Business trend slowly shifts to online selling

CEBU, Philippines - Despite lots of business spaces now made available around the city, the advent of the internet has made online selling now the fast growing trend in the business community.

This is due to the free advertising and no need to pay for space rentals said Tina Tan, an online business seller who sells ready-to-wear clothes and accessories through the web.

Tan said that doing business online has become very popular and since the budding of social networking sites, it makes their jobs easier and gives them a chance to have a wider market.

According to Tan, business through online is very easy especially for those that have other things to do like students like her.

She said that all they have to do is add as many contacts as they can, preferably people they know so that they would not be scammed, and immediately they have instant customers.

Tan shared that online selling has its disadvantages like the bogus buyers but they make sure that they make a good deal first and that their customers agree to the deal. She said that this is the time they confirm for meet-ups, which they do in malls and crowded areas so that their customers as well as themselves could assure of the safety of meeting with people they don’t know.

Val Carla Vergara, a new online business player, said that she shifted to online selling because it is a new strategy for small business players like her who wants extra income but does not need to invest on a huge capital.

Vergara said that there are so many small business players that are using the net right now for their businesses but the competition does not worry her despite having the same kinds of products like RTW’s, accessories, and toys.

She said that just like any other kind of business, it depends on the marketing strategy of the online shop owner.

Vergara explained that she sells her products cheaper than those sold in malls and she puts the difference of the prices in her site so that the customers would be able to see how much money they will be saving if they buy it from her.

She said that unlike stores in malls and also from other online entrepreneurs who has fixed prices, she lowers her prices if the customers ask for a discount and she also does this if her clients buy three or more products.

Vergara said that the important thing in online selling is giving the customers a good view of the products since they could not feel or try it personally before they purchase the items.

She said that she makes sure she has clear pictures in her site and also she explains the products well for her customers. 

But according to some like Armida Aguilar, a college student, the pictures are not enough for her to buy a product online. Aguilar said that despite online selling becoming a fad today and saves the shoppers time from going around places looking for clothes, she still chooses to go the conventional way pf shopping because she wants to make sure that she the quality is worth the money she is paying.

But Vergara said that online customers could still be assured of the quality through the help of the comments of their initially buyers which they encourage from their clients to do once they have the items.

Vergara said that so far, this has helped her gain more customers and helped her online business do good.