Selling online has become an essential part of businesses today. In fact, more and more MSMEs in the Philippines have turned to eCommerce—but some have yet to leverage digital tools to streamline their day-to-day operations.
Running an online business is a big challenge, and the big prize is there for the taking. 73% of MSMEs said that they need help going digital.
So let’s tackle one of the most common questions that we receive from our customers…
What tools do you need for selling online?
Here are seven essential digital tools for online selling to maximize your online business and boost your online sales.
1. E-commerce Platform
While there are lots of places where you can sell online, such as Shopee, Lazada, and Facebook Marketplace, having your own platform gives you:
- The freedom to customize your website so it shows your unique brand
- A “permanent” web address where people can easily visit and shop
- Control what happens on your website—not some other platform’s algorithm
However, investing in a fully-functional and responsive web design could get expensive.
That’s why it’s important to find the right platform that best fulfills your business’ specific needs.
(Excuse us for tooting our own horn first…)
- Prosperna – Proudly local, made specifically with the Philippines’ needs in mind. With our we-do-it-for-you service, you will be supported every step of the way in creating your online store.
- Shopify – Shopify is created so that businesses can create and manage their online store. However, the cost of setting up a Shopify store is considered expensive, as shared by many local SMEs we talked with.
- WooCommerce – WooCommerce is an open-source software hosted in WordPress. While this is 100% fully customizable, the cost to build a WooCommerce online store is still a bit steep! You’d need to be familiar with coding. Or hire a web developer to help with the setup and maintenance.
| Selling online makes us rethink what tech tools we should invest in. Keep on reading to find out Prosperna’s newest solution for budget-conscious MSMEs. |
2. Digital Payment Processing Systems
The “New Normal” demands that every business be as contactless as possible.
That said, some consumers are still hesitant to pay online due to security and privacy concerns, as well as high charges.
To make your online store accessible, you need to give your customers the option to choose the best payment type for them.
Here are some of the leading digital payment providers in the Philippines:
- PayPal – One of the leading payment gateway providers here and abroad. Setup is easy. Aside from PayPal payments, they also accept credit and debit card payments.
- GCash – Perhaps the most widely used digital wallet here in the Philippines. You can create your GCash QR to securely accept mobile payments in real time.
- PayMongo – From credit cards to e-wallets to over-the-counter payments. PayMongo is revolutionizing how people pay online with one-time payment links.
3. Shipping Service Integrations
Shipping and order fulfillment is one of those tedious and time-consuming tasks in business operations.
Simplifying deliveries will not only save you time…
…but, it will also make your customers happy and satisfied. And keep them coming back for more.
Your first step?
Partner with a TRUSTED and RELIABLE shipping company.
- Lalamove – Lalamove boasts of fast same-day and door-to-door delivery. You can easily book online or via their mobile app. And they offer different delivery vehicles based on your business needs.
- Borzo (formerly MrSpeedy) – Catering to SMEs, Borzo offers same-day or scheduled delivery around Metro Manila at an affordable rate. There’s no need to register when booking.
4. Email Marketing Platforms
If you want your business to last, you need to build TRUST with your customers.
One effective way to do this is through email marketing.
If you use this tool for selling online, you can share more stories about your brand for reliability and credibility.
These platforms have built-in analytics reporting to help you track how your email marketing is performing:
- MailChimp – MailChimp is a user-friendly platform that allows users to create personalized campaigns and automate workflows. It seamlessly integrates into your online store so you can gather data for customer purchase behavior.
- Sendinblue – Sendinblue brags about being the most intuitive platform with its drag-and-drop builder. Aside from emails, you can also send SMS marketing and install a chat window on your website.
- MailerLite – MailerLite is known for its straightforward and easy-to-use interface. It’s a good tool if you’re looking for a no-fuss way to begin email marketing.
5. Social Media Management Solutions
With the rise of businesses using social media as their online storefront, managing social media has become even more time-consuming.
But it doesn’t have to be that way!
There are tools for selling online that are available to help you create content and schedule ahead of time.
With monitoring and reporting functionality, you can analyze and strategize how to improve your social media marketing.
- Native Social Media Solutions – Facebook and Instagram have Creator Studio for managing content creation and publishing. While YouTube has YouTube Studio.
- HootSuite – For businesses that are managing different social media accounts. Easily organize, curate, and schedule content in one place.
- Buffer – If you’re just starting out and looking for basic content batch scheduling across multiple social media platforms, Buffer is a good tool to start with.
6. Tracking and Analytics Software
Gathering and analyzing data is an important part of growing any kind of business.
When it comes to eCommerce, Google Analytics is a free tool for selling online that you can leverage to track and analyze data.
More importantly, you can utilize Google’s unique insights and machine learning technology so you can get the most from the information you’ve gathered.
Be sure to specify the key metrics that you need for your business.
Also, depending on which software you invest in, it may come with its own data analytics feature.
Here are some examples:
- eCommerce – Product Page View, Add to Cart, Successful Sales
- Website – Page Load Speed, Website Traffic, Conversion Rate, Bounce Rate
- Social Media – Conversions, Referrals, Engagements
- Email – Deliverability Rate, Open Rate, Click-Through Rate, Conversion Rate
7. Cloud Storage
To fast-track the growth of your business, you need to go digital.
This includes paperless transactions and taking advantage of cloud storage to store data.
Aside from being sustainable, storing data in the cloud offers convenience, security, and accessibility.
It also makes for easy data sharing within your organization and a faster alternative to transacting with customers and external partners.
- Google Drive – This cloud storage solution easily integrates with Google’s wide array of native apps such as Doc, Sheets, and Slides—allowing easy collaboration with your team in real-time.
- Dropbox – Bring all your files in one place, no matter what type of file. You can download and sync Dropbox on your laptop or desktop so you can easily use it like a regular folder.
- OneDrive – For basic cloud storage at a more affordable price, OneDrive is a good alternative.
Bonus: Social Commerce App
Social commerce is becoming the new norm for doing business online.
It has become a popular tool for selling online because it is easier to connect with your customers and give them a seamless online shopping experience.
But online selling on social media is still a cumbersome process if you don’t have the right tech tools.
Social media platforms are limited in their ability to support end-to-end purchasing journeys. Specifically, with payment and shipping.
Our solution?
A social commerce app that can easily integrate with social media platforms like Facebook.
With Prosperna’s All-In-One eCommerce software, you can start selling online and offer customers a way to buy, pay, and book shipping—automatically and seamlessly—directly inside social media.
Conclusion
The world of eCommerce can be competitive, which is why you need to maximize digital tools for selling online. Investing in the right technology will save you time and money. By streamlining and automating your day-to-day operations, you can focus on other ways to grow your business.
Prosperna, Your Partner to eCommerce Success
Prosperna is an all-in-one eCommerce platform for Philippine businesses. We are on a mission to empower 100,000 Philippine MSMEs with simple and affordable eCommerce solutions.
In fact, we are super passionate about helping Philippine MSMEs we’re giving you a free account forever!
Looking for digital tools for selling online? Create your free-forever Prosperna account now.
