Why Online Shopping.....?

E-commerce was one big flop years ago when it hit India. Imagine a time when I paid Rs 50 for 30 mins at a cyber cafe to surf, who even thought I would spend money to surf and then buy without proper internet banking and no clue how good were the courier services at that time.

Anyway forget the past. Why online shopping today?
1. Absolute access to net- You have access to the internet anywhere and anytime and we all are now only virtually connected  in most cases. Most places also have WiFi now.
2. Convenient Pay options- Its not just about having a credit card, you can pay cash on delivery (COD). That reduces the risk factor of 'ohh I paid now don't know if I will get my parcel or not?' or even the fear of sharing your bank details online. Imagine, www.myntra.com doing such a huge media advertisement about having COD on its purchases check http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vCnL17KHpA&feature=youtube_gdata
3. Options Galore- For the kind of options I get in a single category is mind boggling. I mean how many shops I would have to visit to see such a number and variety? Can you physically go through 2000 pairs of shoes? Online shops like www.jabong.com, www.urbantouch.com, etc. have a large collection of products.

4. Physical Shopping of Past aiding online shopping- There is a immediate connect to brands that we have purchased in the past. Like if I have to pick footwear I would be a little more comfortable to buy Catwalk which I have purchased before and aware of the size and fit. The fit is something that is very essential especially in products such as innerwear. Go through the size charts carefully before shopping. Most brands now having their own online shops to aid their existing customers enjoy online shopping for e.g. http://www.shoppersstop.com.

5. Less Time Consuming- Since we are now more or less net savvy, browsing, comparing, choosing is just a click away and so is online shopping. Unlike physical shopping where we have to plan, travel, scout and decide. This is very good in case of buying mobile phones where you can immediately compare prices and features. Check www.flipkart.com

6. Better Return Policies- The fact that we don't physically touch and feel the product before shopping online, the assurance of return policy really helps. I actually returned an entire set of cooking utensils purchased through  http://www.starcj.com because of bad quality, but the good thing they came and picked it up and sent me the refund cheque. Though the entire refund process took over a month.
7. Best Offers- Online shopping usually not be based need shopping but could be about making best of the deals. Like I purchased a potli bag (which I was desiring to buy for a long time now) on http://www.craftsvilla.com/ramganj-mayor.html which is actually priced at Rs 250/- but they had a flash discount and I got it for just Rs 89/-. So, keep yourself in touch with these online shops their FB pages to grab such deals.
8. Dedicated Discounted Online Shops- They are officially selling brands on discount only. You can browse through them on daily basis. They have ongoing discounts every 3-4 days. You can register for their email alerts and you never know you could just buy what you always desired for an unbelievable price.
www.fashionandyou.com
www.99labels.com

9. Theme Online Shops- You are looking out for designer products, baby and kids products, handmade products,  you have sites specially catering to each category also. Like www.hoopos.com and babyoye.com cater specifically to baby and kids products and have advertised well saying mom's can buy whatever they need just sitting at home and not worried about leaving or carrying their kid around to buy baby essentials. www.itshandmade.in sells only handmade products and www.craftsvilla.com is a place to explore Indian handicrafts.

10. Comparatively Cheap- If reviewed carefully, you save money which you otherwise would end of spending when you physically go out shopping on things like travelling, entertainment and food. Here you are sitting at home and doing your shopping. At an average you spend only about Rs50-Rs60 on basic domestic shipping which is very cheap considering you end up spending not less than Rs 100 even if you step out of home. And some websites offer free shipping too.
11. Anything from anywhere- You reside in a small town but now you could buy things that are available only in metros and not only that you can buy a product even residing abroad and get them delivered to you door step. Like Craftsvilla and shopo.in ship international

Ok, there are indeed a lot of benefits of shopping online and I personally do see a steady growth in the trend of shopping online. But what would happen to the huge malls that have come up recently. Im sure when it is about going out with friends, enjoying a day out, eating out, shopping would be a part of it. And I see people have a little larger trust factor now when it comes to online shopping which would benefit eCommerce immensely.

Being an online shopper myself, Ive seen a Flipside too..
1. Waiting period- Unlike physical shopping, you get the products there and then take them home or even wear them immediately, that is practically impossible online. Though www.fashionandyou.com has a section called Express sales where they promise shipping within 24 hrs, but that too is a waiting.

2. Fragile products- There is always a risk when shopping for fragile items. However good the packaging may be there is a risk involved, and this made lead to returning the products and refund, which spoils the whole fun of buying a thing. My bhabhi who is dealing in ceramics finds it a challenge to ship products beyond her local area because the products are fragile.
3. Photo based Viewing- You have to completely rely on the photos of the products and at times there is a discrepancy when it comes to actual material, size or colour. However, most cases there is a detailed description if not there are some sites where you can communicate with the seller and check on the product.
4. Undue Delays- Sharing my own experience. I wanted to send a Mother's Day gift to my mom residing in Bangalore. Shopped on craftsvilla and paid online, but the product reached her after 2 weeks. The reason being the address was far from the main city and the courier guys do not cater to that area. It was disappointing but post that I learnt and for my nephew's birthday I gave my brother's office address which was in the main city and the product reached exactly on his birthday.

There could be some disadvantages but definitely online shopping is going to be a life saver for people who are time stressed and location bound. Try and see it today itself...:-)

Happy Virtual Shopping..:-)

(psst... I personally support online shopping as I myself have 4 online shops...hehhee ;-)

Birth of Soulfulsaai

Now that Soulfulsaai is 6 mnths old, and quite visible, I felt to penned down the journey, though short but has been very novel yet fulfilling. 

In the last one month, Ive been approached by people having a similar urge I experienced about a year back, to explore the creative thoughts. 

While troubleshooting their queries suddenly made me realise I indeed have paved a unique path to put to use my ideas and also earn through them. Feeling very proud about myself and even realising how useful it would be to share my experiences with my thoughtmates (my own word for people whose thought fall in the same class).

So, lets start from the beginning.....

The first hairclip I made.

Conception

Etsy, ( www.etsy.com ) that's the word. Post me quitting my full time job as the Editor of a Fashion Magazine, I spent hours n hours online, practically just trying to not lose out on what is happening around. 

I eventually opened a twitter account. In twitter you need to have a name which is called a Twitter handle. And that is where the name Soulfulsaai actually took birth. Soulfulsaai was actually my twitter handle, which I eventually went on to you use as the brand name for my products simply because every product I make has a part of my soul in it.

Logo

Keep it simple and rather something that states your brand image. You could take the help of a designer. In my case I did it myself.

Etsy Shop

I met some very good online friends can say soul sisters. Nandita Iyer (a Food blogger herself http://saffrontrail.blogspot.com/ ) shared a link on etsy and I plunged into the creative ocean. I surfed and surfed aimlessly. But did realise off all the products I surfed, I started liking a particular segment-Hair Accessories.  I went to the nearby malls to check out what type of Hair Accessories are presently being sold and what is the price range. Then decided to check how the individual designers open shops on this site, and realized it much simpler than opening a bank account. 

My 1st online sale on Craftsvilla

1. You have a unique handmade product. (could be anything from hand-printed fabric to furniture to accessories..)

2. Photograph it in the most appealing (Etsy even has online videos and blog on photography tips). A FB friend Sandhya Menon was kind enough to have a look at my photos and share some valuable tips to improve them. Trust me I do not know photoshop and all my photos are just clicked, cropped, resized and uploaded.  For the compliment I got from my cousin a fashion photographer I always pat myself to do a good job with a simple 14 mega pixel Nikon Cool Pix. You click your photos in natural reflected light without flash. This will give you photos in actual colours. 

1st international sale on Etsy

3. Describe your product in such a way it answers the queries of the prospective buyer. Tag words are important. do read how the other sellers describe their product and what all details you need to include like colours, size, material etc.

4. Pricing- That is a challenge but Etsy had a solution for that too. Material+time taken+ profit=Price

5. Payment options- You just have to open a paypal account and you are ready to become an international seller. (you just need a credit card to register and then a local Bank account where the money could be transferred once the sale happens).

Made to order new born sets.

6. Shipping- Since you have an online shop the most important aspect is ensuring you have most reliable yet economical courier partner. I did ask fellow Indian shop owners (http://www.etsy.com/shop/armcandyforyou and http://www.Mamta.etsy.com) on Etsy to finally circle down on our own Indian Post.

7. You pay a minimum amount to list your products and you are on.

6. You get your orders, the money comes directly to your account, you just have to ship the product. You can interact with your buyer if there are any further queries regarding your product. 

In short you have your own international shop. And buyers who could be staying in any part of the world.

Yes. it's that simple.

FB Page

Along with my Etsy shop, ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/saivijayanaidu ) I opened a my FB page http://www.facebook.com/SaaiV for Soulfulsaai. Where I had the liberty to post photos of all the products and share with my friends. Here you have to interact build your Fan list, but the challenge is not about numbers by having people who seriously like your products, would purchase and recommend. 

My first sale on unwrapindia.com

1. Be active on your page.

2. Upload and update your products regularly on your page

3. Don't overdo, ensure you are also sharing other things like quotes, incidents, celeb styles, other designer products, trends on your page. Such that your fans wait to see what you are going to upload today and take cues for their life and dressing.

4. Like other similar pages, interact with them so that there is an increased visibility to your brand.

5. Reward your fans- Not all would buy your products but to keep the spirit of the page and have some fun have some contests from time to time to keep people engaged on your page.

Rosette Bib Necklaces off shelf the fastest

Indian Websites

There was on hitch to have a shop on Etsy, people in India wouldn't be able to buy in Indian rupees and FB is not a place where I could reach out to more people. That's when I came across http://www.craftsvilla.com. After the initial glitches (because Craftsvilla set up was not as advanced or simple as Etsy at that time) of  uploading products, ensuring the dispatches, now even Craftsvilla is working to making the interface easier for sellers to upload, ship and interact with customers. Nearly all Indian websites work on the policy of charging the seller a percentage commission once the product is sold. There are some who handle the shipping themselves so you have to send the product to them or there are some who ask the seller to do the shipping directly to the buyer. 

Handcrochetted Jhumkas are a Hit

After craftsvilla, Soulfulsaai opened shops on  

http://unwrapindia.com/shop/Soulfulsaai,   

http://shop.styleme.co.in

http://www.itshandmade.in/index.php/user/profiles/store?st_id=388

http://shopick.com/soulfulsaai

http://www.rangiru.com/shop/soulfulsaai

And there are many more who now keep approaching me on daily basis to be a part of their website. 

Cloth button studs- best selling product on Craftsvilla

Sourcing

When creating a product you just keep one thought in mind, what you have in offer no other brand is offering at that point. Only then would be get your buyers to come and purchase your product.

R&D

It is very important and a continuous process. Keep analyzing and checking what is selling better and why. This information would help you tweak your product line and get your more sales.

Best Selling product

My Advantages

1. Education- I'm a post grad in Textiles and Clothing and have this as a strong base to explore and reinvent new products.

2. Net Savvy- This is a basic essential, which I inculcated when working as an editor at http://mumbai.explocity.com that's where I learnt how to upload and interact live on a website.

3. Sourcing Raw Material- Staying in Mumbai and that to in a suburb where there is a whole market for jewellery and craft supplies makes my life very easy. If not you have to plan your shopping trips before hand. Etsy is a site where you can shop for supplies, though might be a little expensive at times. 

4. Product Type- My products are small, light and usually not fragile. So packing and shipping is not a major concern. 

I've tried to include every challenge and every advantage I experienced while conceptualizing my brand. Please feel free to write, share and pose queries if you have any.

Love Handmade

Saai