The main challenge for ecommerce players in malaysia is the pm and whatsapp culture.
Many who try to switch to ecommerce platforms complain when customers prefer to place orders on whatsapp instead of buying directly on ecommerce websites.
This complaint is heard from almost everyone I meet.
Some have given up on ecommerce, some still have the spirit to try.
I had a similar situation when I was at bookcafe.
This case study is based on my own experience and I hope you can get input & inspiration from my story.
If you want to read a little about my history and bookcafe, you can read more here .
My story & bookcafe
The story is, I have been at bookcafe since 2011, which is the same year pts bookcafe sdn bhd was established. The bookcafe.Com.My website actually existed long before that. So starting in 2011, bookcafe started operating under its own company, combined with the pts showroom sales unit (then separated again around 2014-2015 as I recall.
I was the only staff managing the ecommerce bookcafe website
I still remember monthly sales at bookcafe.Com.My. At that time were only around rm10,000 a month.
As the only ecommerce staff, I am forced to manage. All aspects of bookcafe operations from stock pickup (in the warehouse), order pickup, product. Key-in into the system, order packing, marketing, design, promotion, sales, customer. Service telephone list up to the key- in data into the accounting system.
I am busy with all the multitasking tasks that require. Mentality shifting almost every hour to allow all the work to run smoothly.
Key-in data into the accounting system, for example, is very delicate and needs to be done carefully.
What does this story have to do with our topic today
In 2011, awareness about purchasing on ecommerce websites in malaysia was still weak. Major ecommerce players like lazada, 11street, shopee are still missing.
Every day I received many sms, emails, telephone calls, (at that time whatsapp was still not popular in malaysia) prospects who wanted to buy books.
Since I am too busy with the BTC Database EU above work, to be honest I don’t have time to serve all the customers.
So what I did was:
Make an online purchase guide at bookcafe in writing complete with screenshots step by step
Make an online purchase guide at bookcafe in the form of a video (using screencasting software)
Then I give this guide to all prospects who ask to buy books not through the website.
There are also customers who call and plead to buy directly. I had to guide this customer one by one from the step of opening the website to the payment step. Once the purchase process is complete, the customer will usually say.