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Sell ??online without investing in marketing
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There is no doubt. We are in the best time to sell online. A big and small. There are more opportunities than ever for large firms and small companies, even without a proper online trading.
I say the revolution has occurred in the past two years on two key issues for companies of all sizes. One is the development of mobile as main access to online content and products. In Spain and there are 13.96 million of mobile broadband connections, rather than fixed lines. Now more than ever, the Internet user can access the network from anywhere and at any time (which opens an infinite number of business opportunities for SMEs via geolocation and electronic commerce).The second, which must take into account SMEs, is that in just two years have multiplied like mushrooms businesses that allow small businesses to reach millions of users without investing in SEO or online marketing. Something that we know, is not available to all small businesses.
In the last two years have seen the boom of the collective buying platforms, such Groupon, Groupalia, LetsBonus, and more modest and specialized as the Holder (in restoration) and Oferta.me, Mequedouno or Sibaritic (in products).
Many know already that the problem of these platforms is that they require a substantial price reductions, between 20 and 80%, and that must be added that the commission also substantial carried many of them, between 5% ( the least) and 50% (the most), which often makes it unprofitable. The sacrifice is made by the marketing efforts made by these platforms to raise awareness of small businesses and their offers to thousands (sometimes millions) of customers. Of these new sales channels Entrepreneurs publish a report in March, which destripamos profitable forms of the presence in them.
But with this post I want to go a little further and talk of new business models that can do the same work without charging a brokerage toll so high.1. Platforms – no commissions or coupons. An example Oferta.me, that does not charge commissions because their business model is not an intermediary and do charge for marketing, but they are the ones who sell. Customers make reservations from a range offered by the provider itself, and orders placed on products they buy and sell stores. The advantage of this model for SMEs is that in addition to not requiring large discounts or charge fees, they can control what really sold. They are actual sales, coupons not redeemed within three to six months, as the other platforms. The downside, of course, is that they have fewer users than giants such as Groupon and LetBonus, but we said we talked about business models that start or do not have much margin of profit.
Another variant is the collective buying platforms where consumers are those who seek the best suppliers for their goals. Here there are specialized by product, like car insurance (Segurbonus), food (Wholeshare) or for all types of businesses (Agrupa2).2. Aggregators offer. They are the type websites or Compraengrupo ClicPlan in which no fee is charged to suppliers, because their customers are buying platforms collectively. Its main advantage is that segment offers by cities and product categories.
3. Marketplace or microtiendas platforms. Neither paid to suppliers and can offer many SMEs the opportunity to access highly segmented customers, if chosen well. Examples of these intermediaries are Adzarus, a platform that allows 100% free to advertise products microtiendas create unlimited items and cost zero. Although in this case the supply is much more varied than other options such as Alice or Ulabox specializing in food; Mumumio for organic food products; Pinterest for craft products …
4. Comparators offers. They offer good options for small businesses with a personal offer and not just price, which is the first thing that comes to mind when we compare. Here, a platform that just came in Spain and will develop, secure, in short, is Shoppydoo, the number one price comparison of Italy. For designer labels, perfect for the excellent shopping experience that provides users with: via, its website, Dreezy.
5. Vertical social networks. Obviously, they are also a good platform because they allow to reach a community that gathers around a hobby, kind Bkool (sports) or to a vital problem, as Vitaetnatura (for women with problems conceiving).
6. Foreign markets. Not to mention the platforms for B2B market that have been created to bring together SMEs deals who want to leave out, as Tradewithspain, designed for Spanish agri-food exporters, or Retailmeetingpoint, yes, you guessed it, for the retail sector.
And sure there’s more, many more that I forget now. But the idea is clear, there has never been so few barriers to entry for public access large as a small business. Are new forms of access to potential customers, each with its peculiarities, advantages and disadvantages that each will be analyzed. Because in the end, free, free what is said, is no. Obvious.
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