Five tips to help businesses succeed through e-commerce

How do you evaluate the efficiency of exporting via e-commerce of Vietnamese enterprises, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic?

- In the process of researching and supporting Vietnamese enterprises to operate on the Alibaba.com platform, we find that the indicators are developing very well.

Research from December 2019 to February 2020 shows when the Chinese market is affected; Vietnamese enterprises welcome a huge wave of inquiries from international importers. During that period, many Vietnamese enterprises actively operated and received a large number of inquiries and signed contracts with great value.

Currently, Vietnamese enterprises are putting up a booth at Alibaba with many good products. On average over 30 days, the number of inquiries on Alibaba to Vietnamese exporters is about 50,000. I think it is a very impressive number, showing that the current export enterprises have no choice except to export online.

Mr. Tran DinhToan, Deputy General Director of OSB Company, the Official Authorized Agent of Alibaba.com in Vietnam, President of Vietnam Export Support Alliance (VESA)

In your opinion, what are the outstanding barriers of Vietnamese businesses when participating in e-commerce?

- In today's digital transformation, it is often said that large enterprises or technology enterprises have to convert digitally. However, the essence is that traditional businesses need to carry out digital transformation. The commodity import-export sector is a very important industry of Vietnam. The digital transformation starts from many sides, especially the enterprises need to prepare by themselves.

Currently, businesses have a tendency to switch from cost saving to service costs, which mean that businesses invest more in digital transformation to increase their operational efficiency instead of cutting costs. There is an assessment showing that, currently 60% of enterprises perform digital transformation through resources from enterprises themselves, self-reliant enterprises.

However, it must be added that the essence of e-commerce applications is to shorten the distance, create opportunities for buyers and sellers to meet. One of the barriers of businesses when participating in the online environment is weak competitiveness. There are many companies operating very actively, but the lack of competitiveness or higher prices of goods compared to neighboring countries.

Participating in exporting via e-commerce, in addition to the benefits, Vietnamese enterprises also face many risks, even being deceived. How do you evaluate this?

-Going out to the "big sea" meeting "big waves" is natural. In online exports, businesses need to be cautious, especially to improve skills in using services. Currently, many businesses are not in the habit of using services. There is a unit in VESA related to legal advice. They are a very important unit in consulting contracts and terms of enterprises when enterprises sign with foreign partners. Exporters can refer to these units.

Through the process of supporting export enterprises, can you share more clearly what are the key points, even the secrets to help enterprises export successfully through e-commerce?

- I think there are five factors that help export enterprises to be successful. The first is enterprises must have sufficient conditions to export. Of which there are two very important points that the enterprise's products must have the ability, export potential and competitive price. Many enterprises operate actively, but without these points, enterprises cannot be highly effective.

Second, businesses must have human resources and full-time personnel if possible. Currently, we are holdingtraining campaigns for businesses, even wanting to train businesses to become trainers, which mean businesses can train enterprises themselves.

Third, businesses must have a professional booth and post many products. There are statistics that the number of products of Vietnamese enterprises on Alibaba.com is only 50% of the average number of other global vendors. However, the number of inquiries on the "click" rate of Vietnamese enterprises is in the "top". This shows two points, one is Vietnamese products have a competitive advantage; the second is the room for Vietnamese businesses to boost and increase exports through online channels like Alibaba.

Fourth, businesses need to operate actively. This helps businesses improve the rank of their booths, increase the ability to promote products, especially approach the importers in the most comprehensive way. We still say, "easy for people to be easy",e-commerce is easy for us and easy for everyone. Competition in e-commerce is very dire.

Fifth is digital transformation, businesses need to digitize all contact points to interact with buyers, thereby supporting the best sales from marketing, sales, to care for customers. In fact, there are many companies opening booths on e-commerce, but importers access enterprises through other channels such as email, website of enterprises, even meeting directly with enterprises.

Enterprises standardize and digitize all channels, the ability to "surround" the access channels of the importers are very large. We consider digital transformation businesses like launchers. If the launch pad is good, it will help online export enterprises have high results, quickly and even optimize efficiency.

Thank you, Sir!