Before you start any e-commerce business, you must decide the products you are going to sell. You may expand your offline business to online, as an example. You can also step into the shoes of the customers to understand their needs. Tap on trending product-specific search queries to know what locals are looking for online and deliver accordingly. These markets may be wide or niche.
Once you know the products you want to sell and the people to reach out to, you need to know who you are competing against. Identify your top-performing competitors, scrutinise their marketing strategies, strengths, and weaknesses.
Getting to know your customers more deeply is also important. A good seller knows the profiles of his target audience in detail, their needs and what will make them want to purchase a product. You can study your target market based on where they live, age, gender, lifestyles, and online behaviour.
Apart from knowing your customers and competitors, you should also know if your product is marketable. Below are the top three best-selling online
products in Singapore.
Boomers, millennials, and Generation Z individuals are fond of buying the latest gadgets in town. They tend to go for mobile phones with good camera quality, gadgets with aesthetic designs, and appliances with durable structures – all these at an affordable cost. Any electronic equipment or appliance that makes daily life more convenient will draw attention.
Singaporeans are avid shoppers of fashion, and shop for brands that offer high-quality clothing at affordable prices. Any new label will attract the locals.
Online markets are an excellent place to look for beauty products, from makeup brands to skincare essentials.
Stationeries are also becoming a popular product online, especially those that are unique and customisable. Some examples include pastel-coloured pens and shimmering notebooks. There are also greeting stickers and adorable packaging sets that small businesses or event organisers can purchase for functions. Instead of going from one physical store to another, searching online makes a price comparison of such products a lot easier.
As mentioned earlier, you can either choose to explore different e-commerce marketplaces or create your web store. If you opt to go with the former, here are some of the most popular online platforms where you can sell your products.
Formerly known as Gmarket, Qoo10 offers everything you may need, from kitchen appliances and study room essentials to car accessories and mobile devices. Shoppers prefer shopping on Qoo10 because they can find products at affordable prices, save up with regular promotions and enjoy seamless delivery services. There is also an option for customers to easily make payments at 7-Eleven stores.
Putting up your products on Qoo10 can help you drive sales beyond your web store. It is also the most trusted online market in Singapore, so customers will be able to trust the products you provide.
Lazada is one of the pioneering e-commerce platforms in Asia. Compared to other markets, Lazada has a more vibrant and well-organised interface, so customers have a better user experience when browsing products on the site. Lazada also has a strong e-commerce presence in Southeast Asia, which means you will be able to market your products to customers across the region.
While Carousell is relatively new to the market, it has grown as one of the most popular homegrown online market platforms in Singapore, which has now begun operating in other countries in the region. This will also give you a wider target market to tap on.
If you sell grocery products and home essentials, RedMart is the best platform for you. It makes grocery shopping more convenient for Singaporeans, especially those who do not have the time to make supermarket runs. This online supermarket operates on Lazada’s platform.
The online market provides an avenue for sellers like you to tap on more opportunities when reaching out to target audiences. Alongside a good digital marketing plan, be it a paid search campaign or an SEO strategy, you will be able to thrive in the e-commerce scene, as long as you have the right products to sell, choose the right market, and sell on the right platforms.
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