E-commerce

e-commerce (Electronic commerce) is the buying and selling of good or services via the internet, and the transfer of money and data to complete the sales. It's also known as electronic commerce or internet commerce.
e-commerce is powered by the internet, where customers can access an online store to browse through, and place orders for products or services via their own devices.

Agricultural Products

Tools and Equipment
- Tools and technology used for agriculture process like tractors, weeding bots, soil testing equipment etc...
Consumer Products
- Foods that are consumed by consumers like Vegetables, Wheat, Rice, Maze, Milk, Eggs, Fruits, etc…
Seeds, Fertilizers and pesticides etc ...
Well, all these products can use e-commerce platform to enhance market but depends on which e-commerce model is suitable.

Types of e-commerce

There are Five types of E-commerce

Business to Consumer (B2C)
Business to Business (B2B)
Direct to Consumer (D2C)
Consumer to Consumer (C2C)
Consumer to Business (C2B)
Hybrid e-commerce

Business to Consumer (B2C)

Business to Consumer is the retail part of e-commerce
Businesses sell products, service or information directly to consumer
Like buying a Rug from an online retailer

Business to Business (B2B)

B2B e-commerce refers to a business selling a good or service to another business, like a manufacturer and wholesaler, or a wholesaler and a retailer.
Business to business e-commerce isn’t consumer-facing, and usually involves products like raw materials, software, or products that are combined.
Manufacturers also sell directly to retailers via B2B e-commerce.

Direct to Consumer (D2C)

Direct to Consumer is new model of e-commerce
D2C means that a brand is selling directly to their end customer without going through a retailer, distributor, or wholesaler
Social selling via platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, SnapChat, etc. are popular platforms for direct to consumer sales
Subscriptions is a popular D2C e-commerce model

Consumer to Consumer (C2C)

e-commerce in which consumers trade products, services and information with each other online.
These transactions are generally conducted through a third party that provides an online platform on which the transactions are carried out.
Consumer to consumer sales take place on platforms like eBay, Etsy, Fivver, etc.

Consumer to Business (C2B)

Consumer to business is when an individual sells their services or products to a business organization
C2B encompasses influencers offering exposure, photographers, consultants, freelance writers, etc..

Hybrid e-commerce

Combination of two or more above mention platform as one
- Examples
  - Amazon
  - Daraz
  - Hamrobazar

e-commerce in Nepal

The number of e-commerce sites in Nepal is increasing. Since the COVID-19 outbreak and the start of lockdown situations in the world including Nepal, many small and big businesses have started providing their services online
40,000 registered e-commerce sites in Nepal as per the statics of August 2020 and growing on a daily basis
List of some popular e-commerce in Nepal
- Daraz Nepal
- Smartdoko
- Sastodeal
- Muncha
- Hamro bazar
- Khetifood
- Metrotarkari
- Okdam

Advantages and Disadvantages of e-commerce

Advantages
- Easily Accessible
- Availability
- Accessibility
- International Reach
- Product Recommendation & Personalization
Disadvantages
- Internet Speed
- Not being able to see or touch
- Limited Customer support
- Security

Challenges Implementing e-commerce in Nepal

The Global Problem- Missing the touch and feel of products you are buying – Nepali E-commerce platforms also face same problem
Literacy of Technology and Technology advancement
Lack of proper street maps can cause major problem on delivery of products
Lack of technology and algorithm to study Consumer behavior
Traditional shopping habit – going in group – another challenge for e-commerce
Product Quality and user’s dissatisfaction
Lack of trust
Lack of Proper Supply Chain Management
Lack of Proper Support System
Lack of Proper Polices and regulations
Unhealthy Competition

e-commerce Marketing

e-commerce marketing is the process of driving traffic to your brand, converting traffic to sales and making your brand visible to the masses.
e-commerce marketing ideas are dynamic- as the industry evolves and audiences change, your strategy must too, so that you always achieve the best Return of Investment (ROI) rates.
To build the right marketing strategy for your e-commerce business, put down precisely what your brand’s goal and objectives are and what your mission is

Optimizing e-commerce Market

Personalize Your Customers’ Experience
Make your website mobile friendly
Live Chat and Support System
Publish Blogs and Newsletters
Post on Social Media
Site Loading Speed
Use High-Quality Photographs and Good Product Descriptions
Focus on Consistent and Unique Content
Build Advertising Strategies
Implement User-Generated Content
Improving your conversion rate
Getting more organic search traffic
Increasing Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)
Lowering Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
Map the customer journey
Identify Your Target Audience

Strategy for Strengthening of e-commerce marketing

Social Media Marketing Strategies for e-commerce Business
Email Marketing Strategies for e-commerce Business
Content Marketing Strategies for e-commerce Business
Search Engine Marketing Strategies for e-commerce Business
Search Engine Optimization Strategies for e-commerce Business
Influencer Marketing Strategies for e-commerce Business
User Experience Strategies for e-commerce Business

Social Media Marketing Strategies for e-commerce

Nowadays, social media platforms have made it that much easier for e-commerce businesses to create and maintain their presence.
Using social media marketing for your e-commerce business has its benefits- mainly fueling user engagement and driving sales. User engagement involves likes, shares, comments and general interaction on your posts and this helps to cement your brand in people’s minds.
Social media is conducive to e-commerce marketing and shouldn’t be overlooked. However, these platforms are primarily visual-focused, so ensure your posts and promotions are in more visually-stimulating formats, like videos, infographics, and photos, rather than just plain text.

Email Marketing Strategies for e-commerce

Emails reach your audience directly in their inboxes and therefore, can nurture leads and increase sales.
We can use emails in different ways- to introduce your brand, inform them of new products, provide insights on the general e-commerce market or share some brand news.
It also serves as a reminder that your e-commerce platform exists and reinforces that knowledge with every follow-up email.

Content Marketing Strategies for e-commerce

Content marketing focuses on creating and making available relevant, interesting, helpful, value-added content consistently to cultivate a loyal audience.
This strategy involves creation and usage of content to drive traffic, convert leads to sales and establish you as a frontrunner of the segment, both in terms of knowledge and reach. This strategy has become a priority for both B2B and B2C businesses.
Some of the most common ones are blogs, whitepapers, e-books, case studies, guides, graphics, press releases and more.

Search Engine Marketing Strategies for e-commerce

Commonly known as SEM, Search Engine Marketing deals with advertising your presence online- specifically, on search engines
SEM advertises your business to a search engine user at the time they need it the most. This is done through keywords
While SEM is a paid strategy, it is important for increasing a business’s reach, especially if they’re new and want to attract leads and sales fast.

Search Engine Optimization Strategies for e-commerce

SEO means optimizing your web content to make sure it’s most likely to appear as a top result when a user searches for a keyword on a search engine.
It aims to drive traffic to your business but picks from the best of targets so that you have both high-quality and high-quantity click-throughs.
Search Engine Optimization also falls under the larger umbrella of Search Engine Marketing- however, there are some key differences. SEM is paid, but SEO is organic, which means there’s generally no costs directly channeled into producing results.

Influencer Marketing Strategies for e-commerce

Influencers are popular non-celebrity individuals with a large following on social media or blogs and who can affect the purchasing decisions of their audience.
Authenticity is key, so by building a mutually symbiotic relationship with the right influencers, you inevitably gain their audience’s trust as well, as they look up to them.
Influencers have a niche and a target audience they actively engage and are now considered by many as more trustworthy

User Experience Strategies for e-commerce

Most of the above strategies are aimed at driving traffic to your e-commerce website. What comes next is making the experience of being on your website the best possible, from start to check out.
Good UX begins with understanding what your users might want to see and access and what you have to offer in turn.
UX strategy has many touch points that you’ll need to cover to get to the perfect user experience, right from the color palette and font size to the display of products and the payment portal.
Accessibility is the key

Conclusion

As we have seen what e-commerce is, it’s types, advantages & disadvantages, e-commerce marketing tips and strategy for further enhancement of e-commerce market in Nepal.

We can conclude that agricultural products e-commerce platform is good choice for both farmers and consumers, if we can follow marketing tips, strategy and minimize implementing e-commerce risk.

Thank You.

Strengthening e-commerce Marketing of Agriculture Products in Nepal

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