than 1 million) also demonstrates the company’s successful business strategy in the context of the market’s innovation trend.

• Website: https://thegioisonmoi.com/
• eCommerce platform: Haravan
• Traffic: 1.103M/month
• Ranking: 3,582 (Vietnam); 156,691 (Global)

Bo Shop

Beauty lovers in HCMC can’t help but be aware of Bo Shop, a company that provides a broad range of high-quality cosmetics, from skincare to makeup, at rates that are specifically stated to fulfil customers’ demands for all types of beauty care.

The company quickly creates an eCommerce website using WooCommerce to keep up with contemporary business trends in order to become the top cosmetic retail brand in Vietnam.

• Website: https://www.boshop.vn/
• eCommerce platform: WooCommerce
• Traffic: 1.020M/month
• Ranking: 5,030 (Vietnam); 234,462 (Global)

Guardian

For many years, Vietnamese consumers of cosmetics have been familiar with the name Guardian. This is a brand from the Dairy Farm Group that manufactures and distributes well-known health and beauty care goods all over Asia. In Vietnam, where Guardian first opened in 2011, the company now has more than 100 outlets.

In 2019, the business started its transformational path and parallel fusion of offline and internet business models. In order to create an omnichannel sales network (Omnichannel), Guardian focuses on building eCommerce websites with Shopify in addition to deploying potential sales channels like eCommerce platforms, apps, and fast delivery channels via GrabMart.

This gives customers more affordable, quick, and convenient home shopping options. After only a short period of time in operation, the Guardian website has attracted close to 1 million visitors each month.

Guardian has risen to the top of the industry and evolved into the biggest and most prominent retail chain for health and beauty products in existence today thanks to a significant investment in developing a multi-channel ecosystem.

• Website: https://www.guardian.com.vn/
• eCommerce platform: Shopify
• Traffic: 908,599/month
• Ranking: 4,037 (Vietnam); 188,419 (Global)

Lam Thao Cosmetics

Since Lam Thao Cosmetics’ formal opening in 2017, young people have come to love it as one of their favourite cosmetic shops. Lam Thao Cosmetics is continually upgrading its product line with the most affordable rates in an effort to give customers more options with the trendiest goods and improve their experience.

Along with offering high-quality goods, Lam Thao also runs an eCommerce site on the Haravan platform to enhance clients’ offline and online purchasing experiences. The success of eCommerce implementation has also helped Lam Thao Cosmetics reach a significant number of online prospects, boosting both sales and brand recognition.

• Website: https://lamthaocosmetics.vn/
• eCommerce platform: Haravan
• Traffic: 437,475/month
• Ranking: 8,423 (Vietnam); 392,219 (Global)

Nuty Cosmetics

For those who love cosmetics, Nuty Cosmetics is regarded as a cosmetics heaven. After operating and growing for more than ten years amid market ups and downs, the business is still a renowned source for real beauty products from well-known manufacturers in the US, Germany, France, Japan, and Korea.

The WooCommerce platform was used to create Nuty Cosmetics’ website, which has an easy-to-use interface and exceptional features that may satisfy clients when they shop online. Additionally, Nuty Cosmetics’ website offers thorough information about each product, along with clearly stated costs.

Because of this, despite the fact that there are only roughly 200,000 visitors per month on the site currently, Nuty Cosmetics has the potential to become a major player in the cosmetics industry with the correct efforts and attitude.

• Website: https://nuty.vn/
• eCommerce platform: WooCommerce
• Traffic: 229,347/month
• Ranking: 7,505 (Vietnam); 352,535 (Global)

AB Beauty World

In the midst of the Covid-19 outbreak that was raging in 2020, AB Beauty World (ABBW) was founded with the goal of being the top family-friendly cosmetics retailer in Vietnam. The brand has not given up despite the fact that this birth appears to have occurred at the wrong time.

In fact, AB Beauty World has grown and expanded with approximately 20 branches spread throughout the city’s districts in just two years since opening the first store in HCMC, concentrating on growing eCommerce, thanks to the timely redirection.

The WooCommerce-powered cosmetics website for AB Beauty World features an interface and capabilities tailored to the sector. The website has already seen more than 150,000 visitors in the short time since it launched, which is nonetheless viewed favourably for a newcomer to the fight for digital transformation.

• Website: https://abbeautyworld.com/
• eCommerce platform: WooCommerce
• Traffic: 157,602/month
• Ranking: 3,538 (Vietnam); 169,419 (Global)

Beauty Garden

Beauty Garden is one of the top retail and distribution brands for real cosmetics today. Since its establishment in 2014, the company has effectively extended its retail network to be present in numerous provinces and major and minor towns throughout the nation, including Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Dong Nai, and Can Tho.

In addition, Beauty Garden concentrates on developing eCommerce websites in the context of economic integration. As a result, the company’s website is expertly and systematically constructed using WooCommerce, the most popular eCommerce development platform worldwide, and is ideal for the cosmetics business.

The eCommerce implementation of Beauty Garden is seen as a sensible move since the development potential of this area is extremely great and at that time, the company had many advantages to build a business model, even though the number of users is still modest with more than 100,000/month.

• Website: https://beautygarden.vn/ 
• eCommerce platform: WooCommerce
• Traffic: 127,439/month
• Ranking: 6,029 (Vietnam); 284,460 (Global)

All things considered, the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak has impacted and altered consumer shopping behaviours for a variety of goods. Shopping for cosmetics, in particular, has seen a significant change from physical to online formats.

The information above is a summary and evaluation of SECOMM for 10 eCommerce sites with a good reputation and the capacity to meet customers’ demands when making a decision to purchase cosmetics.

These companies demonstrate their efforts to create the technological infrastructure needed to enhance the online shopping experience as well as their well-founded optimism regarding the market’s growth potential and dominance in Vietnam.

With many years of experience in successfully implementing e-commerce for many customers in many countries, SECOMM specializes in providing consulting services with comprehensive and professional e-commerce implementation solutions.

Contact SECOMM today for free support and advice.

Many businesses have promoted winery eCommerce in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been described as a “nightmare” for many economic sectors but appears to be “luck” for eCommerce.

According to Rabobank, eCommerce sales in the wine industry will reach USD 6 billion in 2021, up 4% from the same period in 2020. As said by Forbes, the percentage of online wine orders increased significantly compared to previous years before the pandemic.

Recognizing the potential of this field, many wineries in Vietnam have begun to develop eCommerce websites in order to quickly establish a market position.

Nam An Market

Nam An Market is a retail chain of healthy food stores that Nam An International Investment Co., Ltd. invested in in 2012. Its eCommerce website, which receives over 100,000 visits per month, was built successfully on the Haravan platform.

Aside from fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish, alcoholic beverages, particularly wines, are popular on Nam An’s website. Furthermore, the online shopping experience focuses on safety, convenience, speed, reasonable prices, and various appealing incentives.

• Website: https://namanmarket.com/
• eCommerce platform: Haravan 
• Traffic: 101.3K/month 
• Ranking: 9,079 (Vietnam); 404,452 (Worldwide)

Winemart

Winemart was founded in 2015 to provide consumers with the best services and products possible. Currently, Winemart operates in two main areas:

• Premium wine brand distribution
• Design and package Tet gifts for businesses and customers as needed.

Winemart’s eCommerce website receives over 60,000 visits and is regarded as one of Vietnam’s most prestigious online wine suppliers.

• Website: https://winemart.vn/
• eCommerce platform: WooCommerce 
• Traffic: 66.4K/month
• Ranking: 17,459 (Vietnam); 730,667 (Worldwide)

Sieu Thi Ruou Ngoai

Sieu Thi Ruou Ngoai is not only an eCommerce website that sells imported foreign wine but also a knowledge system about culture, history, and how to choose, preserve, and enjoy wines from around the world, allowing people who are passionate about or want to learn about wine culture to share and improve their understanding.

Sieu Thi Ruou Ngoai now has its own eCommerce website system, which receives over 50,000 visits per month and is highly regarded by customers for both product quality and online shopping experience.

• Website: https://www.sieuthiruoungoai.com/
• eCommerce platform: PHP language 
• Traffic: 48.1K/month
• Ranking: 16,664 (Vietnam); 735,935 (Worldwide)

Ruou Vang Cao Minh

Cao Minh was founded and developed by CEO Thanh Dung, a wine enthusiast who is passionate about learning about wine culture. After many years of research, learning, and improving service quality, Cao Minh has fully converged all the factors to become Vietnam’s leading wine supplier.

Cao Minh’s website is written in PHP and includes all the necessary features and an easy-to-use interface. Cao Minh Wine has become a household name among customers who prioritize online wine shopping.

• Website: https://ruouvangcaominh.vn/
• eCommerce platform: PHP language 
• Traffic: 45.9K/month
• Ranking: 22,324 (Vietnam); 982,166 (Worldwide)

Kho Ruou

Kho Ruou, also known as Kho Ruou Co., Ltd., is Vietnam’s leading importer and distributor of foreign wines and spirits, with over 3000 products of wine, spirits, beer, Japanese sake, and genuine high-end accessories.

Kho Ruou pursues an eCommerce business model by investing in developing a website using the WooCommerce platform. As a result, the company can easily reach a large number of potential customers both online and offline.

• Website: https://khoruou.com/
• eCommerce platform: WooCommerce 
• Traffic: 32.9K/month 
• Ranking: 52,372 (Vietnam); 2,140,674 (Worldwide)

Ruou Tot

When eCommerce is a new trend widely praised by the Covid-19 pandemic. To keep up with that trend, Wine Tot built an eCommerce website with WooCommerce, which helped to increase brand coverage and reach a large number of potential customers on the Internet.

• Website: https://ruoutot.net/
• eCommerce platform: WooCommerce 
• Traffic: 36.3K/month 
• Ranking: 21,489 (Vietnam); 943,255 (Worldwide)

Ruou Nhap Khau

Ruou Nhap Khau is a wine eCommerce website operated by Ham Ruou Vietnam Co., Ltd, one of Vietnam’s leading import and distribution businesses.

Ruou Nhap Khau creates an e-commerce website with the PHP programming language. With an easy-to-use interface and good product quality and service, the company has gradually gained customer trust for its imported wine product lines ranging from popular to high-end.

• Website: https://ruounhapkhau.com/
• eCommerce platform: PHP language
• Traffic: 28.3K/month
• Ranking: 31,246 (Vietnam); 1,334,043 (Worldwide)

Sanh Vang

Sanh Vang is a wine distribution brand founded in 2015 by Saigon Hoang Kim Investment and Trading Company Limited. Sanh Vang has expanded its branch network to many provinces, including Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bien Hoa (Dong Nai), and Buon Ma Thuot.

Furthermore, Sanh Vang’s eCommerce website receives over 25,000 visits per month, and the brand receives many positive reviews from customers due to its wine quality, competitive price, available stock, and variety.

• Website: https://sanhvang.com/
• eCommerce platform: WooCommerce 
• Traffic: 25.4K/month 
• Ranking: 545,398 (Vietnam); 1,735,237 (Worldwide)

Winecellar

Winecellar, founded in 2007, is one of Vietnam’s largest wine companies, specializing in high-quality wine, beer, whiskey, food, mineral water, tea, and ceramic products. Winecellar, like Kho Ruou and Sanh Vang, uses the WooCommerce platform to implement eCommerce.

• Website: https://winecellar.vn/
• eCommerce platform: WooCommerce
• Traffic: 21K/month 
• Ranking: 48,961 (Vietnam); 2,063,194 (Worldwide)

The Warehouse

The Warehouse is a wine and spirits distributor in the Vietnamese market, as well as one of An Nam Group’s retail brands.

With a long-term and sustainable eCommerce business in mind, this brand has decided to invest in developing its own eCommerce website on the open-source Magento platform and continuously upgrading this system to provide a better eCommerce experience for customers.

• Website: https://warehouse-asia.com/
• eCommerce platform: Magento
• Traffic: 5K/month 
• Ranking: 78,311 (Vietnam); 3,571,809 (Worldwide)

In general, Vietnamese wine brands are reaping numerous market successes after successfully developing their own eCommerce websites. However, the wine eCommerce business necessitates careful consideration of tactics to take the most effective steps not only in the short term but also in the long term.

Furthermore, wineries need to find a support unit or build a highly qualified in-house team to help them to achieve a common goal.

With many years of experience implementing eCommerce in many countries, SECOMM provides free consulting services with professional eCommerce solutions.

Contact us today for free support and advice!

Fashion eCommerce is growing increasingly influential, particularly in markets with a young population, such as Vietnam, where demand for fashion and lifestyle is diversified.

Recognising this, several fashion brands have begun developing their own eCommerce websites to join this lucrative business swiftly.

1. Coolmate 

Coolmate is a men’s fashion business started in 2019. With a D2C eCommerce strategy as the centre for business development, after only 2 years of implementation, Coolmate had a successful capital call on Sharktank with Nguyen Hoa Binh for 500,000 USD. By 2021, Coolmate’s sales may reach VND 139 billion, an increase of 3.5 times compared to 2020, setting the 2022 revenue expectation at 440 billion.

• Fashion field: Menswear
• Website: https://www.coolmate.me/ 
• eCommerce platform: Laravel
• Traffic: 1.5M/month
• Rating: 854 (Vietnam), 55,047 (Global)
• Estimated value: $16,781

2. Hải Triều

Hai Trieu, which was founded in 1991, has over 30 years of expertise in the watch industry. To adapt to the changing industry and consumers, Hai Trieu has incorporated an eCommerce strategy into its business model with the objective of becoming a dominant watch retailer in Vietnam. Hai Trieu’s eCommerce website has received over 1 million monthly visits and is ranked among the top sites in the fashion eCommerce industry in Vietnam. (according to iPrice).

• Fashion field: Watches
• Website: https://donghohaitrieu.com/ 
• eCommerce platform: WooCommerce
• Traffic: 1.1M/month
• Rating: 807 (Vietnam), 51,641 (Global)
• Estimated value: $19.016

3. PNJ

The official name of PNJ is Phu Nhuan Jewelry Joint Stock Company, which was founded in 1988. PNJ has spent a long time developing a fashion eCommerce website to apply the omnichannel sales strategy. Because of the early adoption of eCommerce, PNJ has surmounted the tumultuous year of 2021 with net sales of over VND 19,547 billion, an increase of 12% over 2020.

• Fashion field: Jewelry
• Website: https://www.pnj.com.vn/ 
• eCommerce platform: CS Cart
• Traffic: 926.9K/month
• Rating: 791 (Vietnam), 49,842 (Global)
• Estimated value: $21,007

4. Juno 

Founded in 2005, Juno is a brand known for its line of women’s fashion shoes and bags. Juno saw the enormous potential of the e-commerce sector and invested early in technologies to make the online company more efficient. As a result, the eCommerce website of Juno is currently the highest-visited website in the fashion line of shoes and bags in Vietnam.

Juno has usually cultivated the clothes and accessories area to suit its clients’ increasingly broad consumer demands.

• Fashion field: Womenswear
• Website: https://juno.vn/ 
• eCommerce platform: Haravan
• Traffic: 899.3K/month
• Rating: 1,242 (Vietnam), 80,279 (Global)
• Estimated value: $20,688

5. Canifa

Canifa is a family fashion brand established in 1997, under Hoang Duong Service and Trading Joint Stock Company – a large fashion retailer in Vietnam. Canifa has built an eCommerce business with a reputation achieved in traditional fashion since 2012. Because of its long-term and sustainable eCommerce business strategy, this company opted to invest in establishing its own eCommerce website on the open-source platform – Magento and regularly upgrading this system to provide clients with the better eCommerce experience possible.

• Fashion field: Familyswear
• Website: https://canifa.com/ 
• eCommerce platform: Magento
• Traffic: 286.2K/month
• Rating: 2,537 (Vietnam), 155,488 (Global)
• Estimated value: $8,383

6. Hoang Phuc International

Hoang Phuc International (Hoang Phuc) was established in 1989 as a luxury fashion retailer of Kappa, Ecko Unltd, Superga, Replay, and Staple. This brand has decided to enter the eCommerce industry after three decades of using traditional strategy.  Hoang Phuc has utilised and changed numerous platforms to create the successful eCommerce website that it is now. This business is currently employing the Magento platform – an open-source platform specialised in eCommerce.

This firm utilizes KOL and Livestream strategies to boost market penetration, besides constantly improving its own eCommerce website for selling apparel online.

• Fashion field: Retail of luxury products
• Website: https://hoang-phuc.com/ 
• eCommerce platform: Magento
• Traffic: 258.0K/month
• Rating: 2,338 (Vietnam), 144,530 (Global)
• Estimated value: $19,895

7. Biti’s

Bitis began as a small factory in 1982 and has grown to become the market’s top shoe and footwear brand. However, when user behaviour changes and new “players” enter the market, this business appears to fall behind. After a long period of lagging, Biti’s new CEO, Vuu Le Quyen – the eldest daughter of Mr. Vu Khai Thanh – chose to change strategy, focusing on investing in eCommerce business model to accelerate and catching up with the market.

Bitis’s has made a dramatic recovery due to this new strategy, vying directly with worldwide brands such as Nike, and Adidas in the Vietnamese market after a number of years of losing market share.

• Fashion field: Footwear
• Website: https://bitis.com.vn/ 
• eCommerce platform: Haravan
• Traffic: 206.6K/month
• Rating: 2,549 (Vietnam), 149,642 (Global)
• Estimated value: $8,966

8. Orchard

Orchard, which was founded in 2004, is a supplier of more than 200 luxury perfume brands from across the world. Orchard has implemented eCommerce promptly to tap the “gold mine” of this industry and become the No. 1 perfume retail brand in Vietnam. Orchard’s eCommerce website is now the favorite destination for customers who want to buy perfume online.

• Fashion field: Perfume
• Website: https://orchard.vn/ 
• eCommerce platform: WooCoomerce
• Traffic: 134.8K/month
• Rating: 6,800 (Vietnam), 372,708 (Global)
• Estimated value: $4,437

9. ONOFF

ONOFF was established in 2005 with the goal of providing daily comfort to everyone. ONOFF has advocated for adopting an eCommerce strategy by investing in building Magento websites like Canifa in 2016. As a result, the brand is gradually synchronizing on online and offline channels, with a customer loyalty rate of 80% maintained at all times, allowing ONOFF to more firmly believe in its goal of becoming the leading lingerie brand in Vietnam and a chance to conquering the ASEAN market in the next three years.

• Fashion field: Lingerie
• Website: https://onoff.vn/ 
• eCommerce platform: Magento
• Traffic: 79.5K/month
• Rating: 10,061 (Vietnam), 518,911 (Global)
• Estimated value: $9,289

10. Rabity

Rabity is a children’s fashion brand that was launched in 2000. Currently, Rabity is the sole Disney and Marvel partner with image rights for children’s fashion lines ranging from 0 to 14 years old. Rabity is pleased to have been the pioneer in deploying the first eCommerce for children’s fashion in Vietnam. Rabity is now present on all eCommerce channels and has its own eCommerce website.

• Fashion field: Childrenswear
• Website: https://rabity.vn/ 
• eCommerce platform: Haravan
• Traffic: 12.3K/month
• Rating: 43,904 (Vietnam), 1,972,408 (Global)
• Estimated value: $15,335

Overall, fashion businesses are achieving several successes after developing their own eCommerce websites. However, the fashion eCommerce industry needs careful consideration of tactics to take the most successful actions in the short term and in the long run. Of course, to do that challenging task, fashion companies must find a well-known or build skilled IT team.

Fashion eCommerce has shown excellent development potential in recent years, with a worldwide market worth USD 759.5 billion in 2021 and predicted to reach USD 1 trillion by 2025. Clothing (+12.7%), Footwear (+11.6%), and Bags and accessories (+8.5%) are expected to increase the fastest in 2023.

Furthermore, fashion is one of the “four pillars” of Vietnam’s e-commerce economy, accounting for 43% of all online purchases, trailing only the eGrocery industry. According to the e-Conomy SEA Report 2021, 47% of Vietnamese respondents think that fashion eCommerce has become a consumer purchasing habit.

Despite the numerous prospects, this industry has multiple problems, including numerous rivals, continually changing consumer preferences, pushing firms to diversify models, Omnichannel sales to create more customer touchpoints, and so on.

As a result, to properly deploy fashion eCommerce, company managers must examine various elements, including the fundamental factor of developing a website. Among eCommerce platforms such as Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce, Magento is renowned as a platform used by many famous brands to establish eCommerce, including Canifa, Hoang Phuc International, OnOff, and others. So, why have these companies selected Magento?

Fashion eCommerce requirements

Website interface

The demanding consumer base with excellent aesthetic sensibility is a common element of the fashion sector. This necessitates that fashion firms concentrate on the design of the eCommerce website interface, particularly the homepage, which must be professional and eye-catching.

The disadvantage of online fashion purchasing is that you cannot “See it with your own eyes, touch it with your own hands.” Therefore, the more detailed and colourful the image/video, the more authentic and trustworthy it will appear to buyers.

In terms of the UI (User Interface), visualisation affects the capacity of customers to engage with the website, helping to answer the question: “Has the user being able to navigate clearly from one page to another in a convenient way? “

Another website interface design is user experience (UX), from consistency in call to action button (CTA) or illustration locations, everything should be more convenient to create the most consistent experience for all website users.

Functional system

Many functionalities are required for an online fashion business website to satisfy industry requirements.

The fashion sector is distinguished by multichannel sales and numerous client touchpoints. For instance, on e-commerce platforms (Shopee, Lazada, Tiki, Sendo), social networking channels (Facebook, Tiktok, Zalo, Instagram), and e-commerce websites and applications. When implementing eCommerce for fashion companies, administrators must employ an Omnichannel approach.

Usually, the fashion industry will have a lot of product categories and collections, from clothes, and shoes, to bags and accessories, so consumers’ need to search for products on the website and e-commerce app is very high. From there, businesses should build multi-layer menus and advanced product search functions by keywords or filters to serve the needs of searching and navigating customers.

Furthermore, because fashion is a highly competitive market, the more influential the communication strategies, the more orders the brand will obtain. Loyalty Programs, Livestream, Shoppertainment, Affiliate Marketing, and other fashion-related communication strategies on websites and mobile apps.

Clothing, bags, shoes, and fashion accessories are frequently low-involvement goods, thus creating a rapid shopping cart function would assist consumers to speed up the purchase process, increasing online sales for businesses.

Businesses should construct a feature to help categorise consumers to take care of and tailor the experience for each type of client in the fashion sector, which frequently has several customer groups, such as new, old, and VIP. From there, organisations will gradually use the understanding of each sort of consumer to develop better business solutions in the future.

After all, fashion eCommerce systems must frequently manage high traffic levels during peak seasons.

Integration

Businesses require a highly integrated website construction platform to properly execute fashion eCommerce, including Omni-channel, management system, payment, shipping, analytics, and reporting.

Because the fashion industry is distinct, it needs considerable coverage across all sales channels to reach many potential customers. Therefore, while implementing eCommerce, businesses have to use an Omnichannel strategy. However, to synchronise all data from front-end to back-end when deploying Omnichannel, companies require a highly linked system across all sales channels.

Simultaneously, fashion firms frequently utilise several third-party management systems such as POS, CRM, ERP, and BI, so businesses must find an eCommerce platform that can combine and manage all data information on” a single screen”

Furthermore, companies must vary payment and delivery methods so that clients have more options when buying fashion goods.

Finally, organisations must integrate analytics and reporting tools to provide real-time measurements with the most user-friendly reporting table. From there, firms could provide more practical guidance in the future.

Scalability

Fashion businesses will have many different sizes, from startups, SMEs (small and medium enterprises), and new entrants to large corporations. Moreover, each business will have a different operating model, such as B2C, B2B2C, and so on.

All sizes and operating models will have unique requirements for each stage of brand development, so businesses need a platform to accompany them throughout the journey, preventing the circumstance of switching platforms consumes time and money when firms install eCommerce.

In summary, companies require a comprehensive platform to efficiently implement fashion eCommerce for the long run, including website interface, functional system, integration, and scalability.

How does Magento solve the eCommerce problem for the fashion industry?

Website interface

When designing a fashionable eCommerce website interface on the Magento platform, businesses have many choices, including using existing themes, customising themes, and designing their own interface.

For using existing themes, companies may find these in the marketplace, developer community, or partner for Magento-specific themes in the fashion industry. This helps businesses reduce the expense of interface design, but it limits firms’ brand positioning because the interface is easily imitated by other websites.

For customising themes, businesses can save money and add brand identification aspects like colours, fonts, layout and so on. However, to efficiently set up and customise the website interface, businesses require a team with significant knowledge and experience.

For designing their own interface, businesses will have a “tailored” website for their fashion brand. However, this will necessitate a more significant investment in development expenditures and a more competent workforce.

When using Magento to develop an eCommerce website, most fashion businesses often choose a customised theme or design their own interface to support a centralised eCommerce business.

Functional system

The Magento platform has all the capabilities needed to create a comprehensive eCommerce website, from essential to complex. At the same time, this platform permits the development of custom functions to tackle unique difficulties in the fashion business.

Basic features that assist businesses in running an efficient and seamless fashion eCommerce website, such as:

• Catalog Management: Manage all data, processes, categories, attributes, prices, inventory quantities, and images/videos to operate and optimise the efficiency
• Store Management: Manage product inventory and each branch’s business activities and personnel
• Cart and Checkout: Manage the shopping cart and customers’ information when they check out
• Customer Management: Manage customer information to increase marketing efficiency, purchase experience, and customer satisfaction
• Marketing Management: Optimize SEO and implement marketing strategies with tools to increase business sales
• Sales Management: Create and manage sales, order, payment, and shipping processes
• Content Management: Create and optimise all content elements for CMS pages, image storage, customise themes, and design websites
• System Management: Delegate administrators to review the best methods for website security and maintenance
• Analysis and Report: Support tracking and measuring eCommerce system performance and developing future strategies

Advanced functionality that enhances the online shopping experience for consumers, such as:

• Advanced features that improve the online buying experience for customers, such as:
• Advanced search (Elasticsearch, live-search) to improve the website’s ability to locate items.
• PWA (Progressive Web Apps) allows the website to have the same mobile functionalities and interactions as a native app.
• Advanced SEO to examine indexed web pages, assess the SEO quality of each page and make recommendations to improve website ranks.
• MSI (Multi Source Inventory) aids in the administration of items across several stores, significantly increasing inventory management.

Specific functions are those that assist businesses in dealing with fashion industry issues, such as:

• The multi-layer menu aids in displaying the range of fashion products
• Advanced search to help consumers find the product they’re looking for
• View 360 to see fashion product details
• AR/VR to replace the real shopping experience

In general, Magento can create any sophisticated functional system, with infrastructural development before and after depending on the demands of each organisation.

Integration

Magento is well-known as an e-commerce platform with significant connectivity with a wide range of third-party services, including Omnichannel, administration software, analytical and reporting tools, payment and shipping.

• Payment: Easily link the Magento system with current popular payment methods such as card payment (VISA, Mastercard), e-wallet (MOMO, Zalopay), payment gateway (OnePay, VNPay, PayPal) or COD to help diversify payment methods
• Shipping: Easily integrate shipping providers like Giao Hang Nhanh, Giao Hang Tiet Kiem, Ninja Van, Viettel Post and shipping tracking applications to optimise delivery processes
• Administration software: Integrating with back-office management and operation software (ERP, CRM, POS) like SAP, Salesforce, Ocracle to help operate all processes and resources in the organisation
• Business Intelligence tools: Link with business analysis tools like Power BI, Tableau, and Looker to offer database-driven analysis and reporting
• Omnichannel: Combine all sales channels on the same system to control data and operations from offline to online business

Scalability

Magento allows organisations to extend from one website to many distinct websites on the same system to satisfy the requirements of company-scale development. This implies that organisations can access and manage data from a single central Magento system.

With Magento’s language-switching functionality, businesses can create an attractive eCommerce website with customer-friendly content and languages. Furthermore, the Magento system enables businesses to effortlessly exchange currencies, allowing them to grow into new markets in a variety of nations.

From then, Magento can help businesses scale and function effectively without switching to another eCommerce platform from the beginning of business through the period of expansion.

In a nutshell, Magento is an e-commerce platform that caters for the demands of all types and sizes of fashion businesses, from website interface design and functional system development to integration and scalability. However, there are numerous challenges that firms must overcome when implementing fashion eCommerce with Magento, such as high installation costs, long construction times, and the requirement for highly skilled employees.

Recognising the aforementioned business difficulties, SECOMM provides free consultation services on technology and resource solutions for each company. 

Contact SECOMM now for more details!

eCommerce has become an essential business model that fashion brands must utilize not only to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic but also to assist companies in adapting to changing customer behavior, providing competitive advantages for future breakthroughs.
As a result, fashion eCommerce has become a crucial business trend for many fashion businesses today, from start-ups to “giant” corporations.

1. The potential of eCommerce in the fashion industry

According to Statista, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of the fashion eCommerce market is predicted to be 14.2% from 2017 to 2025. The CAGR is forecast to reach a value of USD 1 trillion by 2025, in which the US market accounts for about 20%, equivalent to 204.9 billion USD.

In the Vietnamese market, fashion eCommerce is the second most important sector, just after eGrocery (The Vietnam eCommerce White Paper in 2021).

2. The advantages of implementing eCommerce in the fashion industry

2.1. Increase the breadth of your business

The use of eCommerce will provide fashion firms with a new sales channel, along with offline commercial activity in showrooms. For geographical factors, eCommerce transcends place and time to allow customers to purchase whenever and wherever they choose.

Simultaneously, eCommerce is a prominent avenue for reaching customers, particularly in the sphere of fast fashion for women. Marketing activities such as Livestream, Shoppertainment (Shopping with entertainment), Affiliate, and so on are more effectively carried out, leading to the extension of the commercial scope for enterprises.

2.2. Adapting to changing customer behavior

Following the COVID-19 epidemic and the social distancing order, consumer behavior has shifted dramatically, with the transition from physical to online buying rising over time in all categories. In the fashion business alone, the percentage of online customers climbed from 18% to 48% in 2020–2021. As a result, it is critical for fashion businesses to implement eCommerce.

After the epidemic, consumer behavior altered drastically, such as waiting until D-Day to purchase items.  Furthermore, by utilizing eCommerce technologies, organizations can follow, analyze, and synthesize the consumption behavior of each target group, something offline purchasing cannot accomplish. This ensures that businesses always have enough aggregated and forecasted data to implement business plans.

2.3. Improve the user experience 

When technologies that improve user experience in e-commerce are used, customer purchases will be made faster.

Visual experiences such as photos, movies, virtual reality experiences, and so on provide customers with full product information and expertise, enabling a speedier purchasing process. VR / AR technology enables people to shop for garments, accessories, and shoes online in the same way they would in a store.

For example, the American Apparel company has used AR to show shoppers more product information, like detailed descriptions, availability, colors, and buyer reviews.

eCommerce allows businesses to tailor the experience for consumers by collecting, evaluating easily, and summarizing the consumption habits of each target group, often with the following features: Recommend products, Products seen, and so on.

eCommerce provides a seamless experience for customers across many channels such as social media (Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Zalo, etc), eCommerce marketplace (Shopee, Lazada, Tiki, Sendo, etc), eCommerce website, and mobile app.

3. Case study

3.1. Shein – The unicorn of the fashion eCommerce industry

Shein is a Chinese eCommerce site created in 2008 that specializes in apparel and accessories. With the motto “everyone can enjoy the beauty of fashion,” the company pushes to give consumers a diverse selection of product options. Shein is currently regarded as a fashion “empire” with a valuation of $ 100 billion – more than Zara ($ 69 billion) and H&M (23 billion) combined.

Shein focuses on the youthful client sector of Gen Y and Gen Z, who use the Internet often. As a result, this brand has used technical components to reach more consumers in an appropriate and exact manner.

Shein created an eCommerce system that included a website and a mobile app to target overseas markets such as Europe, America, Australia, and the Middle East. Shein then advocated Social Commerce, Ecommerce Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, KOC, and other tactics to improve brand awareness and engagement.

In 2021, Shein’s mobile app exceeded 7 million monthly active users in the US alone (Airnow Data), and the hashtag #Shein garnered more than 10 billion views on TikTok (Jing Daily). Revenue reached $15.7 billion in 2021, up 60% from 2020 ($9.8 billion). It can be seen that Shein is a clear example of the effective application of eCommerce to capture market share in the fashion industry.

3.2. Coolmate – The missiles in the realm of fashion eCommerce in Vietnam

Coolmate is a menswear startup that was established in 2019. Coolmate is a mix of the words “cool” and “mate,” which means that the brand’s major purpose is to be a fashion buddy for customers. After barely two years of operation, this company received a $500,000 funding call from Sharktank Vietnam.

Coolmate utilizes the Direct to Customer Ecommerce (D2C eCommerce) model and concentrates on developing its own fashion website to provide a quick and cost-effective buying experience. At the same time, this brand prioritizes product quality, which is 100% made in Vietnam and meets export standards at low costs. Furthermore, to implement e-commerce faster, Coolmate advocates thoroughly apply the strategy of Ecommerce Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Email Marketing, etc.

Aside from the $500,000 agreement for a 12.5% interest, 2.5% of the consultancy shares pledged, this fledgling business has other noteworthy statistics. Coolmate’s sales will reach VND 139 billion in 2021, up 3.5 times from 2020, with revenue expected to reach VND 440 billion in 2022 and an IPO (Initial Public Offering) by 2025. In general, eCommerce has considerably contributed to Coolmate’s development, as well as providing the groundwork for fashion businesses to follow to grow by market trends.

3.3. Yody – The behemoth chose to compete in the fashion eCommerce race

Yody (previously Hi5) is a family apparel label that was founded in 2014. To provide Vietnamese fashion goods made of high-quality materials to customers in various regions of Vietnam and throughout the world. Yody now employs over 700 people and has 90 outlets around Vietnam.

This fashion brand prioritizes the “tripod” of human resource development, product quality, and technology investment. Yody focuses on talent recruiting and culture training to engage employees in human resource development. In terms of products, Yody designs for comfort and convenience, and can be utilized in various situations, such as going to work, going out, attending meetings, and so on.

Regarding technology, Yody focuses on implementing an online sales strategy across Omni-channel such as eCommerce marketplaces, an eCommerce website, Facebook, Livestream, and so on to compete in the eCommerce race, as well as adapting to changing consumer behavior.

In 2016, Yody was selected as one of the ten outstanding young start-ups in Vietnam. By 2021, Yody’s physical sales will have dropped by 65%, but the internet segment has increased by more than 10%. Therefore, the company continues to aim to increase online revenue by 20% in the next year.

In a nutshell, how to apply fashion e-commerce will depend on the size and strategy of each company, but eCommerce is a prerequisite for successful business in this industry.

Businesses may quickly detect a change in consumer behavior throughout the course of the pandemic as online purchasing steadily expands from basic necessities like food and medicine to a variety of other industries like fashion, wine, and furniture.

Also, customers’ awareness of a pleasant, modern, and healthy lifestyle has grown dramatically, which has given the furniture business a chance to go online and serve as a catalyst for Vietnamese eCommerce furniture to see breakthrough growth.

Realizing the great potential of this field, Vietnamese furniture enterprises have been embarking on building an eCommerce website system, which is considered an important factor leading to the success of this modern business trend.

Baya

Initially founded in 2006 under the name Sieu Thi Noi That Uma, the business has only recently (in 2019) changed its name to Sieu Thi Noi That Trang Tri Baya.

Although the brand’s name has changed, its essential values haven’t. It still offers clients high-quality furniture with a clean, sophisticated, trendy design in a neutral tone, and each piece is beautiful in its own right.

Thanks to the wise investment in developing a professional eCommerce website with the Magento open-source platform with an attractive and user-friendly interface, Baya’s website currently receives more than 100,000 visits each month. 

In order to give clients the best eCommerce experience, this furniture manufacturer is constantly improving the system.

In addition, the company demonstrated its awareness of market trends by creating an app called My Baya with a QR payment method and positioning it as one of the primary categories on an eCommerce website to draw consumers’ attention to the website.

• Website: ​​https://baya.vn/
• eCommerce platform: Magento 
• Traffic: 103.9K/month
• Ranking: 11,388 (Vietnam); 526,185 (Worldwide)

Hoa Phat Furniture

With nearly 30 years of market experience and a wide range of clients, Hoa Phat Furniture is one of the top furniture suppliers and manufacturers in Vietnam.

All of Hoa Phat’s items are designed with a contemporary, opulent, and refined aesthetic in mind. In addition to a business strategy that is flexibly adjusted to the changes in the market, the company fully exploits the potential of eCommerce by building a professional and well-organized website on the BigCommerce platform.

From there, businesses increase their coverage and brand awareness on the Internet and reach more customers thanks to effective marketing methods.

• Website: http://noithathoaphat.com.vn/
• eCommerce platform: BigCommerce 
• Traffic: 59K/month
• Ranking: 11,855 (Vietnam); 545,292 (Worldwide)

Moho

The Moho furniture brand was established in March 2020 and is a subsidiary of Savimex, a company with over 35 years of expertise in the production and export of furniture. In order to fulfill the goal of sustainable development, Moho has kept offering clients furniture goods with affordable pricing and quality in accordance with international standards.

With more than 50,000 monthly visitors and a popular Haravan platform, Moho’s eCommerce website is well-liked by customers for their online buying experience.

• Website: https://moho.com.vn/
• eCommerce platform: Haravan 
• Traffic: 53.6K/month
• Ranking: 16,983 (Vietnam); 751,671 (Worldwide)

Cozy

COZY is a famous furniture brand present in the market since 1995 with high-class Italian-style designs. All products distributed by COZY are subjected to quality checks. With more than 25 years of establishment and development, COZY is one of the leading prestigious units in Vietnam in importing furniture from high-end brands from Europe.

In order to increase sales channels and reach a large number of potential customers online, COZY invested in developing an eCommerce website using the Shopify platform in addition to the showroom system dispersed around the districts of Ho Chi Minh City.

Because of the website’s elegantly crafted, opulent, and smart user interface, it receives an astonishing 45,000 visitors each month.

• Website: https://cozyliving.com.vn/
• eCommerce platform: Shopify 
• Traffic: 45.3K/month
• Ranking: 23,596 (Vietnam); 1,033,514 (Worldwide)

Nha Xinh

​​​​Nha Xinh chooses a simple and intimate interior design style for each of the company’s products. The WooCommerce platform’s straightforward and user-friendly design of Nha Xinh’s eCommerce website’s interface amply illustrates this.

Furthermore, Nha Xinh’s website uses 360-degree technology to enable buyers to experience the company’s interior items from a distance in an accurate manner, providing information and a complete price list for each item from every angle of the room and product.

The eCommerce website now receives more than 40,000 visitors each month because of its painstaking attention to every last detail.

• Website: https://nhaxinh.com/
• eCommerce platform: WooCommerce 
• Traffic: 41.1K/month
• Ranking: 15,415 (Vietnam); 696,229 (Worldwide)

Customers can save a ton of time and money when shopping online, especially when purchasing furniture. However, there are a lot of potential hazards associated with this type of business, particularly with regard to product quality and information security, and safety during the shopping and payment processes.

The furniture eCommerce sites discussed in this blog post are well-known destinations that have been active on the market for a long time and have serviced and satiated the wide range and expanding needs of clients.

These companies demonstrate their efforts to create the technological infrastructure that will enhance customers’ online shopping experiences, and they take priority on the development of a professional, well-invested supply chain that will expedite shipments while maintaining the quality of the goods until they are received by the customer.

When Vietnamese furniture businesses launch their own fully-functional eCommerce websites, professionalism, adaptability, and speed are the key success criteria.

Nevertheless, in order for the furniture eCommerce firm to succeed, business managers must carefully and comprehensively take into account the growing client wants and the continuously shifting market trends.

In particular, the task is to lay out a solid and methodical company plan so that the best short- and long-term actions can be taken. Completing that difficult task will take a lot of time and resources. As a result, many furniture companies opt for a more straightforward approach to the issue, enlisting the assistance of a highly qualified and dependable unit.

With many years of experience in successfully implementing eCommerce for many customers in many countries, SECOMM specializes in providing consulting services with comprehensive and professional e-commerce implementation solutions. , repertoires.

Contact SECOMM today for free support and advice.

The desire for home furnishings and design among consumers has significantly increased as life gets better and better. The majority of consumers still prefer to choose and purchase products in physical stores and showrooms, but online furniture shopping is an increasing tendency. Additionally, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on consumer purchasing habits has changed how people purchase, which has greatly aided the development of the furniture eCommerce market.

The enormous potential of eCommerce for furniture

BusinessWire estimates that the size of the furniture eCommerce market in 2021 was valued at USD 27.74 billion and that it would increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.4% from 2022 to 2030 to reach USD 40.74 billion.

Recent findings made by Maddyness include the following intriguing details:

• The value of the worldwide furniture eCommerce market exceeds $200 billion.
• Online sales account for more than 90% of the growth of the furniture industry.
• According to estimates, 8 out of every 10 consumers who purchase furniture have made an internet purchase at least once.
• One in three consumers prefers to buy furniture online.

The advantages of eCommerce implementation for the furniture business

Catching up with market changes

The furniture sector has experienced a significant decrease in sales over the past few pandemic years, along with many other industries.

People are compelled to reduce their social interactions during the social withdrawal period. They now spend more time working, living, entertaining, and teaching at home. In light of the unpredictable changes of the pandemic, the necessity to clean and renovate the dwelling has therefore substantially increased.

Due to limits on leaving the house, online shopping at the time had become not only a need but also an urgent method of purchasing in place of in-person purchases. That serves as the springboard that gives eCommerce its spectacular development and propels it into other industries like fashion, grocery, wine, and even furniture.

These two elements highlight the “cake’s” enormous potential and aid many furniture companies in realizing and swiftly implementing eCommerce for market revolution and sustainable development.

Expand the business scope

Due to the Internet’s rapid expansion and the burgeoning online shopping trend, which is gradually replacing traditional offline shopping, the adoption of eCommerce will benefit furniture manufacturers by providing a new sales channel and attracting a big number of potential clients (at stores, and showrooms).

eCommerce implementation will also help to broaden the market for businesses by improving the circumstances for marketing campaigns to be more successful.

Enhance customers’ online shopping experience

When firms use technology to improve customer experience in eCommerce, furniture shopping will happen more quickly.

In the digital age, for instance, visual experiences from VR/AR technology, 3D product visualization, and 360-degree photography are very popular, gradually replacing in-store shopping while still being fully informed and realistic visualization of products, thereby increasing customer satisfaction during online shopping.

eCommerce enables businesses to quickly and effortlessly tailor the experience for customers by gathering, evaluating, and synthesizing the consumption behavior of each target group. Typically, this is done with the capabilities listed below: Products have seen, similar product recommendations, etc.

eCommerce provides clients with a seamless experience in addition to an intuitive one across a variety of channels, including social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Zalo, etc.), eCommerce platforms (Shopee, Lazada, Tiki, Sendo, etc.), eCommerce websites, mobile apps, etc.

The interesting story of big guys

IKEA – The iconic furniture retailer, enters eCommerce to boost online sales

IKEA, or Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd, is the world’s largest furniture retail enterprise and specializes in delivering minimalist-styled assembled furniture, household appliances, and accessories.

IKEA was established in 1943 in Sweden by Ingvar Kamprad, who started his business at the age of 17. IKEA swiftly gained global dominance with 392 locations across 48 nations.

With the goal of offering furniture with a lovely style and wide application while keeping the price low so that as many people as possible can purchase the goods. The majority of the departments, from marketing and sales to supply chain and warehouse, share this goal.

Everybody works together to keep IKEA’s “vital” competitive edge intact so that the company can publish catalogs with thousands of products offered at long-term stable prices.

Despite being the largest furniture retailer in the world, IKEA has lagged behind eCommerce trends, according to the Financial Times. This well-known retailer started “renovating” its sales technique only when it encountered numerous internet rivals. 

The biggest barrier that makes it difficult for IKEA to adjust its previously successful business model is the maze-like arrangement of store layouts to create an engaging experience of sightseeing, interior shopping, or requiring customers to drive to the store and assemble the components to make their own furniture.

But IKEA has unimaginably succeeded in launching an e-commerce website by fusing cutting-edge technology with a well-organized marketing plan. In particular, IKEA specifically uses VR/AR technology, which is seen as a new eCommerce trend and is favored by many firms, to improve users’ online purchasing experiences.

IKEA thereby covers the sales void left by the prior on-site furniture business model, but the gap won’t truly be felt until the Covid-19 pandemic and social separation restrictions are in place.

From this point, IKEA expands its consumer base both online and offline, and sales are progressively encouraged to increase significantly.

Additionally, IKEA’s eCommerce website incorporates Instagram posts of photographs of IKEA furniture goods that consumers customize, share, and tag with the hashtag #IKEA.

This not only helps this brand connect closely with Instagram users, increase its reputation and strengthen the loyalty of existing customers but above all, quick access to a large diverse customer base from the Internet in general and Instagram in particular thanks to the popularity and influence of this social network on young consumers.

Nha Xinh – The veteran warrior in furniture eCommerce

Established in 1999, Nha Xinh is a well-known furniture brand in Vietnam. It has two sizable showrooms, one each in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

As a manufacturer and supplier of living room, bedroom, dining room, and kitchen furniture with an Asian design aesthetic that favors coziness, friendliness, and simplicity above sophistication and luxury, Nha Xinh is a specialist in this field.

Nha Xinh’s website belonged to the “long-lived” row in the Vietnamese eCommerce village when it was created and launched in 2007, a period in which Vietnam was still getting used to utilizing the Internet to progressively integrate with the rest of the world.

Nha Xinh’s eCommerce website has survived many years of market ups and downs while maintaining its inherent simplicity, intimacy, and sophistication.

Product categories are arranged clearly and harmoniously in each room to make it easy for customers to search, choose products that suit their needs, and get a sense of the room’s overall layout.

Customers can choose from a variety of options because the room’s layout is available with furniture and includes a detailed price. If they prefer, they can even select a combination of the interior and decor of the room without having to spend a lot of time figuring out how to combine each item because Nha Xinh already did it.

Additionally, Nha Xinh’s website has a unique section called “360-degree store” that uses 360-degree technology to let customers view the company’s interior products from a distance in an accurate manner from every nook and cranny of the room and every angle of the product, along with comprehensive information and price lists for each item.

Additionally, Nha Xinh’s “Inspiration Corner” catalog offers a wealth of thoughts and ideas to assist clients in designing their dream living space. Nha Xinh gives home design recommendations in a variety of styles, from elegant, and gentle to strong and personable depending on the individual’s preferences.

Therefore, Nha Xinh is more than just an eCommerce site that sells furniture; it is also a handbook that provides customers with never-ending design ideas.

Noi That Hoa Phat – The giant is committed to winning the eCommerce race

Hoa Phat Furniture was founded in 1995 and over the course of over three decades has made a positive impact on Vietnamese consumers’ perceptions of quality products and exquisite design while fulfilling a variety of needs for office furniture, home, household furniture, and medical furniture.

With a consistent growth rate of 20–25% each year, the brand is getting stronger and reaffirming its position as Vietnam’s top supplier and manufacturer of furniture.

When Hoa Phat Furniture changed its name to The One Furniture in the year 2022, it left a lasting impression on the industry. The brand name change is linked to adaptable changes in strategy. The company focuses on enhancing the stature, appearance, and image connected with the growth of the nation, helping to instill a variety of ideals into society.

Hoa Phat Furniture (now The One Furniture) invests extensively in technology infrastructure to streamline the production and supply process at the same time as it aspires to expand throughout the area and the world. One might say that The One Furniture has carried on the brand’s good core principles and improved upon them in order to better suit the current market trend.

One of Hoa Phat Furniture’s greatest successes to date is the effective use of 3D printing technology in production, which has helped the company create a number of new products like the Smart Safe; sofa and chair folding in the Italian style while also reducing production costs and speeding up prototyping and increasing product accuracy.

Hoa Phat Furniture concentrates on creating an eCommerce website to reach many potential clients that have a habit or preference for online buying, in addition to being adaptable and prompt with changes in strategy.

The firm creates websites using the WooCommerce framework, a well-known and dependable open-source platform used by many companies to implement eCommerce.

Compared to the previous version of Hoa Phat Furniture, The One Furniture’s new website (noithattheone.com.vn) features a more simplified, gorgeous, and contemporary interface (noithathoaphat.com.vn).

Additionally, the business supports the growth of well-known social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok to broaden brand awareness, attract more customers, and enhance coverage.

Plus, the business offers a wide range of shipping and payment choices to accommodate the various needs of clients, making online buying at The One Furniture or Hoa Phat Furniture as convenient as it can be.

It is clear that the growth of the furniture market has been hastened by the speed at which eCommerce is developing.

Today, numerous local and international furniture companies participate in and offer the greatest shopping experiences to customers through the effective implementation of an eCommerce website, including IKEA (Sweden), Nha Xinh, and Hoa Phat Furniture (Vietnam).

From there, companies may quickly connect with a wider pool of Internet users and generate conversions through efficient marketing strategies.

However, business leaders need to carefully and comprehensively take into account the growing customer expectations and rapidly shifting market trends, not to mention specifically describe a systematic and precise business strategy for taking the most advantageous actions in the short and long term.

Completing that difficult task will take a lot of time and resources. As a result, many furniture companies opt for a more straightforward approach to the issue, enlisting the assistance of a highly qualified and dependable unit.

SECOMM has many years of expertise in effectively executing eCommerce for numerous customers in various countries. We specialize in offering free consultation services with qualified eCommerce implementation solutions.

Contact us right away for free counsel and assistance.

Creating an eCommerce website is a critical step in assisting businesses in spreading their brands and increasing their ability to reach potential customers on the Internet, thereby increasing revenue and profit. However, developing a business website is a complicated process with many aspects, particularly with eCommerce websites.

Businesses must consider everything from user experience to operational performance and many other aspects of the site. Here is a summary of the key factors of an eCommerce website that businesses and website developers should consider before getting started.

SEO and website performance optimization

According to Think with Google research, if a web page takes up to 5 seconds to load, the likelihood of a user exiting increases by 90%. As a result, businesses must prioritize optimization and ensure that their eCommerce website is always operational.

Furthermore, businesses must pay attention to optimizing SEO so that the website has the highest possible ranking on search engines using specific techniques and strategies if they want to maximize revenue on their brand websites. One of them is the strategy of incorporating keywords into the eCommerce website’s content, as well as description, title, and image information.

When adding an “alt text” description to an image, many businesses forget that customers can find their website through image search. This is also a significant flaw that results in a significant loss of potential customers.

Furthermore, in the early stages of e-commerce website deployment, businesses should consider hiring SEO experts. They can launch the website with the necessary meta tags, organize the page structure and internal links, create content strategies, design recommendations for cross-device-friendly functionality, improve page load speed, and many other critical aspects.

Marketing strategy fulfillment

A good marketing strategy may benefit the first orders offline and online, particularly in eCommerce. Creating an early marketing strategy assists businesses in identifying the features that must be included in developing eCommerce systems.

For example, when businesses want to add the option to share a promotion campaign to social networks or push notifications on mobile apps from an eCommerce website, it will be more effective if this is part of the Marketing strategy and is planned to be implemented during the development of the eCommerce website rather than proposed to be developed after the website has been launched.

Multi-devices compatible website

According to the World Bank, two-thirds of adults worldwide use digital payments, with this figure expected to rise from 35% in 2014 to 57% by 2021. Although users prefer to make purchases via mobile apps, businesses can still increase conversions if the eCommerce interface is easily adaptable to the mobile web.

For example, after releasing a more optimized responsive design, Walmart Canada successfully increased website conversions by 20% and improved mobile order growth by 98%.

Furthermore, businesses must ensure that customers from all over the world can easily access and shop on their eCommerce website using any available browser.

As a result, businesses will conduct cross-browser testing using Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and other browsers to find and fix errors, ensuring customers have a great shopping experience on your website using any browser, any device, and anywhere. Businesses can hire a qualified third party to assist them, or they can conduct their own testing using a few available help tools.

Implement Omnichannel 

In the digital age, “Omnichannel” is becoming increasingly popular and is an essential communication strategy between businesses and their customers. Every business should adopt an omnichannel strategy to connect with customers, increase traffic, drive sales, and survive the changes of the times.

As a result, implementing Omnichannel enables businesses to synchronize all sales channels for easier data management and increased eCommerce business efficiency. At the same time, Omnichannel provides customers with a seamless experience, allowing businesses to sell omnichannel and increase conversion rates.

When implementing Omnichannel, businesses can use Omnichannel platforms and systems (ETP Group, NEF, GoSELL) or choose one system as the data center for the entire system, such as an eCommerce system (Magento), ERP (Odoo, SAP).

Omnichannel implementation process:

• Step 1: Data collection: Customers, Sales (Sales), Marketing,…
• Step 2: Analyze data to identify issues for improvement to implement Omnichannel effectively.
• Step 3: Create customer journeys and align campaign messages across sales channels.
• Step 4: Check, evaluate and optimize Omnichannel

Diversify the registration of user accounts

Most eCommerce websites require customers to create an account before making a purchase. This allows businesses to store the customer’s purchase history, delivery address for demographic analysis, purchase behavior assessment, sales analysis, and incentive to buy next time through Marketing campaigns.

Regular customers, in particular, will be willing to do this to reap the benefits of having an account on the website, such as quickly saving information for the next purchase or receiving notifications about upcoming big promotions. However, not all customers want to register for an account to purchase products.

Therefore, businesses must provide options for customers who want to buy goods without registering an account, such as requiring customers to log in with a social network account or fill out a small payment form with their name, email, phone number, and address to complete the purchase process.

The eCommerce website system will automatically create an account and submit guest email login information in both cases.

Add filtering and advanced search functions to the website.

Even on websites that do not sell anything, users frequently use the search bar. For businesses with eCommerce websites, the search bar must provide advanced search functionality.

The image search feature, for example, allows users to upload a photo of a favorite item and have the eCommerce website’s search engine return products that are the same, nearly identical, or similar to the product the customers are looking for.

If users don’t know what to look for and need some suggestions, they should browse the website’s product categories. In these cases, the multi-layered product catalog function is extremely useful. In other cases, customers already have search objectives; a search bar with advanced support functions will also assist customers in finding the products they require with a few clicks.

Diversify payment methods and delivery costs

Because online shopping and payments are becoming incredibly popular, it is critical to provide the appropriate payment options when developing an eCommerce website. According to the Payment Methods Report 2019, many shoppers abandon shopping carts because of delivery costs (55%) and complicated checkout processes (26%).

As a result, depending on the product and market that the company is targeting, the company will select a payment method that is appropriate for customers, products, and regions. The most popular payment methods in North America, according to Hostgator, are PayPal, Amazon Pay, Google Pay, Apple Pay, Visa or MasterCard, and so on.

MoMo, Zalo Pay, Shopee Pay, Visa or MasterCard, and others will be particularly popular in the Vietnam market.

Furthermore, businesses should consider delivery costs because this is one of the primary reasons why customers abandon the purchasing process. Businesses can deploy flexible free shipping offers on special promotions, or if customers are required to pay shipping fees, the system should provide detailed information to avoid confusion and create a bad customer experience.

Integrate with the content management system 

A content management system (CMS) allows you to centrally store and manage your written, visual, and document content. Businesses can change or add information, and the changes will be reflected on the eCommerce website. CMS can also help staff respond more quickly to customer feedback.

Improve customer service 

Most Internet shoppers are Millennials, Gen Y, and Gen Z. These generations value personalization, such as personalized recommendations, recommendations, or solutions from the support team.

Many eCommerce businesses are trying to meet this, the customer care department will help buyers solve problems during the purchase, payment, delivery, returns, complaints, and so on.

Furthermore, businesses should add a contact section to their eCommerce website with a hotline number or email that can be easily clicked or linked to the Facebook Messenger application, Zalo, live chat for orders, and general support chat for those who prefer this method of communication.

Improve the eCommerce website’s safety and security

Businesses will be responsible for storing large amounts of user data and product information on an eCommerce website, so safety and security are the most important factors for any eCommerce website. Any negligence can put the company in danger of permanent data loss, and customer information can be stolen and sold.

Google and other search engines will flag an eCommerce website if it is deemed unsafe and has poor security, such as no SSL certificate and HTTPS protocol. This is considered a warning or recommendation for Internet users to be cautious about accessing websites that lack the above two components, as a result of which businesses will easily lose a large number of potential orders, causing marketing disruption and affecting the brand’s reputation.

Furthermore, businesses must register an eCommerce website with the Ministry of Industry and Trade at the eCommerce Management Portal to demonstrate the website’s transparency following Vietnamese Government Decree 52/2013 ND-CP.

The 10 essential factors listed above are those that businesses must consider when implementing eCommerce. In reality, even when businesses use WordPress, the Woocommerce plugin, or a SaaS platform like Shopify, it is not easy to create an eCommerce website with full features that work well to attract customers. If your business decides to hire a website development company, that company must be capable of creating a comprehensive eCommerce website in terms of both design and functionality.

With many years of experience implementing eCommerce in many countries, SECOMM provides free consulting services with professional eCommerce solutions.

Contact us today for free support and advice!

As eCommerce becomes a new trend that encourages a slew of brands to enter the market, selecting the right eCommerce platform to build a successful eCommerce website becomes critical. While Shopify is the most popular SaaS platform, Magento is the top choice in the open-source platform, and the WooCommerce plugin has won the trust of many brands due to its outstanding features and ease of use.

What is WooCommerce?

WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin that allows brands to set up an eCommerce website by adding eCommerce functionality to an existing WordPress site. This plugin can transform a regular WordPress website into an eCommerce website with all the necessary features and easy customization with just a few clicks.

The benefits of using WooCommerce 

It’s free to get started

Price is an essential factor to think about when selecting a platform for implementing eCommerce. Popular platforms on the market today have prices ranging from free to several thousand dollars per year, making it even more prominent and preferred by businesses because this plugin is entirely free to download and install.

As a result, any business can benefit from its features without committing to costly support contracts or software licenses.

The flexibility of the open-source platform 

It is an open-source plugin built on the WordPress CMS that gives users complete control and allows them to easily customize their eCommerce website to their specific needs. WooCommerce, in addition to being suitable for a variety of businesses serving different customer segments, also provides long-term scalability, giving businesses of all sizes more flexibility in deploying eCommerce.

Integration with WordPress

The seamless integration between WooCommerce and WordPress brings many benefits to this plugin because of the availability of the large WordPress community throughout the years. WooCommerce can take advantage of the platform’s massive ecosystem of plugins, themes, guides, and other unique features.

Yoast SEO, for example, has long been a well-liked plugin with numerous international translations, ease of use, and advanced SEO support. Since WooCommerce integrates with WordPress, Yoast SEO also integrates with WooCommerce.

Especially when a business has a website on the WordPress platform and needs to turn it into an eCommerce website, WooCommerce will make it easy and seamless, so users do not have to start over with a brand new platform.

Providing qualified-standard content management 

Content Marketing is the key to an effective eCommerce website. If businesses are looking for an eCommerce platform built on the world’s most popular content management system (CMS), WooCommerce can fulfill that expectation.

When the WooCommerce plugin is integrated into WordPress, many content management options, including Blogs, Landing Pages, Product Descriptions, Email Marketing, and SEO plugins (Yoast WooCommerce SEO), will help sellers optimize content for search.

Providing in-depth analytics

Integrated analytics is another advantage of the plugin because the more you learn about customers and how they interact with your eCommerce website, the more you can adjust to meet customer expectations. For example, businesses can use sales data to learn about customers, thereby establishing a customer persona to increase sales in the future.

Furthermore, it provides a comprehensive WooCommerce analyzer displayed in a clean and user-friendly interface. Businesses can then easily integrate WooCommerce with third-party analytics services such as Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and others.

The downsides of using WooCommerce 

Technical maintenance support

When using this plugin, the user is responsible for keeping the eCommerce website up-to-date, accessible, and functional. In fact, there is some support from the hosting company and the WooCommerce community, but it does not allow users to simply call for technical assistance.

Plugins will notify users of security updates, but users must install and handle problems themselves. In fact, hosting companies will support this. Still, users need to have a bit of technical knowledge to facilitate the process of supporting related issues to avoid affecting the performance of the eCommerce website.

This disadvantage stems directly from the fact that businesses have complete control over the eCommerce website system’s source code and data. Maximum authority entails maximum accountability. Although businesses continue to receive support for WooCommerce issues, compared to other eCommerce platforms such as Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, etc., WooCommerce still has many shortcomings in the technical maintenance support process.

Speed and Security 

With the constant increase in unauthorized access (Website Hacking), website speed and security are more critical than ever. Speed and security are significant advantages for SaaS platforms such as Shopify and BigCommerce. At that point, your eCommerce website is housed in the infrastructure of these platforms, and a team of technical experts will continuously monitor and resolve any issues that arise to keep the website running smoothly.

Similar to a technical maintenance situation, WooCommerce essentially leaves the user responsible for the speed and security of the website despite the wide range of 3rd party support options.

Although speed and security are not an issue for some new businesses deploying eCommerce websites, this is still a significant drawback of this plugin when businesses are responsible for many issues ranging from technical maintenance to website speed and security, especially if the eCommerce site is on the verge of rapidly growing from hundreds to thousands of hits.

Growth and Scalability  

Because it is a WordPress plugin, it will operate in accordance with WordPress functions. Meanwhile, WordPress functionality is not explicitly designed for eCommerce but rather is based on the flexibility of open-source code. This means that when a user exceeds a certain query threshold, the way WooCommerce works is broken.

For example, when a large number of shopping carts are added, or checkout occurs at the same time, or when too many users visit the website simultaneously, overload occurs, making the operation of the eCommerce website difficult. This is difficult because the WordPress system and the WooCommerce plugin are no longer compatible. 

If your eCommerce website is still small and growing, this is not a problem; problems can still be quickly resolved. However, as the size of your website expands and grows rapidly, this is a disadvantage in terms of both performance and cost that businesses must consider before proceeding.

In a nutshell, WooCommerce is a fantastic plugin that many businesses would love to choose when deploying an eCommerce website. However, besides the outstanding advantages, there are still certain downsides, so businesses must carefully consider and compare with other platforms before starting out. 

With many years of experience implementing eCommerce in many countries, SECOMM provides free consulting services with professional eCommerce solutions.

Contact us today for free support and advice!

Today, for businesses of all sizes, eCommerce websites play an essential role in reaching and buying products for a wide pool of potential customers on the Internet.

Thus, choosing the right platform to build an eCommerce website is incredibly important. A good eCommerce platform will make it easy for businesses to provide Omnichannel experiences, personalize customer experiences, offer a variety of services, products, and more to increase conversions and drive online sales.

Some commonly mentioned platforms for building eCommerce websites are Magento, Woocommerce, Bigcommerce, etc. Definitely, each business will have its considerations, but one platform that always appears as a top choice is Shopify. In spite of the fact that the platform is highly rated, businesses should still weigh the pros and cons of this platform before making a final decision.

As a result, SECOMM has prepared this review, helping businesses understand what Shopify is, how it works, implementation costs, and especially the pros and cons of using this platform to build a comprehensive eCommerce website.

What is Shopify?

Before becoming one of the most popular eCommerce platforms globally, Shopify started as an online ski store called Snowdevil in 2004. Later, the company transformed into an eCommerce platform named Jaded Pixel.

In 2006, It was officially founded in Ottawa by young programmers Tobias Lutke, Daniel Weinand, and Scott Lake. Since then, the platform has gradually affirmed its position as a reliable and fastest-growing eCommerce platform in the last two years when most companies faced many difficulties because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Up to now, the number of Shopify users has increased significantly. As reported by StoreLeads, there are currently about 2 million websites using the platform to build and develop online businesses. In the second quarter of 2022, the number of newly opened stores reached 150,928, an increase of 10.8% compared to the same period in 2021. In Vietnam alone, there are about 2,000 websites using the platform in operation, up 9.8% in the second quarter of 2022 over the same period in 2021.

Total revenue in the second quarter of 2022 reached $1.3 billion, up 16% over the same period in 2021, corresponding to a compound annual growth rate for three consecutive years of 53%. Gross profit in the second quarter of 2022 increased by 6% to $655.6 million compared to $620.9 million in the second quarter of 2021 (According to Shopify’s report).

While it is one of the most popular and user-friendly eCommerce platforms available today, businesses still need to determine if this is what they need to expand their business, all the advantages and disadvantages of the platform, mostly the cost issue.

Pros of using Shopify for an eCommerce website

Cost-effective Deployment

For a start, businesses can enjoy a 14-day free trial without a credit card requirement. When the free trial ends, businesses are encouraged to opt for one of the solution packages with suitable features and appealing promotions.

Table list of price, and features of Shopify solution packages.

First and foremost, because it is a SaaS platform, the cost to get started is usually quite low. Despite the fact that businesses must pay monthly fees, transaction fees, theme fees, and extension fees, Shopify is still significantly less expensive than open-source platforms such as Magento, WooCommerce, and others.

The development of an open-source platform necessitates the assistance of experienced programmers and takes a long time to deploy, whereas the SaaS platform is the inverse. That is the reason why starting with a SaaS platform, specifically, Shopify, will save businesses both time and expense.

Another cost highlight is that SaaS platforms, in general, and Shopify in particular, require an ongoing monthly fee rather than a one-time purchase fee to use the platform. This reduces the risk of businesses investing too much money in the platform but not meeting their expectations during the implementation process.

Furthermore, the Shopify platform is appropriate for different-sized businesses in the market. The Starter, Lite, and Basic packages are appropriate for SME businesses engaged in eCommerce. Shopify, Advanced, and Plus packages are ideal for large-scale businesses that require advanced features to run an effective eCommerce website.

Ease of Use

The only way to adapt to the ever-changing market and quickly reach a wide pool of potential customers is for businesses to deploy eCommerce websites as soon as possible to avoid being left behind in the competition of the digital transformation race. One of the important factors when building an eCommerce website is choosing the right platform.

In particular, the top goal to consider when choosing an eCommerce platform is the ease of use. If a platform takes users too long to learn and implement or makes users dependent on external support, then the platform is not easy to use

Shopify has an easy-to-use interface for users with little programming knowledge. Moreover, Shopify is a SaaS eCommerce platform with a pre-designed system that offers hosting, interface, features, and technology infrastructure maintenance, allowing businesses to easily build and operate the website system with just drag and drop without worrying about technical issues.

Simple steps to get started with the eCommerce website implementation with Shopify:

1. Choose from one of the solution packages depending on the business needs
2. Choose a business domain
3. Choose an appropriate theme and template
4. Choose essential features
5. Optimize the eCommerce website and add products
6. Go-live

24/7 Available Customer Support

This is one of the most crucial factors influencing users’ decision to use Shopify. Difficulties and obstacles are inevitable when building an eCommerce website, so Shopify has assembled a reliable and trusted team to assist users.

As a result, if your business requires assistance, assistance is available 24/7. Businesses can reach Shopify via email, chat, and a hotline worldwide. What’s more, users can access community forums and useful documents for developing eCommerce websites on this platform, mostly through the Shopify Support Center.

Security and Data Backup

The Shopify platform runs on PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) compliant servers, allowing merchants to accept credit card payments. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption is enabled on all Shopify websites to secure visitor data, while a backup system allows businesses to store and save data regularly by exporting data to a CSV file.

As an outcome, the platform encourages the addition of an advanced backup solution from the Shopify Store, such as the Rewind app, as it is seen as a lifesaver if users accidentally delete content such as products or images or a video demonstration. To keep your eCommerce website secure, simply back up your data on a regular basis and use a strong enough admin password.

Variety of Themes

The interface is the appearance of a business’s eCommerce website. The more appealing the website interface, the more likely it is to retain customers, attract more visitors, as well as generate more conversions.

Shopify understands the importance of a website interface, so it has made a host of available themes, both free and paid, suitable for a wide range of businesses and fields, making it simple for businesses to choose from.

The free Shopify themes are ideal for startups, small and medium-sized businesses, and individuals. Businesses can customize their eCommerce website according to their needs and brand features by using features such as responsive web design, product filters, and product color display templates.

However, free themes have some downsides, including a limited number of themes, limited design, and a lack of advanced and specific features, which makes website customization difficult.

In fact, free themes are great for launching an eCommerce website. Premium interfaces, also known as paid themes, will be more suitable for large-scale businesses or businesses on the rise, with an average cost of around $140-$180/theme.

Shopify’s paid themes include advanced integration features such as live chat support, newsletter popups, upsell features, faster page loading, and much more. Thereby, businesses can run an eCommerce website automatedly and smoothly.

The Cons of using Shopify for an eCommerce website

Not Easy to Keep Track of Expenses Incurred

The cost of using Shopify, besides the notable pluses, the platform has a small but enough minus to make some businesses hesitate to start.

In addition to the monthly fee for using the enterprise platform, businesses must pay for other costs such as themes, applications, extensions, marketing features, sales, and SEO on a monthly basis with no long-term possession.

For example, to use the Free Shipping & Hello Bar application that offers free gifts, free shipping, or other types of promotions, users will buy for $8.95/month, which means ongoing monthly in regards to other expenses, businesses will pay an additional $8.95 for this app until it is no longer used. 

When there are small expenses incurred each month, it is difficult to control cash flow for large-scale businesses that have to manage and operate many websites at the same time.

Meanwhile, open-source platforms require a one-time purchase fee rather than an ongoing monthly fee. Although the features are not yet available and take a long time to program, businesses can possess those features for eCommerce websites in the long run. Thereby, it makes cash flow management more convenient and effective.

Difficulty with Content Marketing

It is a great way to promote your eCommerce website. Users can use Shopify to blog and optimize SEO, drive free traffic, and improve brand positioning.

However, this blogging feature on Shopify is not as user-friendly as WordPress. Some of the criteria Shopify can improve regarding blogging and content writing include:

• The outdated editor.
• The blog layouts are inflexible
• No categories force users to use tags
• Cannot add related blogs
• Cannot embed products in blogs
• Not easy to integrate third-party add-ons

This will be a barrier for businesses when using Shopify to promote eCommerce websites by optimizing SEO if the content is a core element of the business’s marketing strategy.

Limited Customization

Another limitation of Shopify is that the platform’s interface is customized using the Shopify Liquid setup. Meanwhile, many website developers are already familiar with the PHP programming language to customize the themes and templates of the website, it is a common technique used by WordPress.

Therefore, users who do not have much experience in programming will face many obstacles when using Shopify’s tools to customize the interface of the eCommerce website.

However, businesses of all sizes can still use other useful Shopify features like Shopify Themes, Shopify App Store, Shopify Blog, 24/7 support team, and more to set up an eCommerce website quickly and effortlessly.

Cannot Possess Source Code and Data 

Because the entire business’s website system is hosted on Shopify’s server, the ownership and control of the website source code will belong to Shopify, not the business. Similar to other SaaS platforms such as BigCommerce, Squarespace, Wix… Shopify has a Lock-in feature, which means that when converting a website from one platform to another, businesses will no longer be able to use the old website source code and have to rebuild from scratch on a new platform.

Similar to the source code, business data is also stored on Shopify’s servers, so data ownership and control are quite limited. This makes it difficult for businesses to connect data among internal departments or users’ personalization, etc. Especially when switching platforms, data loss or misalignment is often unavoidable.

Shopify will not assist in the event that businesses stop using the platform for any reason. The only asset businesses can keep and take away is a CSV report containing website information.

Hence, before starting an eCommerce website on the Shopify platform, businesses need to carefully consider the benefits and disadvantages of stopping using it to conclude whether Shopify is the best fit for business in the long run. 

Going by this article,  Shopify is one of the eCommerce platforms that many businesses would love to choose when deploying an eCommerce website. However, besides the outstanding advantages, there are still certain downsides, so businesses need to carefully consider and compare with other platforms before starting out. 

With many years of experience in implementing eCommerce in many countries, SECOMM provides free consulting services with professional eCommerce solutions.

Contact us today for free support and advice!