Amazon to hit SA: Here’s how local businesses can compete

“The best way for small businesses to differentiate themselves from the convenient-but-impersonal experience of Amazon is to offer a personalised service – and build personal connections.”

This is the view of 1-grid head of local web hosting Thomas Vollrath after Business Insider leaked documents showing that the United States retail giant Amazon will launch in South Africa in 2023.

According to the report, Amazon plans to launch its online marketplace in five new countries by early next year, even as it dials back parts of its retail business in the US. In Africa, this could mean greater competition for the likes of Jumia, the continent’s biggest e-commerce platform.

Vollrath believes for local small businesses, this will impact margins and market share when it comes to making online sales – particularly for those who are new to the e-commerce game.

To compete with Amazon, entrepreneurs need to focus on what they can offer that global companies can’t, adds Vollrath, an internet entrepreneur. “Use your website, social media, and delivery notes to tell the story of your business. This is the best way to really connect with consumers and make them feel good about buying from you.”

One of the main drawcards for shopping via Amazon for South Africans will be generally low prices and massive discounts, made possible by the sheer size of the company and its inventory. To counter this, local businesses, who aren’t able to compete when it comes to pricing, can leverage the country’s strong preference for homegrown products that are proudly South African.

Southafrica local wearing

“This strategy should extend to all of your choices – from the payment platform you use for checkouts, to the domain extension on your website. A .co.za domain, for example, tells customers that you are based in South Africa and that you in turn support local yourself. While these may seem like small elements, they have a cumulative effect when it comes to your brand story,” says Vollrath.

Local sellers to integrate with Amazon

Another tactic for local sellers is to integrate Amazon into their e-commerce strategy. Amazon will be rolling out their Sellers Marketplace as part of the local launch, which gives South African businesses an opportunity to get their products onto the biggest sales search engine in the world.

“The saying goes that if you can’t beat them, join them. Depending on fees and registration processes, this might be a good approach for certain businesses. The key to success here is to highlight the quality and unique nature of your product, compared to others on the Amazon platform. It’s also important to maintain a web presence so that potential customers can learn more about your product, read up on FAQs, and even contact you directly,” says Vollrath.

Given that the announcement was leaked prematurely, there are still a lot of questions about how the Amazon rollout will affect the South African ecommerce landscape. However, one thing is certain – business owners need to start planning for the retail giant’s impact on the local market if they want to succeed in standing out.

Wrapping up

We at ShopShipShake have been working with businesses like yours with fulfilling experiences. We offer one-stop services, including an efficient supply chain, over 10 thousand of China’s suppliers, over 1,000,000 SKU and more. With a successful track record of over 100,000 clients, we are sure to deliver your orders requirements. Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow your businesses.

If you would like to know more details about us, please contact with us:  www.shopshipshake.co.za

If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on: https://bit.ly/3Cfdu4w

Article reference: https://ventureburn.com/2022/07/amazon-to-hit-sa-heres-how-local-businesses-can-compete/

The Top3 retail and e-commerce trends set to shape 2023

E-commerce sales are down, a lot, while shopping behaviors continue to shift. Experts explain how the space will evolve further this coming year.

E-commerce

Inflation will compel consumers to research more and spend less, according to experts / Adobe Stock

The Covid-19 pandemic saw e-commerce growth spike, big time, but myriad issues have since created a historic drop in digital sales.

Obviously, consumers have been returning to brick-and-mortar stores – albeit not at the pre-pandemic levels. But there are other significant factors at play, including supply chain issues, low consumer sentiment and rising inflation.

The end result? A forecasted $95bn less in e-commerce sales in 2022 compared with last year, according to the Economic Times. This is after e-commerce soared at least 20% every year between 2010 and 2020, per eMarketer.

So, what’s next? Experts have identified three trends that will shape the landscape over the next year.

1. E-commerce and in-store shopping will have divergent roles in consumers’ lives

Yes, many shoppers around the world were eager to leave the house and return to the stores, but their behaviors have changed. Online and in-store shopping have come to serve distinct purposes for shoppers and that trend will only continue.

“Globally, we continue to see in-store shopping occur with consumers,” says Jacquelyn Baker, chief commerce experience officer at VMLY&R Commerce. “However, the role of the store has changed for shoppers. Consumers can have whatever they want, when they want, on-demand, digitally. For purchases beyond everyday essentials, meanwhile, the store serves more as a showroom for inspiration and ‘retailtainment’. Physical stores play a tactile purpose for consumers to immerse themselves in brands and experiences that ignite the senses and bring joy.”

While stores can offer their own speed and convenience, they are often relied upon for surprise, says Piers Fawkes, founder and president of the retail consultancy PSFK.

“Online has become a place of specificity and efficiency and real-world retail, discovery and delight. As a result, shoppers expect e-retailers to provide a sophisticated, personalized shopping experience. In contrast, personalization is not as big a deal offline. People already understand a store’s offerings and they go there for surprise and serendipity.”

2. Inflation will make consumers research more and spend less

Inflation is on the rise globally. In the US, for example, the Labor Department reported that inflation rose 8.3% since last August, which was worse than economic forecasts. This has already impacted overall consumer sentiment and most likely will affect their spending habits in the future. “Inflation concerns are very real,” adds Baker. “Currency has to stretch much further than it used to and that will continue into the next two years.”

The direct result will be a greater emphasis on researching everything in order to make an informed decision. “Brands that emphasize their marketing investments on searchable content that demonstrates consumer value will prevail,” says Baker.

At the same time, stores will benefit as they become hypersensitive to the added expense of digital fulfillment – such as rising shipping costs and delivery fees, says Baker. “The ancillary expenses of convenience will become cost prohibitive to some consumers or will be deemed unnecessary to others as they work to stretch their money further.”

Overall, brands and marketers should pull all the data they can from 2008-2010, advises William Margaritis, senior vice-president of digital and e-commerce at Reprise Digital. “What did consumers do then? How did they react? How did your brand react? What worked? What didn’t?

“What we are about to see will be similar. Large purchases will be put on hold while small luxuries will be seen as economic ways to splurge. 2008 was fantastic for drugstore cosmetics brands, upscale snacks and any other daily luxury that won’t break the bank. 2023 will likely repeat that.”

3. Live and social shopping becomes a bigger part of the mix

Still, the momentum for online purchases is unstoppable. However, the way consumers buy digitally will continue to evolve, quickly. For example, livestream shopping is picking up speed.

“Social shopping is becoming more prevalent and can be done on various platforms – such as Amazon Live, TikTok Shop/Live, Instagram Live and Twitch – and also on a brand’s own website,” says Travis Johnson, global chief executive officer of Podean.

“Brands should think about what their approach is – do they have spokespeople?Do they have great locations to stream from? What products would they sell? How would they use the content after the stream has ended?”

This trend represents a shift in control for brands. “Younger generations find authenticity and trust in different places than older generations,” says Margaritis. “Predominantly, they trust their peers and they trust influencers. As brands reduce spend and are less present in the shopping conversation, peers and influencers will rise…

“Social commerce and live commerce have already become regular means of shopping in Asia and are rising rapidly in Latin America. The US and Europe won’t be far behind.”

Wrapping up

We at ShopShipShake have been working with businesses like yours with fulfilling experiences. We offer one-stop services, including an efficient supply chain, over 10 thousand of China’s suppliers, over 1,000,000 SKU and more. With a successful track record of over 100,000 clients, we are sure to deliver your orders requirements. Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow your businesses.

If you would like to know more details about us, please contact with us:  www.shopshipshake.co.za

If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on: https://shop.shopshipshake.com/shop/register/business

Article reference: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2022/09/20/the-top-three-retail-and-e-commerce-trends-set-shape-2023

How useful is Google Trends for digital marketing?

In South Africa, 94% of online information searches are made via Google. This means that the data gleaned by the platform is an incredibly accurate measure of what South Africans are searching for – as well as when and possibly why.

That information can be accessed via Google Trends and used as a powerful tool for digital marketing.

Targeting and testing

The challenge at the start of any campaign is deciding who it is targeted at. Marketers can put in a few geographic locations, target specific devices and add some demographic and psychographic targets like age groups and interests.

That’s quite broad – which is where Google Trends really comes into its own. It allows digital marketers the opportunity to look at information around specific search terms linked to their campaign, giving them detail like the volume of searches, the period over which those searches generally occur and what the trends are in that period.

It may indicate that there is particular interest in a set of search terms from a specific province or during a season – allowing marketers to specifically target that area or time period.

Seasonality of searches is particularly helpful for, for example, fashion retailers. Digital marketers are able to tell fashion clients when they should start promoting their next season’s clothing – as searches for related fashion items start to ramp up.

Check on the competition

Google Trends also helps marketers determine the competitive landscape in the space. Say you’re a manufacturer of wall heaters and want to know what your competition is doing in the marketing space. By virtue of being able to see which keywords are being targeted, you can see who else is vying for space, allowing marketers to estimate what the client is going to need to pay to make an impact in the digital space.

By looking out for periods where there’s less competitor marketing, or by targeting under-utilised search terms, digital marketers can advise when smaller budgets would make a bigger impact or where there’s less clutter in the space.

Because the online market is so competitive, companies often get frustrated at the cost of a click for a heavily-used search term. Google Trends is able to tell us what keywords the audience is using too, which can help inform organic searches and lower costs – increasing organic effectiveness. When clients start using keywords that rank organically, the cost per click of AdWords goes down, because of the relevance of the offering increases.

In the content marketing space, Google Trends can help marketers define which keywords are most prevalent for a specific topic, to help put out more effective digital PR features for seeding in online media. Using the right terms at the right time can help improve the article’s ranking – another organic search benefit.

Partnering for success

It all sounds relatively simple – so why does a company need to pay a digital marketing agency or partner to advise them when Google Trends simply lays bare the information?

For starters, the breadth and depth of knowledge across sectors and trends within a specialist digital marketing agency have benefits for clients. The broad knowledge of the digital landscape and what’s happening, when – and how – is something that not many clients have the benefit of accessing.

Time and budget constraints often mean they’re forced to stay in their lane and not look at, say, the opportunities a major sneaker campaign from a specific brand could offer their sock business.

Digital agencies also use other tools to inform them – for example, Google Trends data is pulled into an agency’s Google Data Studio, which is a visualisation platform and tool that helps marketers see how search terms and phrases change over time.

For a fashion brand, that allows for the building of a robust dashboard for the marketing manager which shows the seasonality for every product category they have, meaning they know the perfect time to activate a new seasonal campaign and measure how trends and climate change are shifting their customers’ needs.

Any business not using the power of Google Trends is missing out on immensely valuable key information linked to what they do and who they do it for.

And any business not partnering with a quality digital marketing agency to harness the power of its insights is going to spend a long time in the digital wilderness while its competitors are capturing customers.

Wrapping up

We at ShopShipShake have been working with businesses like yours with fulfilling experiences. We offer one-stop services, including an efficient supply chain, over 10 thousand of China’s suppliers, and more. With a successful track record of over 20,000 clients, we are sure to deliver your orders requirements. Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow your businesses.

If you would like to know more details about us, please contact with us:  www.shopshipshake.co.za

If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on: https://bit.ly/3Cfdu4w

See the original article: https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/16/232266.html

3 things SA grocery shoppers care about in 2022

Year-on-year, the average South African household food basket increased by R611.44 from July 2021. This represents a 14.8% annual increase – far above headline inflation reported through the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and outstripping food inflation.

Despite this steep price hike, South African consumers’ perceptions of grocery costs have improved over time, suggesting that consumer sentiment is driven by more than just price. This is according to Shannon Temple, lead retail analyst at DataEQ, who recently presented on consumer trends in retail at the 2022 edition of E-commerce Live.

“Looking at net sentiment* on social media towards grocery retailers’ pricing since 2020, there is an upward trajectory, indicating that conversation is becoming gradually more positive,” explains Temple.

“Notably, we see Woolworths with the steepest incline here, while Checkers and Pick n Pay experienced slight declines since last year,” she adds.

Having analysed over 1 million social media posts from consumers talking about South Africa’s major grocery retailers, Temple goes on to unpack three major trends that are shaping the local retail e-commerce landscape.

1. Special offers over price comparisons

3 things SA grocery shoppers care about in 2022

Despite the prevalence of pricing and affordability in conversation, social media data indicates that consumers are speaking less and less about it since 2020.

Attention has moved away from price comparisons and towards special offers, with the online narrative shifting to which brand is offering the best value for money.

Driving a sense of savings is going to be critical for the industry going forward.

Consumers want to feel like they’re saving when using a premium service, and well-executed specials are key to achieving this.

2. An omnichannel experience is key

3 things SA grocery shoppers care about in 2022

While special offers allow retailers to drive perceptions about price, they can be a major point of contention if not implemented correctly across all channels.

In this sense, creating an omnichannel shopping experience is critical for retailers and there needs to be parity between specials offered in-store versus what is offered on the app.

3. Operational ease still matters

3 things SA grocery shoppers care about in 2022

Digital platforms do not remove the risk of operational issues arising.

If anything, there is an even higher expectation from digital customers for operational ease.

For example, the issue of items being out of stock is typically met with high criticism – especially when said item is linked to a special offer.

There are also logistical issues that are inherent to the e-commerce model, such as delayed delivery times or cancelled orders.

This is where expectation management and clear communication becomes vital, setting apart the retailers who excel in digital customer service, from those who don’t.

Wrapping up

We at ShopShipShake have been working with businesses like yours with fulfilling experiences. We offer one-stop services, including an efficient supply chain, over 10 thousand of China’s suppliers, and more. With a successful track record of over 20,000 clients, we are sure to deliver your orders requirements. Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow your businesses.

If you would like to know more details about us, please contact with us:  www.shopshipshake.co.za

If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on: https://bit.ly/3ks0m1M

See the original article: https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/731/231620.html

6 mistakes small enterprises tend to make online and how to solve them

It’s understandable that small enterprises have found themselves online out of necessity as e-commerce adoption accelerated by three to five years as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and online retail in South Africa in 2020 grew by 66%.

To help entrepreneurs who want to iron out the creases in their online presence, Peach Payments’ head of SME growth and marketing, Joshua Shimkin, highlights six mistakes SMEs tend to make online, and how to solve them.

1. Social media profiles, but no website

Social media is an easy way for many SMEs to get in touch with their customers, and sell to them. Most social media platforms – including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest – also offer some way of accepting payments.

“But if there is no website that customers can refer to when they’re looking for your business, they’re just as likely to buy from your competitor’s Instagram profile, which has an accompanying website to support their online presence, where they can see shipping policies and refund/return policies. Customers are still more used to finding those key signals of trust on websites,” Shimkin warns.

Instead, spend time putting together a basic website on Wix, WordPress or Shopify, and then link to it from all your company’s social media profiles.

2. All the socials – and all outdated

“Don’t think it’s essential to be on every single social media platform out there,” Shimkin says. He believes it is much more important to have one or two active and fun social media profiles than to have outdated and boring content associated with your business spread across ten different social media platforms.

“Choose the social media platforms you focus on based on what you know about each platform’s users,” he advises.

For instance, if you have gorgeous pics of the homemade food you deliver, Instagram and Pinterest are likely to be more useful for your business than a more staid LinkedIn post. Add a quick video and you also have content for TikTok and Instagram. Remember to include links to your profiles on your website, and deactivate all old profiles on social media platforms you decide don’t work for your business.

“That way people won’t see old content, and wonder if you’re still in business,” Shimkin says.

3. An outdated and clunky website

Once your website is up, it’s important to keep it updated with new blog posts, new products, and updated payments technology. This is what will make people come back, looking for your products and services.

Use the free templates in popular website builders like Wix, WordPress or Shopify to ensure your website is mobile-friendly because it’s non-negotiable in 2022. And it is particularly important in Africa, where mobile is the most popular way for people to access e-commerce.

“You don’t necessarily need to spend money on developing an app, but you do need to make sure your website is easy to read on a mobile screen,” Shimkin advises.

Also make sure you have an easy, reassuring checkout process with multiple payment options (credit and debit cards, QR codes and instant EFTs) so that customers have a number of ways to pay securely.

4. Ignoring local SEO

You may not be interested in landing on the first page of global search engines, but you should make sure that your business website hits the first page on any “near me” searches on Google,” Shimkin says.

This local search engine optimisation (SEO) can make or break your brick-and-mortar business, particularly if your business is the type that only services your local neighbourhood or city, and not the whole country – like a local restaurant that offers online ordering. It is also important if you’re an online business that isn’t yet ready to start shipping internationally.

Two of the easiest ways to improve your local SEO results are to embed a Google Map in your Contact Us page and to verify your Google My Business page. Also include these details on all your social media profiles as well, so your website becomes the hub for all your marketing activities, such as newsletters and special offers.

5. Not remarketing to your online customers

Take time to learn about and use the remarketing tools that come with all e-commerce website builders to your advantage. They will help you to better understand who your online customers are, where they’re based and how many people come to your website but don’t buy anything. It will also give you insight into how long they spend on your site, where they are getting stuck on your site, and which type of device (mobile or desktop) they are using – all useful to help you tailor your offering.

Google Analytics is a free and powerful tool to help you understand who your clients are – and not just who you dream or hope they are. That will help you serve their needs better. Shopify, Wix and WordPress all have easy integrations that incorporate Google Analytics seamlessly.

6. Be meticulous about checking your online pricing

Online mistakes can cost you – but none more than making a blunder like uploading a new product and leaving its pricing at R0 or R10 ,00, when it should be R100. This is something that happens surprisingly often and can be prevented with a quick double-check before making any product live.

“It may seem daunting, but it is pretty easy to fix minor mistakes that you may have made while rushing to get online. The difference it will make to your online business is likely to show very quickly,” Shimkin concludes.

Wrapping up

We at ShopShipShake have been working with businesses like yours with fulfilling experiences. We offer one-stop services, including an efficient supply chain, over 10 thousand of China’s suppliers, and more. With a successful track record of over 20,000 clients, we are sure to deliver your orders requirements. Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow your businesses.

If you would like to know more details about us, please contact with us:  www.shopshipshake.co.za

If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on: https://bit.ly/3ks0m1M

See the original article: https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/837/231442.html

4 Powerful Reasons Your Business Needs More Video

There’s a reason TikTok and Reels are so popular. These short-form videos are engaging and entertaining and when produced effectively with sound strategy in mind, they can leave a lasting impression. Research shows that 84% of consumers make a purchase based on watching a brand or business video. What’s more, your customers are consuming a lot of videos–the average consumer watches video content for about 100 minutes every day.

4 powerful reasons your business needs more video

It should not be surprising that video marketing is on the rise, and why marketing professionals shouldn’t underestimate the positive impact it can have for your business or brand.

“Video marketing is a powerful way to connect with your existing and potential customers and has a direct correlation to increased sales,” said Desireé Gullan, executive creative director and co-founder of G&G Digital. “It all starts with creating video content that resonates with your audience.”

Gullan suggests the first place to start is to look at your data from social media, email, and website, to better understand what content is getting views and engagement, and then to do more of that. Use polls and calls for comments to understand your customers’ wants, needs, and aversions. “Let your existing customers or followers guide your content strategy and narrative style and be sure to apply your insights in fresh and creative ways. It’s also important to front-load your key messages so that your investment is not lost on consumers’ limited time and attention,” Gullan added.

Here are four ways to make video work for your brand:

1. Add video to landing pages

This enhances your search rankings and can increase conversions by 80%. Make sure your video content tells the right story and conveys the right emotion. You can include strong calls to action.

2. Use video in email marketing campaigns

Research proves that including the word ‘video’ in a subject line substantially increases open rates, and video can be more effective than text, especially for complicated subjects or where striking images are required.

3. Include influencers and customer reviews

Videos that include referrals and recommendations build trust and increase conversions.

4. Create shareable content

Produce compelling video content, and your customers will share them. This opens your business to a greater audience who trust the referrals of their community.

The benefits of video marketing should not be ignored, even if you operate in highly regulated industries. “No matter your industry, be sure to comply with the regulations by including disclaimers, getting approvals, and keeping a record of your approved scripts on record,” concluded Gullan. “The extra effort that goes into producing strategic video marketing will get you a return.”

Wrapping up

We at ShopShipShake have been working with businesses like yours with fulfilling experiences. We offer one-stop services, including an efficient supply chain, over 10 thousand of China’s suppliers, and more. With a successful track record of over 20,000 clients, we are sure to deliveryour orders requirements. Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow yourbusinesses.

If you would like to know more details about us, please contact with us:  www.shopshipshake.co.za

If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on: https://bit.ly/3ks0m1M

5 fastest-growing businesses in Africa in 2022

Investing in Africa is a sustainable business strategy as companies earn bountiful profits. Despite the rising inflation and insecurity, businesses are fast growing in Africa. Beyond rich resources, the continent is one of the most accessible places to do business.

Companies with excellent financial structures benefit from Africa’s fast-growing population and rich resources. This article focuses on the fastest-growing businesses in Africa. These businesses are selected based on their growth rate and revenue generation potentials.

Note that we consulted several reliable sources while compiling this list. These sources include the World Bank, Market Watch, Nairametrics, Tech Crunch, Africa Business Communities, etc.

1. Financial Technology Business

Financial technology businesses continue to outshine many startups in the African continent with problem-solving innovations. According to Tech Crunch, Africa is the world’s second-fastest-growing and profitable payments and banking market after Latin America. The continent is home to over 500 financial technology firms, most in Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya.

According to The World Bank, about 66% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s population is unbanked. The unbanked population is another reason financial technology businesses thrive in the continent. They leverage technology to modify, automate and enhance financial services for consumers and businesses.

According to Business Elites Africa, 75% of Nigerian financial technology startups earn an average of $5 million annually. Given the continuous funding for financial technology companies in Africa, the sector will continue to grow with internet penetration and smartphone usage.

2. Food Business

With many investors benefiting from Africa’s resources, the food business is one of the businesses in the continent with a fast growth percentage. According to Business Standard, Africa’s food industry recorded a growth of 3.6% in 2020-21 and 3.9% in 2021-22. Food is a basic need for everyone, making it profitable for businesses for entrepreneurs in the sector.

The growth is driven by soaring demands for packaged and processed foods and the high consumption of frozen and dairy products. The food and beverage industry expansion and innovation are other growth contributing factors. According to Nairametrics, a more significant food Crisis is looming in Africa.

The Russia-Ukraine war, low purchasing power, political instability and conflicts are soaring food prices to unprecedented levels in the continent. Meanwhile, Agro entrepreneurs are benefiting from feeding over one billion people. Entrepreneurs earn huge rewards locally by storing and packaging food products with an excellent transportation network.

3. Real Estate Business

With Africa’s large population, there is a high demand for commercial and residential properties, making the real estate business thrive. According to Nairametrics, The Nigeria real estate market grew by 1.77% in 2021 and 10.84% in the first quarter of 2022. The Egyptian real estate market generated $10 billion, representing a growth of 8% in 2021.

According to Nairametrics, Egypt’s real estate market has a growth projection of 6.5% in 2022. Kenya’s real estate market rose by 5.2% in Q3 2021 and is projected to grow by 5.9% in 2022. The real estate business is one of the most valued in Africa, with entrepreneurs earning from leasing, buying and renting commercial and residential properties.

The real estate business is highly profitable but requires knowledge and experience. To get started in Africa’s real estate business, consider seeking advice from experienced realtors and learn from previous mistakes. Learn the industry’s strengths, weaknesses and how it works.

4. E-Commerce Business

Electronic commerce is a fast-growing African business due to technological advancement and innovation. Firms in this sector allow individuals and companies to trade goods and services through the internet. According to Vanguard Newspaper, Africa’s real estate market value has a projection to reach $180 billion by 2025. The report further disclosed that Africa’s eCommerce ventures secured funding of more than $256 million in 2021, representing a 40% growth from 2020.

According to Africa Business Communities, the e-commerce industry is expected to generate annual revenue of $46.1 billion by 2025. The lucrative industry business involves facilitating the sales of goods and services between companies and their customers. E-commerce ventures also facilitate the sales of goods and services through third parties. Jumia, eBay, Konga, and Kilimall are a few examples of African e-commerce platforms.

5. Logistics Business

Logistic business is a lucrative and fast-growing business in many African countries. Whether in Mauritius, South Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, or Nigeria, entrepreneurs earn considerable rewards in the industry. According to Market Watch, Africa’s logistics market rose from millions to Multi-million dollars from 2017 to 2022. Reports from Sawya show that Egypt’s Suez Canal recorded a revenue of $704 million in July 2022, representing an increase from the $531.8 million reported in July 2021.

According to Research and Markets, Nigeria’s Logistics and Freight Market is expected to grow with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 3% from 2022 to 2027. The business is profitable in various African countries with the rise of delivery agencies working hand-in-hand with traditional and online retailers. Delivery agencies streamline the transfer of goods to customers’ destinations. Consider researching the business’s strengths and weaknesses before investing and focusing on building an online presence for promotions.

Wrapping up

We at ShopShipShake have been working with businesses like yours with fulfilling experiences. We offer one-stop services, including an efficient supply chain, over 10 thousand of China’s suppliers, and more. With a successful track record of over 20,000 clients, we are sure to deliveryour orders requirements. Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow yourbusinesses.

If you would like to know more details about us, please contact with us:  www.shopshipshake.co.za

If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on: https://bit.ly/3ks0m1M

How To Make Money From Home Now: 5 Ideas To Start Generating Passive Income

Learning how to make money from home might be one of the best decisions you make in your life. 

“Having my own business gives me the flexibility I need as a single mom,” says Shan Thomas, a strategic business advisor and founder of Credible Visibility Agency, an Atlanta-based website design agency for women in business. 

“Corporate America just didn’t afford me the flexibility I needed to be available for my kids,” she says. “An online business affords me that. I have clients all over the world and have been able to access and service them online. It’s cost-effective and has opened so many more doors.” Thomas notes there are clients in rural communities who wouldn’t be able to access professionals like her if it weren’t for her having a 100% online company.

The ability to make extra money online from home has created a new category of work: “anywhere workers.” That’s the takeaway from a recent survey of more than 1,400 respondents from 67 different nationalities conducted by Lonely Planet and the freelance marketplace Fiverr. According to the survey results, 54% of workers considered themselves “anywhere workers” in that their ability to make money online and pursue financial independence was not contingent on a particular location.

If you’re curious about how to make money from home, advantages to selling online, and how to generate extra money with a location-independent online setup, here’s some advice and tips from experts who’ve done it.

Advantages to Making Money From Home

Making money from home can be a great way to have the best of both worlds. You generate income while having no commute, and for many the prospect of flexible work creates solutions for childcare or other personal responsibilities that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

“The work-from-anywhere movement is real,” says Yeves Perez, an entrepreneur and CEO of Workbnb, an online travel agency and Airbnb-like service for traveling workers. More than 40 million Americans will be working remotely in the next five years, according to the 2021 Future Workforce Report from Upwork, a gig economy platform. Some want to develop a side hustle that brings in a few hundred dollars a month, while others leverage an online store, online courses, or other money making ideas to make money online full-time.

Here are some of the biggest advantages to making money from home.

Your Work Location Can Be Flexible

If you have a computer and an internet connection, you can earn money from home. Most workers who work from home have location independence, which is one of the biggest perks to having a side hustle, negotiating a remote job, or launching your own small business.

“I left my traditional job in 2014 and have been building a business from home since,” says Gabby Wallace, an entrepreneur, YouTuber, and founder of Go Natural English, a company that provides ESL training and on-demand online courses. Wallace’s passion for teaching and content creation have helped her build her YouTube channel to 2.2 million subscribers. 

“I have three streams of income that allow me to make four times what I made in my previous job as a teacher,” she says. “I have homes in different states, travel abroad often, and move around when I feel like it. In everything I do, I want to have flexibility in my life; making money through content online has allowed me to do those things.” 

If you desire to travel, have to be somewhere else, or want to hang out at your favorite coffee shop, online tutoring jobs and other money making ideas allow you the flexibility to be on the go and still bring in cash.

You Can Create Passive Income

Passive income frees up your time and allows you to pursue other ventures while still making money. 

“A home-based business allows you to incur an income from anywhere in the world passively,” says Blake Nubar, a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Laptop Freedom, an online business that has 10,000-plus customers in 96 countries. “I travel twice a month and the same amount of income still comes in because of the business we’ve built.” 

One of the more challenging parts of entrepreneurship can be finding the initial capital you need to even start. If you decide to earn money from home, your start-up costs can be low to nonexistent depending on which income model you choose. Popular approaches include creating your own website, setting up your own online store, or being a virtual assistant, and you can work as little or as much as you want to fit your personal and financial goals.

You Can Cultivate a Higher Quality of Life

The longer your commute, the lower your quality of life, according to a frequently-cited 2008 study published in The Scandinavian Journal of Economics. Commute time statistics are shifting thanks to the increase in remote and hybrid work, but 22% of Americans still commute for 30 minutes or more each way, according to a survey published from Statista, a data analytics company. A separate survey from YouGov last year found that no commute was the most-appreciated perk of working from home.

Many workers note that working from home can create better solutions for childcare or work/life balance. As COVID-19 protocols continue to ebb and flow, figuring out how to make money online is an attractive option because you’re in an environment you know and can control.

Do I Need To Invest to Make Money From Home?

Depending on which strategy you choose to make money online, there could be upfront investments associated with getting started. Some of the most common costs include:

  • Website hosting and buildout if you decide you need your own website.
  • Monthly charges for an email service provider if you intend to build an email list of customers or readers.
  • Earmarking money for taxes, especially if you’re a sole proprietor. 
  • Possible costs for hiring professionals to guide you and help you get a running start.

The good news is that you can start and make money from a side hustle or online business with few costs. You can get the strategy and exact steps you’ll need from YouTube videos, podcasts, books, articles, and other forms of online information.

5 Ideas For Making Money From Home

There are many practical ways to make money from home. Here are five popular side hustle options that have low costs to start and tremendous potential for extra cash every month.

No. 1: Sell a Digital Product

Your knowledge and experience could be packaged into digital information products. Some examples include an eBook, a video course, an audio product, or short informational guides.

“Almost everybody has some skill they can package into a digital product,” says Arne Giske, an online entrepreneur and co-founder of the Insider Investors Club and Groups Funnels. He’s built a digital product business with over 5,000 clients. 

“You just have to learn the process of putting together an offer that people are willing to pay for,” he says. Giske notes that you can turn a lot of information into a digital product that sells passively once you build an audience. There are few costs to creating digital information products, which creates an opportunity to bring in money immediately and develop good profit margins. 

No. 2: Offer Freelance Services

Businesses and individuals are always looking for help, but they don’t necessarily need an employee to get the job done. Often, hiring virtual assistants or a freelancer is a better fit, and freelancing is a great way to make money from home. Some of the most popular freelance ideas include:

  • Managing someone’s social media accounts on their behalf.
  • Creating content for a business, whether it be articles, blog posts, or newsletters, to drum up spare cash.
  • Offering virtual assistant services, in which you are paid by the hour to help someone with administrative tasks from the comfort of your own home.

No. 3: Become an Online Coach or Consultant

Some people prefer to work with an expert one on one. What you know can be taught to others in the form of coaching or online tutoring, and with access to Zoom and other software tools, you can coach clients from anywhere in the world. 

“We don’t offer done for you; we offer done with you,” says Isaac Mashman, an entrepreneur and CEO of Mashman Ventures, a company that helps business leaders with personal branding. 

“We consult our clients and work with them to build out their brands,” he says. “We’ve built a team of 12 independent contractors who consult our clients virtually.” Mashman says being able to consult from home has been great for himself and his team.

If you’re not familiar with the process of coaching, there are options for training and certification. You can step up an online coaching side hustle with just the costs of using conference software and promote your offers on social media. 

No. 4: Teach English

If you speak English, there are options to find online tutoring jobs and teach others how to speak English. This side hustle can be done anywhere, and the potential to make money is good. 

“I replaced my teaching income by teaching English through vipkid,” says Tara Branch, a former teacher and current owner of an online travel agency. 

“I was bringing home at least $2,000 a month when I was teaching English full-time. I taught six to seven days a week. There are ESL certifications you can get to teach English as a second language, and there are platforms in the U.S. now, such as Outschool.” 

Branch says there are apps such as iTalki, tutor.com, Cambly, and many others that offer the opportunity to teach English. You can become certified and get paid to teach from the comfort of your home. The hours can be flexible, and it’s a side hustle with very few expenses.

No. 5: Become an Affiliate

If you don’t have time to deliver a product or service, promote someone else’s offers instead and rack up commissions. You can sign up to become an affiliate with large companies such as Amazon or other retailers or service providers whose products you use. 

Being an affiliate means you get paid every time someone buys with your affiliate link. There is no cost to be an affiliate, and you can be paid (from home) to promote things you’d probably talk about anyway. 

Start Making Money From Home Today

Online side hustles and remote work can be great ways to make extra income, and they also act as a safeguard if something happens unexpectedly in your career. Evaluate which strategy to make money from home aligns with your life and goals, do your research, and then start taking action today.

Wrapping up

We at ShopShipShake have been working with businesses like yours with fulfilling experiences. We offer one-stop services, including an efficient supply chain, over 10 thousand of China’s suppliers, and more. With a successful track record of over 20,000 clients, we are sure to deliver your orders requirements. Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow your businesses.

If you would like to know more details about us, please contact us:  www.shopshipshake.co.za

If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on: https://bit.ly/3ks0m1M

Best trending products to sell online in South Africa 2022

Over the previous decade, e-commerce stores have benefited many people, and the industry is predicted to develop. Statista estimates that the e-commerce market is valued at R144 billion and will more than quadruple by 2025. Knowing which things to offer online is critical to your e-commerce business.

In 2021, credit cards accounted for 38% of all sales, followed by e-wallet payments (20%) and cash on delivery (0 percent ). (15% of the total). As previously said, the transaction mechanism is critical when operating an e-commerce store. Your e-commerce store must be configured with payment gateways and other relevant means of transacting.

This article will investigate the greatest products to sell online from home for you.

How do you see which products are trending?

Checking Google Trends is the quickest and most convenient way to find popular things on the internet. It is possible to monitor the popularity of top search queries on Google across different countries and languages using the Google Trends tool. It will show you the trends in your product ideas based on search volume starting in 2004 and continuing to the present.

Given the statistics, creating an online store is a great way to expand a business and ensure that you get a fair piece of the market as online sales grow year after year. You select when to begin. Use your own website, use marketplaces, or use online buying sites like Takealot to establish your online store. In 2022, online sales are expected to reach R165 billion.

There has never been a better time to start selling online. But you might be stuck on what to sell online. Due to the high degree of competition, not every product sells easily online.

20 best products to sell online 2022

1. Skincare Products

Skincare products are among the items to consider when attempting to sell products online. South Africa’s skincare industry is worth R10 billion as of 2021, and it is expected to grow by 4.25 percent in 2022. Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, and Estee Lauder are the most dominant brands. Skincare products are divided into two categories: face care and body care.

Conduct market research to determine which product to sell online and conduct a market survey to see how others are performing for the same or similar products. If you want to start selling skincare products, sell those that are popular with customers so that you can sell them easily. Otherwise, you can opt for niche skincare products that work as advertised.

2. Customized Printed Products

Surprisingly, many South Africans are eager to buy personalised t-shirts or hoodies. Even those that continue to use retail locations as a distribution channel have found this business strategy beneficial. The convenience of online shopping has boosted online sales of printed goods.

When starting this shop, you must have appealing designs and employ high-quality materials. When running an online shop, your business relies on positive reviews. Therefore, poor quality and a lack of attention to detail must be avoided.

3. Kitchen Appliances

Popular kitchen equipment in South Africa include air fryers, electric can openers, and pressure cookers. The list of other kitchen appliances to consider selling online is endless; you just need to know what to sell and to whom. There is no need to sell only one type of goods while selling kitchen equipment. Almost every kitchen item now uses electricity, including bins that employ sensors.

4. Home Decor

Home decor is a great category for e-commerce in 2022. There are numerous home decor items that can be sold online, and the more attractive they are, the easier they are to sell. LED lighting, rugs, storage items, and other items can be sold. If you don’t have enough money, you don’t need to look for products to sell.

If you are talented in product design, you can sell your own designs. People prefer handcrafted items because they believe they have more sentimental value than factory-made home décor goods.

5. Supplements

The South African supplements industry is another multibillion-rand industry. As supplement consumption has increased dramatically since the 2010s, this industry is one of the fastest-growing in the country. In South Africa, you can start your own brand by white-labeling a well-known product.

This method will assist you in developing a brand on which South Africans can rely without having to manufacture the product directly. You can also sell already-labeled supplements or create your own supplements, but this will be more expensive. You’ve probably seen many supplement brands grow from zero to millions of sales in South Africa. This could be an interesting project to pursue.

6. Stationery

In great demand, stationery can be sold at any time of the month. There is always a demand for low-cost, high-quality stationery. Due to the wide variety of items that can be sold, selling stationery may need a large initial investment. But you may handpick hot items and sell them in bulk. With high volume orders, you need a reputable provider because the order value can be significant. So, make sure your provider can supply what you need on time.

7. Hair Care Products

The Hair Care market segment is one to consider because sales are expected to increase by 5.7 percent in 2022. Shampoo, hair conditioner, hair colorant, and other options are available. These products can be sold through various distribution channels, but the online distribution channel allows individuals to sell products with low marketing costs. L’Oreal, Proctor & Gamble, Estee Lauder, and others are among the industry’s leaders. You’re good to go if you can sell hair care products from major manufacturers at a competitive price.

8. Neck Pillows

Neck pillows are trendy right now, and they will continue to be trendy in 2022. Uncovering a reputable supplier with a new product on the market can provide you with great profit margins, and a neck pillow is one such product. Neck Pillows are not a high volume search, thus digital marketing skills are required to sell a huge quantity. If you are new to digital marketing, seek for a product with significant search volume.

9. Nail Decoration

In South Africa, the cosmetics business accounts for almost 20% of all internet sales, and practically any item can sell. Nail Decoration is a popular category in the beauty business, with a wide range of things available. You can sell single items or sets of nail grooming and decoration. Since nails are decorated on a monthly basis, you may be able to maintain your clientele over time.

10. Subscription Boxes

Subscription boxes are in short supply in South Africa. Acquiring a branded subscription box is even more difficult, and if you are willing to supply premium-branded subscription boxes at a low cost, you are likely to strike gold. Before opening an online subscription box shop, extensive research must be conducted. There are various boxes to become acquainted with, and deciding which to sell online requires some research.

11. Smartphone Accessories

Almost every cell phone will require accessories to function properly or to protect against erosion. Screen protectors, phone covers, and earphones are just a few of the accessories that can be purchased online. You’ll be surprised at how much money you can make by selling smartphone accessories online. The good news is that you don’t need a lot of money to get started because accessories are inexpensive.

12. Indoor Plants

Indoor plants cost between R20.00 and R1,200.00 and have huge profit margins. This could be the most profitable online store you can open, especially if you are the one who grows the plans. There are numerous plans to consider, and where they are planted is also important. You must conduct extensive research and decide whether you want to start a small plant factory or grow plants in your backyard.

13. Shapewear

Shapewear is a trendy product with large online market potential. Many people in South Africa use these products, which are no longer limited to gym-goers. There are a variety of shapewear options for both men and women to consider; therefore, select items that are more profitable and have high sales projections.

14. Latex Gloves and Face Masks

Despite the peak of the coronavirus, we are nevertheless urged to wear face masks and latex gloves to protect ourselves. These goods will always have a market as long as politicians and citizens discuss COVID-19. There is a lot of potential in selling latex gloves and face masks online. You can work with as many distributors as you want and/or start your own online store. To sell these, use Facebook Market, OLX, Gumtree, Takealot, and Bid or Buy.

15. Personal Alarms

Another market segment with a scarcity of suppliers in South Africa is the personal alarms segment. This market segment is for those who want to sell high-tech alarm systems that can alert users to any threats or breaches in security. Personal alarms are a risk because they are not widely available in South Africa, but they are a great concept for an internet store. A big market share and a loyal client base are more likely to result from early entry.

16. Samsung Smartphones

Samsung cell phones are in high demand in South Africa because the company’s smartphones are both affordable and reliable. If you can find the smartphones at a cheaper price, then you can have a competitive edge over other sellers. You can also sell Samsung accessories through your online store. You may not require an online store if you sell your goods through distributors like Takealot or BidorBuy. However, having your own online store allows you to sell your products in the way that most suits your business strategy.

17. Jewelry and Fashion Accessories

We all want to look dapper, and jewelry is a great way to complement your favorite dress or suit. Jewelry goes with any type of outfit, which justifies its popularity. You don’t have to sell expensive jewelry like the top jewelers we’re accustomed to. Handmade and/or secondhand jewelry can be an excellent way to launch an online jewelry store. You can include trending fashion items and rotate them seasonally. This online concept has high growth potential and is almost certain to last.

18. Wall Art

Everyone wants their house to feel like a home, and wall art can help them achieve this. Wall art has the ability to create the atmosphere that one desires or wishes to have in their home or office. You must be creative when creating wall art. Allow customers to select the type of art they want, whether it’s wallpaper, drawings, or other types of wall art. It is important to prioritize size; so allow customers to select art size on adjustable items.

19. Beauty Products

The term “beauty products” refers to objects that individuals use to enhance their appearance. In recent years, consumers have sought out goods containing Macca root or Fenugreek. This market is booming, and expect some competition as a result of the high demand. Prioritize effective items and seek favorable feedback on delivery, product quality, pricing, and communication.

20. Essential Oils

The list of best products to sell online would be incomplete if we did not include essential oils. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, spas and salons have temporarily closed, leaving individuals looking for self-care remedies. Essential oils are in high demand, and sales are increasing. There are numerous essential oils available, and you can easily white-label one from a reputable manufacturer. Because the pandemic isn’t going away soon, you can help folks get the body treatments they want.

Now that you know the best products to sell online it is important to understand that running an online business requires dedication. And as your sales increase, you will need to devote more time to it. Economic order quality must be created to order items on time and have cash on hand when needed. Equip yourself with digital marketing abilities to stay competitive in the e-commerce business.

Wrapping up

We at ShopShipShake have been working with businesses like yours with fulfilling experiences. We offer one-stop services, including an efficient supply chain, over 10 thousand of China’s suppliers, and more. With a successful track record of over 20,000 clients, we are sure to deliver your order requirements. Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow yourbusinesses.

If you would like to know more details about us, please contact with us:  www.shopshipshake.co.za

If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on: https://bit.ly/3ks0m1M

SA must address shortcomings to unlock e-commerce boom

Read time 4min 00sec

Continued investment in e-commerce infrastructure will help accelerate growth of the industry in SA, says David Kusel, head of product at PayFast.

Kusel was speaking yesterday at the PayFast eCommerce Virtual Summit, hosted by the Insaka eCommerce Academy, and highlighted some of the ingredients needed to further grow the e-commerce industry in SA.

Like in the rest of the world, the COVID-19 crisis lit a fire under the local e-commerce space, leading online retailers to reap the benefits of this major shift in shopping trends.

A World Wide Worx study revealed SA’s e-commerce sales reached a tipping point in 2020, growing by 66% from 2018.

Last year’s Mastercard Economics Institute: 2022 Economic Outlook found South African consumers bought up to 30% more online in 2021, compared to the year before, with a significant surge in e-commerce subscriptions.

Unpacking whether SA has what it takes to match China’s e-commerce growth − which currently sees more than 50% of its retail sales taking place online − Kusel said the country must resolve the challenges around e-commerce, including infrastructure shortcomings.

“Infrastructure is the backbone for any commerce. For example, the SSS’s marketplace has grown hugely…”

“Checkers Sixty60 is another prime example where a huge brick-and-mortar retailer has embraced online and helped bring the e-commerce industry to South Africans.”

The PayFast exec told the virtual audience that online retailers need to get creative in building their businesses to meet the needs of consumers, adding that solving challenges around delivery and logistics in the informal economy is necessary for local e-commerce growth.

“We need to get creative on how we solve this,” he advised. “There’s some great new technology…and other ideas out there that are starting to resolve this. We can’t unlock more than 50-60% of our economy to e-commerce unless we can solve this.

“E-commerce is here to stay in South Africa. If we can solve some of the challenges…I think we can get a lot closer to that 50% that China’s been able to achieve.”

At the same event, Toluse Akinlabi, retail account manager at Google, shared insights into SA’s online shopping trends.

Akinlabi indicated local shoppers have settled into a new normal and there’s no going back to the way they shopped before.

“Globally, more people than ever are shopping online, with 61% more shoppers buying online in the holiday period in 2021 versus 2019. With more people shopping online, differentiation is becoming key.

“Shoppers are using more online information to enhance their in-store experience, and touchpoints that would’ve normally been seen as awareness, engagement or education channels are becoming purchase channels as well. There’s a real convergence in terms of the shopping journey that we’ve never seen before.”

Referencing the findings of Google’s Smart Consumer Report, Akinlabi said in the wake of the COVID-19 period, online remains the preferred way of shopping in SA.

More than two-thirds of shoppers shopped online in 2021, a huge jump from 2020, she noted.

“The habits formed during the initial stages of the pandemic are here to stay. In fact, 87% of shoppers believe they’ll stick with their changed purchase behaviour going forward.”

Akinlabi indicated the report shows e-commerce is “consistently” on the rise in SA, even for fast-moving consumer goods.

“We’re seeing a huge increase in people buying online in the consumer electronics space, home and garden, and fashion. Food and groceries has seen the largest jump since 2020, with five times more people doing their shopping online versus instore.”

She further stated the main reasons people choose online shopping methods is for convenience and home delivery. Another reason is that it’s easier to make a choice and find a specific product.

Akinlabi pointed out that people are buying more on their smartphones, increasing mobile shopping. This trend is particularly seen in the food and groceries, and home and garden categories.

“Mobile shopping on apps is really high and people are used to buying these new categories on their phone.

“While mobile sites are still a key purchase channel, consumer preference is increasingly shifting more towards mobile apps. We’re seeing the shift towards app-purchases a little bit more so than mobile site purchases.”

Wrapping up

We at ShopShipShake have been working with businesses like yours with fulfilling experiences.

We offer one-stop services, including an efficient supply chain, over 10 thousand of China’s suppliers, and more. With a successful track record of over 20,000 clients, we are sure to deliver your orders requirements.

Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow your businesses. If you would like to know more details about us, please contact with us: www.shopshipshake.co.za

If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on:https://bit.ly/3ks0m1M

Posted on in Business

What is CPM Marketing? Your New Tool for Brand Awareness

Learn about CPM marketing, its benefits to advertisers, and how to calculate CPM rates.

In the frenzied world of digital advertising, brands compete for consumer attention across social media, search engines, and websites. An effective messaging strategy—not to mention the right advertising pricing model—can help you break through the noise.

One of the most popular tools to achieve this is CPM marketing. With this format, advertisers pay based on impressions instead of clicks or conversions. At first glance, CPM marketing seems like a leap of faith. You’re paying upfront without guaranteed results. However, as in life, first impressions matter.

This article dives into how CPM marketing works, how to calculate your rates, and why it may be the right choice for your marketing goals over other pricing models.

What is CPM?

CPM is a digital advertisingpricing model where advertisers pay for each ad display or impression. CPM stands for “cost per thousand impressions,” or “cost per mille” (mille means “thousand” in Latin).

Benefits of CPM

CPM marketing offers several advantages, making it an effective option for many digital advertising goals. Here are some of the key benefits of CPM ad campaigns:

Improved brand awareness

A CPM campaign on ad networks like the Google Display Network allows businesses to increase brand awareness. The CPM pricing model gives advertisers access to premium ad placements and broad reach across web pages. This builds brand awareness and recognition by showing ads multiple times.

CPM ads can go beyond awareness and into sales when part of larger digital marketing efforts.

Cost-effective customer acquisition

CPM advertising is a cost-effective way to get new leads and customers, compared to some other digital marketingpricing models. CPM campaigns let you tailor your target CPM rate based on your customer acquisition costs and the value of a conversion. Spending is predictable, because you pay only for impressions delivered rather than clicks, which can be harder to estimate.

Effective retargeting

Although CPM ads may not directly drive conversions, they allow retargeting, which can generate leads and sales. CPM campaigns repeatedly get your brand and ads in front of high-intent audiences across ad formats and placements.

When aligned with email, social media, and search ads, marketing campaigns that use CPM can nurture consumers through to conversion. The awareness and familiarity of CPM strategies make potential customers more likely to engage and convert when they see your messaging on other channels.

How to calculate CPM

The formula to calculate CPM is straightforward:

CPM = (Total Cost of the Campaign / Total Number of Impressions) x 1,000

To use the CPM formula, you need two pieces of information:

  • The total cost of your advertising campaign, or the amount you pay to run the ads
  • The total number of impressions your campaign will generate (or has generated)

Once you have these numbers, you divide the total cost by the total number of impressions. This gives you the cost per single impression. Because CPM is the cost per thousand impressions, you multiply the result by 1,000 to get your CPM.

CPM calculation example

Let’s say a clothing retailer runs an online advertising campaign with the following details:

  • Total cost of the campaign: $5,000
  • Total number of impressions: 2,000,000

Here’s how they could calculate their CPM:

CPM = ($5,000 / 2,000,000) x 1,000

CPM = $2.50

So, the CPM for the clothing retailer’s advertising campaign is $2.50. This means that for every thousand impressions its ads receive, it pays $2.50.

CPM vs. CPC vs. CPA: What’s the difference?

Advertisers can choose from various ad pricing models, each with its own method for calculating costs. The three most common models are cost per mille (CPM), cost per click (CPC), and cost per action (CPA). Understanding the differences between these models is crucial for marketers looking to optimize their ad spend and return on ad spend (ROAS).

Here’s what each pricing model means:

CPM (cost per mille)

CPM, or cost per mille, refers to the cost an advertiser pays for one thousand impressions for an advertisement. An impression is registered each time the ad is displayed to a user, regardless of whether it’s clicked or leads to a conversion.

CPM is best suited for campaigns designed to increase brand awareness, because it focuses on the number of times an ad is seen rather than interaction with the ad.

CPC (cost per click)

CPC, or cost per click, is a pricing model where the advertiser pays each time someone clicks on its ad, regardless of what happens after the click. This model is typically focused on driving traffic to a website or landing page.

CPC is often used when the campaign aims to drive immediate action, such as visiting a website or landing page, rather than just viewing an ad.

Here’s how to calculate CPC:

CPC = Total Cost of the Campaign / Total Number of Clicks

CPA (cost per action)

CPA, or cost per action, is a model where the advertiser pays only when a specific action is taken due to someone clicking the ad. This action could be a sale, a sign-up, a download, or any other predefined conversion event.

CPA is a performance-based model that is commonly used in affiliate marketing, a process where content creators earn a commission every time someone buys something through an affiliate link they share. Advertisers favor it to ensure their ad spend maps to specific conversion goals.

Here’s how to calculate CPA:

CPA = Total Cost of the Campaign / Total Number of Conversions

Each model serves different advertising objectives. The choice between CPM, CPC, and CPA depends on what an advertiser wants to achieve with their campaign.

Wrapping Up:

We at ShopShipShake have been working with businesses like yours with fulfilling experiences. We offer one-stop services, including an efficient supply chain, over 10 thousand of China’s suppliers, over 1,000,000 SKU and more. With a successful track record of over 100,000 clients, we are sure to deliver your orders requirements.

Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow your businesses! If you would like to know more details about us, please contact us:  blog.shopshipshake.com. If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on: https://shop.shopshipshake.com/shop/register/business

The article originates from: https://www.shopify.com/za/blog/cpm-marketing

Posted on in Business

Marketplaces are thriving in South Africa

More than half of South Africa’s 60 million people now use e-commerce channels for purchases. And, if one considers research that shows 47% of offline shoppers will move online within a year, it becomes clear that this number will swell exponentially in the short to medium-term.

It comes as no surprise that online marketplaces are thriving amid the e-commerce boom. As more South Africans gain access to digital platforms, it becomes easier for them to buy goods from the comfort of their home or wherever is most convenient at the time.

What is interesting to note is that the South African market differs slightly from those of first-world countries.

Electronic Funds Transfers, for example, remain important in South Africa where credit card payments are more widely accepted overseas. Being able to handle these seamlessly is vital for any local marketplace.

One area where South Africa still has an opportunity is in access to certain products, and it stands to reason that businesses able to finesse the process of sourcing and importing in-demand product lines have the potential to do well.

Making sure that buyers enjoy consumer safeguards while shopping these hard-to-find items is also important. For example, shopping on an international platform may not allow for easy, cost-effective returns. Having goods imported may also attract additional duties and fees for the buyer of the goods.

Of course, with more e-commerce businesses entering the market, a situation develops where a marketplace will need to stand out from the crowd to attract customers who have become ever-more discerning.

According to Craig Lubbe, Head of Marketplace at e-commerce ecosystem Bob Group, South African consumers are value-conscious and like to compare prices across online stores.

Lubbe says a big selling point of online marketplaces is that it is very easy to compare prices across different sellers.

“The convenience of having multiple sellers in one place positions marketplaces as ideal platforms for this comparison shopping,” he says.

Yet running a platform and making it a success are two very different things. Marketplaces need to balance ease of access to products and user experience whilst making sure that the shopping experience is safe and secure for both sellers and buyers on the platform. Communication with shoppers during this process is equally important. Good online shopping experiences require frequent delivery updates once an order is placed.

Sometimes buyers also have questions prior to making a purchase decision, which is an important part of the shopping process. “On our Bob Shop platform, for example, you can ask questions from the sellers about the products on offer, and often sellers can even source other products which are not listed at the request of a buyer.”

He says creating a user-friendly experience provides an opportunity to “delight customers”. While the experience may not necessarily be noticed at each point, ticking the right boxes helps remove barriers for customers deciding if they should buy or not.

Conversely, a bad user experience will tip the scales in the wrong direction.

There are other important aspects that sellers need to finesse. Accurate product titles, well-produced product descriptions and good product imagery affect a buyer’s purchase decision. Not enough information about the product or failing to inform customers when they can expect delivery can put off a customer immediately.

Lubbe says sellers operating on marketplaces that pay attention to detail have potential to thrive, but they should also remember that demands change. Marketplaces also need to constantly adapt to new technologies and trends. This means they should always be looking to improve the shopping experience, both for the seller and buyer.

“What we have found successful is standardising our offering in terms of payments and consistent, cost-effective delivery options, for example. As time goes on, there will be other focus areas that we need to address to remain an option for our buyers and sellers in South Africa”

Wrapping Up:

We at ShopShipShake have been working with businesses like yours with fulfilling experiences. We offer one-stop services, including an efficient supply chain, over 10 thousand of China’s suppliers, over 1,000,000 SKU and more. With a successful track record of over 100,000 clients, we are sure to deliver your orders requirements.

Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow your businesses! If you would like to know more details about us, please contact us:  blog.shopshipshake.com. If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on: https://shop.shopshipshake.com/shop/register/business

The article originates from: https://www.bizcommunity.com/article/is-your-favourite-online-marketplace-giving-you-the-best-user-friendly-experience-453709a

Posted on in Business

Cultivate a Community Online in 3 Simple Steps

Liah Yoo built an audience on YouTube before launching her brand KraveBeauty. She shares how to create a community online while redefining your industry.

Often, cultivating a loyal community online is one of the best ways to build a brand. But how do you make content that’s relatable and rallies the support of strangers? Liah Yoo has the answer. 

Liah is the founder of KraveBeauty, a multimillion-dollar skincare company that’s resetting industry norms. Her brand focuses on limiting the number of products used in a typical skin care routine to minimize breakouts. 

Liah founded her company after she documented her own journey with adult acne on YouTube. She built a community of more than one million subscribers before launching her market-disrupting brand.

Ahead Liah shares the strategies that helped her connect with a large audience online. 

3 ways to build a community online 

Lilah has been creating content on social media since 2011. Tap into more than a decade’s worth of her experience to grow your own community.

1. Find a problem you already have 

If you want your content to perform well on social media, address a problem you understand first hand. “Community gets built really easily around a shared problem,” Liah says. As soon as she began making videos documenting her struggle with adult acne, people started subscribing to her channel. 

Lilah was vulnerable about her own frustrations, and how confused and overwhelmed she felt with the industry. “Oftentimes with acne-prone skin, we’re applying way too many products, and sometimes you need to press reset and simplify in order to clear your skin,” Lilah says. Her content was enjoyable because it not only was relatable, but came from an authentic point of view. 

2. Create a slogan that embodies your brand

Lilah highlights the importance of having a slogan for your content. “Nike has, ‘Just Do It’ and Apple has, ‘Think Different,’” she says. “Your slogan represents your brand and the lifestyle you want other people to also join and live together. For us that was definitely #PressReset.” 

The slogan refers to resetting thoughts around routine, the industry’s waste, and other jargon brands use to scare or upsell customers. Lilah uses the slogan throughout her content, including as a hashtag on her posts. 

3. Focus on value for your audience

So many influencers sell skin care products online that it can be unclear what actually works and what’s excess. Lilah focused her content on providing value in the form of helping and informing her audience.

Frustrated by all the contradicting information sold to her by popular skin care brands, she wanted to promote the fact that you don’t need expensive treatments or topicals to heal. “The industry makes you feel like you need to apply more products, go through a laser treatment, or take accutane,” Liah says. 

If you can create content with helpful, tactful information, people will keep coming back for more. Developing personal expertise is important when it comes to making your posts engaging online—and earning the trust of your target audience.

Wrapping Up:

We at ShopShipShake have been working with businesses like yours with fulfilling experiences. We offer one-stop services, including an efficient supply chain, over 10 thousand of China’s suppliers, over 1,000,000 SKU and more. With a successful track record of over 100,000 clients, we are sure to deliver your orders requirements.

Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow your businesses! If you would like to know more details about us, please contact us:  blog.shopshipshake.com. If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on: https://shop.shopshipshake.com/shop/register/business

The article originates from: https://www.shopify.com/za/blog/liah-yoo-krave-beauty-build-community-with-content

Posted on in Business

E-commerce surge spells opportunity for SA’s SME transporters

The growth of e-commerce has been unprecedented, reshaping consumer habits and driving increased demand within the transportation sector. To bolster e-commerce expansion in South Africa, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) must embrace new technologies, adapt to changing consumer preferences, and employ innovative operational strategies. By staying abreast of e-commerce trends and developments, transporters can effectively navigate the dynamic e-commerce landscape.

Consequently, since the onset of the pandemic, there has been a remarkable surge in technology adoption and a transition to e-commerce, resulting in heightened demand for transportation services. This shift presents a significant opportunity for existing and emerging transport companies to capitalize on the evolving market dynamics.

According to Statista, revenues in the worldwide e-commerce market are projected to reach around US$3.18t (R59.34t) by the end of 2024. With an annual growth rate (CAGR 2024-2029) of 9.47%, volumes are expected to reach $5trillion (R93.3t) a year by 2029 from 3.2 billion active users, or a 44.4% population penetration (up from 36.6% in 2024).

These rate estimates may be moderate, given the anticipated exponential advancements in efficiencies and productivity driven by artificial intelligence across various sectors, including energy, manufacturing and transportation.

Market analysis

Aspiring transporters must grasp the factors driving the rapid growth of e-commerce, including new ways of working, emerging technology, consumer behaviour and decreasing technophobia across age groups.

Freighters need to remain vigilant and stay updated on the latest technological advancements that influence e-commerce, such as AI-driven personalisation, blockchain for supply chain transparency, and augmented reality (AR) for immersive shopping experiences. They need to be aware of these innovations to adapt their services accordingly and offer value-added solutions to e-commerce businesses.

Partner with retailers

The digitisation of the economy, coupled with the adoption of smart technology in vehicles, renders traditional business practices obsolete. The emergence of user-friendly apps that can simplify starting and managing an online business makes it accessible to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The involvement of financial institutions further democratises e-commerce, ensuring it is no longer exclusive to large retailers.

Add value

Transportation alone is no longer enough, operators must uniquely differentiate themselves. While some may emphasise scale, others can offer promotions in partnership with retailers, commercial (product) insights, regular newsletters or subscription services. The possibilities are endless and limited only by available tools.

Plan your routes

Delivery is no longer about speed; personalised care for business and customer information is crucial. Forward-thinking transporters conduct additional research on target areas’ planned development or provide real-time updates on road works to offer real-time communication to customers.

A customer may be willing to wait a few extra days, knowing that a transporter has communicated about potential disturbances, like social unrest.

The power of data

The day, when every aspect of public and private infrastructure is digitised, is fast approaching, where vehicles talk to each other and the surrounding environment in real-time. There is already an enormous and ever-expanding repository of data collected through GPS-powered apps, mapping solutions and even businesses themselves. Accessing and maximising this data enables transporters to be more than just couriers, they become advisors.

Wrapping Up:

We at ShopShipShake have been working with businesses like yours with fulfilling experiences. We offer one-stop services, including an efficient supply chain, over 10 thousand of China’s suppliers, over 1,000,000 SKU and more. With a successful track record of over 100,000 clients, we are sure to deliver your orders requirements.

Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow your businesses! If you would like to know more details about us, please contact us:  blog.shopshipshake.com. If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on: https://shop.shopshipshake.com/shop/register/business

The article originates from: https://www.bizcommunity.com/article/e-commerce-surge-spells-opportunity-for-sas-sme-transporters-675101a#

Posted on in Marketing

How To Find Trending Sounds on TikTok (2024)

Knowing where and how to find trending sounds on TikTok can boost engagement around your content and increase brand awareness. Here are eight easy ways to find trending sounds on TikTok.

ith 88% of TikTokers saying audio is essential to their overall experience on the app, knowing how to find trending sounds on TikTok offers massive potential for brands to grow on the platform. 

Trending TikTok sounds, songs, and other original audio are used every day, with trends evolving quickly. How can you stay ahead of what’s trending in order to leverage these sounds in your TikTok marketing strategy?

Ahead, learn how to find trending TikTok sounds while they are still popular, using the tools inside and outside the app. And discover four tips for finding new songs and sounds to use in your TikTok content.

How to find new trending sounds and songs on TikTok 

 TikTok users are eight times more likely to remember a brand for the unique sounds and songs it uses in its videos than other elements such as visual style, color, slogan, and logo. That’s why finding the right sounds is critical to brand recognition and building an audience.

Here’s how to find trending sounds on TikTok.

Use TikTok’s search function

Here are the steps to find TikTok sounds using the search bar: 

  1. Open the TikTok app.
  2. Go to the search function at the top of the screen.
  3. Search for “viral sounds” (or any other similar keyword).
  4. Once results are loaded, hop over to the Sounds tab. You’ll see a list of trending songs and sounds on TikTok and the number of times they’ve been used in TikTok videos.
  5. Alternatively, you can also go to the Hashtags tab to see what popular hashtags related to sounds are being used.

There are other ways to find TikTok sounds right inside the app. Let’s explore a few of those options.

Scroll the For You page

Whether you’re new to TikTok or a frequent user, there’s no doubt you spend the bulk of your TikTok time on the For You page, as it’s one of the app’s core features. When browsing the page, look at what sorts of videos others are posting and the sounds they’re using. 

One of the best parts of finding trending sounds on TikTok through the For You page is that it requires almost no additional effort or time, as you can easily do it during your regular use of TikTok. Trending sounds or songs will definitely be repeated over and over as you scroll—after a few minutes, you’ll start to recognize what’s trending. 

It’s worth noting here that the content on the For You page differs from user to user. This is because it caters to users’ personal interests and the TikTok communities they belong to. If you want to create brand content that appeals to your target audience, find out what sort of content they see on their For You page by doing market analysis. 

Browse TikTok’s sound library

Another resource is TikTok’s very own sound library. Here’s how to access it and use it to find trending sounds:

  1. Open the TikTok app.
  2. Click on the + sign at the bottom of the screen as you would when posting a new video.
  3. Tap on the “Add sound” option at the top of the screen.
  4. Scroll down to “Playlist” and browse through any playlist that could feature trending songs like “TikTok Viral,” “Featured,” and so on. Note that the playlists that show up in this section may differ from user to user. Since you’re looking for trending sounds, any playlist that suggests it could include popular sounds is worth a look.

Use TikTok’s Creative Center

TikTok’s Creative Center allows users to view the most popular songs on the app and even filter them by region. The latter comes in particularly handy when your target market is located in an area different from yours. 

Clicking on any song on the list will also show you a graph charting its general performance over the past week.

Check out Spotify’s playlists

Another great place to find trending songs on TikTok is none other than the leading music streaming provider, Spotify.

Simply enter “TikTok” in the search bar and select “Playlists.” There, you’ll find playlist after playlist of the top trending sounds on TikTok curated by users. 

But if you pay attention to only one user, let that be TikTok’s very own Spotify account. It currently has 10 public playlists with the latest TikTok hits, sorted by region. 

Browse YouTube

Popular video-sharing platform YouTube is also a wonderful resource for trending songs on TikTok.

In the search bar, enter keywords such as “trending tiktok sounds” or “trending tiktok songs” and you’ll have a plethora of options. In fact, simply typing in “trending tiktok” prompts YouTube’s autocomplete predictions, and you’ll get a list of search suggestions.

YUMMY is one account you want to follow to stay up-to-date with trending sounds on TikTok, as it publishes a new video with the latest TikTok hits every single day.

Redlist also has a playlist of trending TikTok songs that it updates pretty frequently. What’s more, Redlist also compiles music videos of the most popular TikTok songs every few months and even lists the names of these songs for easy identification. 

Pay attention to the Billboard Hot 100 chart

Last but certainly not least, the Billboard Hot 100 chart is a resource you want to check out when looking for trending sounds on TikTok.

Check out TokChart

TokChart is a website that tracks trending music on TikTok within the past 24 hours and breaks out trends by location. 

4 tips for finding trending sounds on TikTok

1. Understand how trending sounds are being used

When you’ve chosen a trending sound for your TikTok content, look at how it’s being used, especially in the videos that are going viral. This gives you a better idea of how to participate in the TikTok trend.

Also, consider reading through the comments section of these videos for feedback from other users to understand what you can improve on or avoid doing.

If you want to go the extra mile, don’t simply imitate what others are doing. This is your chance to be creative and put your own spin on it. A little out-of-the-box thinking can be the key to getting your videos to go viral on TikTok!

2. Save TikTok songs and sounds as favorites

Once you come across sounds or songs in trending videos, don’t forget to save them as favorites. This saves you the effort of having to locate them again when you’re ready to use them in your TikTok posts.

Plus, TikTok trends tend to last around five to seven days. Depending on how often and when you post on TikTok, this can give you plenty of opportunities to use the current sounds that are trending.

But how long a TikTok sound can trend is anyone’s guess. Some can potentially go on for months on end or even resurface in the future. To that end, saving them as favorites allows you to come back to them easily at a later date. It’s much like having your own personalized library of trending TikTok sounds at your fingertips.

3. Consider your target audience

Aside from looking for songs and sounds that are trending across TikTok, pay close attention to those that are specific and relevant to your target audience. While the top sounds and songs may be getting a ton of attention, they may not all resonate with your specific audience. 

Tap into what your followers are following and liking. Even though some of these sounds may not be as hot widely, there’s a chance they’ll resonate just as well—if not better—with your target audience.

4. Search for unique trending sounds

Remember, TikTok isn’t just about music. Users can also create unique sounds that are fun to make videos with. So catchy and trendy songs aside, knowing how to find trending sounds on TikTok is also important.

To do that, your best bet would be to browse on the TikTok app itself (i.e., via the For You page and TikTok’s search bar).

From trending sounds to trending products

As 73% of users say they “stop and look” at TikTok ads that have audio, sounds are an incredibly important part of your TikTok marketing strategy, not only for organic posts, but for paid ads too. 

Given the popularity of audio on TikTok, including the hottest hits in your TikTok content can really help to increase your reach and, ultimately, sell on TikTok.

Wrapping Up:

We at ShopShipShake have been working with businesses like yours with fulfilling experiences. We offer one-stop services, including an efficient supply chain, over 10 thousand of China’s suppliers, over 1,000,000 SKU and more. With a successful track record of over 100,000 clients, we are sure to deliver your orders requirements.

Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow your businesses! If you would like to know more details about us, please contact us:  blog.shopshipshake.com. If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on: https://shop.shopshipshake.com/shop/register/business

The article originates from: https://www.shopify.com/blog/how-to-find-trending-sounds-tiktok

Posted on in Business, Entrepreneur

Unleashing Business Success: The Journey of Tyson Walters and Shed Defender

Today, let’s delve into a case study featuring Tyson Walters, a notable figure in the e-commerce realm of Shed Defender.

Over the past years, Tyson Walters has made a mark in the e-commerce landscape, particularly in the niche of selling dog onesies. With over 30,000 units sold and a cumulative revenue surpassing $1.7 million USD, Tyson’s brand, Shed Defender, stands out in the market. Surprisingly, he’s achieved this feat with just a team of three, including himself.

Let’s take a closer look at his profile and the milestones he’s achieved:

Name: Tyson Walters

Website Brand: Shed Defender

Employees: 2

Monthly Revenue: $70,000 USD

Website: www.sheddefender.com

Now, let me share my analysis of this case study from a first-person perspective.

Pets-Shed-Defender-Banner-Shark-Tank

1. Introduction to My Core Business

I’m Tyson Walters, the founder of the Shed Defender brand.

Our journey began formally in October 2016, but the idea had been brewing in my mind for about six years prior. It took several years of fabric testing and design experimentation to reach where we are today.

Our flagship product, the Shed Defender, is a versatile pet bodysuit that effectively controls pet hair shedding and dander, while also providing comfort and alleviating pet anxiety.

We offer nine sizes to accommodate dogs ranging from 5 pounds to approximately 200 pounds. To date, we’ve sold over 30,000 units, generating over $1.7 million in sales.

As we venture into the new year, we anticipate continued business growth and have some exciting new products in the pipeline.

Golden-Retriever- wearing-Shed-Defender

2. Genesis of the Idea

The genesis of this idea traces back to 2011 when I had a heavily shedding Saint Bernard named Harley at home.

No matter where we went, whether in the car or at home, her hair was everywhere. It became a nuisance whenever we visited friends and family, leaving a trail of hair wherever Harley went.

Existing anti-shedding products in the market, like car seat covers and sofa covers, felt restrictive and uncomfortable for Harley. Seeing no effective solutions, I decided to create something new.

My initial idea was to design a suit for dogs that could collect hair and dander. The prototype was initially sewn by my mother and underwent several rounds of improvements. After hiring a professional seamstress, we tailored a suit that suited Harley perfectly.

Harley wearing the prototype attracted much attention, with many inquiring where to purchase such a product for their pets. The positive feedback I received over several months highlighted a clear market demand, prompting me to turn this idea into a business.

I extensively tested these samples on dogs of various sizes in different settings, from animal shelters to dog parks. After achieving satisfaction with the fabric, design, and sizing, I borrowed some money and launched a website.

Initially, progress was slow, but one day, an advertisement I posted on Facebook caught the attention of The Dodo, an animal news website. The resulting video went viral overnight, leading to inquiries from national and international media outlets.

This whirlwind experience brought excitement but also a daunting amount of work to fulfill the demands of thousands of customers.

A Running Dog Wearing Shed Defender

3. The Production Journey of the First Product

The production journey began with sourcing suitable fabric, necessitating elasticity, comfort, breathability, and durability. After thorough research and sampling, I discovered a sports mesh fabric made from recycled plastic bottles, which met all the necessary criteria.

This fabric proved lightweight, breathable, and durable, capable of withstanding the daily activities of dogs. With the fabric finalized, I focused on refining the design, experimenting with various versions.

I explored options like Velcro, snaps, and different fabrics before settling on a design that surpassed existing products in durability, versatility, comfort, and effectiveness.

Initially, a seamstress could produce only 1-2 custom Shed Defenders per day. However, with the surge in demand, I realized the need to collaborate with a manufacturer to handle the increasing number of orders.

After thorough inquiries and recommendations, I found a reliable contact in San Francisco willing to collaborate.

4. The Entrepreneurial Journey

I created my first website using Squarespace, initially intending to sell a few Shed Defenders as a hobby. Without a manufacturer yet, I engaged a local seamstress who could produce a few units per day, all made-to-order.

Investing a small amount in Facebook advertising, I witnessed a surge in demand, further amplified by The Dodo’s video. Media coverage skyrocketed overnight, along with a flood of orders, making it clear that relying solely on my seamstress was untenable.

While it was heartening to see such demand for my product, it was also daunting, as I was navigating uncharted waters. I immediately sought local manufacturers’ services and was fortunate to find one in San Francisco, a two-hour drive from my home.

Although production commenced, it took several months to fulfill the first batch of Shed Defenders. Consequently, early customers had to wait longer than expected to receive their orders.

To ensure customer satisfaction, I sent sincere emails, explaining the situation and providing regular updates. Most customers were understanding when approached with honesty and transparency.

Upon shipping the first few thousand Shed Defenders, my parents and I personally packaged and shipped them from their kitchen table. It was then that I realized it was time to fully commit to the business.

Borrowing some money from family, I began stocking inventory and invested in marketing efforts. The initial two years were a steep learning curve, with numerous ups and downs, but I have no regrets!

Woman holding three dogs wearing shed defender

5. Customer Acquisition Strategies

Facebook Advertising

Facebook ads have been our go-to platform, offering an accessible solution for startups. With budgets as low as $20 or $50, we could kickstart campaigns, and the ad management platform is user-friendly.

Starting with minimal daily budgets, we gradually increased spending as we saw positive returns and sales growth. Experimenting with audience targeting, ad copy, and design has been instrumental in our success.

Amazon

Amazon serves as another vital sales channel for us, offering an advertising platform suitable for various budgets. While initially challenging, we hired an agency to assist in setting up and running our store.

After a year of internal operations, we opted to outsource to a third party, maintaining control over pricing and quality. With Amazon’s vast customer base, it’s a platform worth exploring for any business.

6. Future Plans and Lessons Learned

We’re currently profitable, achieving a 65% year-over-year revenue growth last year. Our gross profit nearly doubled, thanks to bulk production, providing better profit margins.

Starting from 2019, we plan to expand our product line, strengthen brand presence, and diversify sales channels. While reflecting on our entrepreneurial journey, the importance of due diligence stands out.

We’ve made various mistakes along the way but persisted in moving forward. My biggest advice is to conduct thorough research, as things that sound too good to be true often are.

For instance, we once received a batch of defective products that couldn’t be sold. This setback almost derailed our business, emphasizing the need for careful supplier vetting.

Early on, we also fell victim to overhyped marketing promises, resulting in excess inventory. Therefore, my advice to budding entrepreneurs is simple: refrain from overstocking unless confident in your sales projections.

7. Tools Utilized

We leverage Shopify, Shipstation, and DearSystems as our e-commerce, shipping, and inventory platforms, respectively. Shopify’s user-friendliness and integrations make it an ideal choice for startups.

Yotpo serves as our customer review system, providing invaluable insights for product improvements and identifying new use cases.

8. Advice for Entrepreneurs

Read “The 4-Hour Workweek“

If you’re unable to find answers or unsure where to start, seek guidance from someone smarter than you.

Reiterating, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Conduct due diligence to avoid costly mistakes.

For instance, we were persuaded to use cheaper zippers initially, leading to extensive replacements due to defects. Similarly, partnering with a television shopping ad company proved disastrous, as their promises far exceeded their capabilities.

In conclusion, entrepreneurship is a journey filled with challenges and opportunities for growth. Embrace the journey, learn from mistakes, and persist in pursuit of your vision.

Wrapping up

We at ShopShipShake have been working with businesses like yours with fulfilling experiences. We offer one-stop services, including an efficient supply chain, over 10 thousand of China’s suppliers, over 1,000,000 SKU and more. With a successful track record of over 100,000 clients, we are sure to deliver your orders requirements.

If you aspire to emulate Tyson Walters’ success in South Africa, Shopshipshake offers robust supply chain support. Direct sourcing from Chinese factories reveals procurement costs only a fraction of Shed Defender’s selling price. Moreover, the compact and lightweight nature of the products facilitates cost-effective air shipping. With dropshipping, products can reach your South African customers within 10-15 days from China, yielding profit margins as high as 70%! Link for Product

Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow your businesses! If you would like to know more details about us, please contact us:  blog.shopshipshake.com. If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on: https://shop.shopshipshake.com/register/business

This article is originally written by Shopshipshake.

Posted on in BUSINESS, Business, SEO

How To Create a Sitemap in 4 Simple Steps in 2024

Before you create a sitemap manually, check to see if your tech stack has already created one for you. If not, you can create a sitemap in four easy steps.

If you knew inspectors were coming to approve a building for commercial use, you’d probably set things up for them beforehand, get an idea of what they wanted to check, and be on-site to walk them through the premises. That’s pretty much what a sitemap does, but for search engine crawlers. It provides them with a layout of the website, a hierarchy of each page’s importance, and a rough time frame for when they should come back around again to inspect for updated keywords. 

Creating a sitemap for SEO is fairly straightforward. Although it can be time-consuming for larger sites, a suite of tools can help streamline the process or even automate it. It’s also just good practice, given the importance of a website in the user’s overall experience of a business. Just as preparing a property for inspectors provides a good opportunity to tidy up and ensure essential infrastructure is in working order, so too can the process of creating a sitemap provide a good overview of your website’s overall structure and coherence. 

What is a sitemap? 

A sitemap is a file that provides a structured list of all a website’s pages, helping search engines like Google understand the site’s organization and content hierarchy. This enhances the site’s discoverability in search results. The file contains a list of every URL you want crawled and ranked, as well as their relative importance to each other, their last update, and their frequency of update. For ecommerce sites, sitemaps guide search engine bots through product or service listings, categories, and relevant pages. 

There are two types of sitemaps: one written in XML (extensible markup language) and the other written in HTML (hypertext markup language). XML sitemaps are created so search engines can crawl and index your site. Specialized sitemap formats exist for websites primarily focused on presenting imagery and video, and “news sitemaps” help websites like Google News and Google Discovery prioritize surfacing timely news stories. 

What-is-XML

HTML sitemaps help with crawlability, helping search engine bots move from one page to another. HTML sitemaps help bots discover more pages.

Why create a sitemap?

The benefit of creating a sitemap is that it helps search engine bots crawl more pages on a regular basis, which can improve your website’s rankings, as rankings are linked to on-page optimization. Google uses sitemaps to help its bots better crawl and index sites. Arthur Camberlein, technical SEO and data specialist at Shopify, says, “Remember to list all the website URLs you want to index. Don’t include pages like ‘/cart’ or ‘/contact’, for example. [And] take the time to create an XML sitemap, because it helps bots efficiently crawl your pages.” 

Sitemaps can help you: 

  • Index new pages quickly. If your site frequently adds or updates products, a sitemap helps search engines quickly identify these changes, leading to faster exposure.
  • Enhance user experience (UX). UX designers also produce sitemaps so they can create a website layout that’s intuitive and easy for users to navigate.
  • Prevent duplicate content issues. Avoid including non-canonical URLs in your sitemaps. Doing so may prompt bots to crawl these URLs, which wouldn’t benefit your website. Your website’s XML and HTML sitemaps should only contain self-canonicalized URLs that are indexed (as opposed to not indexed) and return a “200 HTTP” status code.
  • Appeal internationally. If your ecommerce business operates in multiple regions and languages, you can create separate sitemaps for each locale, so search engines use the appropriate versions in each location. 

How to create a sitemap

Before creating a sitemap, decide whether you want to automate the process. One or multiple elements of your tech stack may have already created a sitemap for you. For example: 

  • Shopify dynamically creates a sitemap for all websites built on its platform, including international variants.
  • The popular web publishing tool WordPress allows users to take advantage of plug-ins that generate sitemaps automatically.
  • Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, and Link Sleuth have tools that can help generate an automated sitemap for your website. 

If you’ve used any of these, you can skip directly to step four to learn how to submit a sitemap to the search engines of your choice. If you want to make one manually, though, the process is fairly straightforward. 

1. Gather all your URLs 

The first step is to get all of your website’s URLs together in one place. If you have a very small website, you can do this by clicking on each page and pasting the URLs into a text document. For larger websites, consider using site crawlers (like Screaming Frog or Site Bulb), exporting the list of URLs from your content management system (CMS), or pulling them from the landing page data of your analytics platform. 

2. Code them in XML 

Next, add the data that enriches this list of URLs for crawlers. Using a text editor like Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac), or a code editor like Sublime Text, begin creating the XML code for the sitemap. For each web page, you’ll list its: 

  • Location. This is just its URL.
  • Last modified date. This is written in the format YYYY-MM-DD.
  • Change frequency. You can list its update frequency as always (for constantly updated pages), hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or never (if the page is likely to remain static). 
  • Priority. This ranges from 0.0 (least important) to 1.0 (most important). You typically want your homepage listed as 1.0, major pages at around 0.8, and lower-importance blog posts at around 0.6. 

Do this for every page, then save the file as sitemap.xml. 

3. Add your sitemap to your website

The next step is to take your sitemap and attach it to your website. Locate the root folder of your website and upload the sitemap file. Now that the sitemap is online and accessible via browser, capture its URL for the next step.

4. Submit your sitemap to search engines

Finally, you need to let search engines know you’ve done the work. (Even if you automated the creation of their sitemap with a tool, you’ll still have to take this step.) Go to Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools, find the tab listed “sitemap,” and paste the sitemap URL you just created. At this point, you’ve given the engines all the instructions they need, and if there are any glitches with the information you provided, they’ll surface them for you. 

Sitemap best practices

Consider following these tips when building and maintaining your sitemap:

  • Use tools. Your CMS, website builder, or analytics program may have tools to help streamline or automate the process of building a sitemap. Unless you’re really interested in getting to know XML and your full site hierarchy, make use of them. 
    • Use sitemap indexes for large websites. If you have more than 50,000 URLs to index, build multiple sitemaps nested together using a sitemap index. 
    • Prioritize high-quality pages. When categorizing each page’s priority, emphasize the key landing pages and category pages, so search engines know they’re more important than, say, a very old blog post. 
    • Consider which pages to block. Search engines cannot index pages that are password protected, so do not add those to your sitemap. 
    • Consider publishing an HTML sitemap for users. Many major websites have HTML sitemaps that delineates the hierarchy of the website and its pages. This doesn’t really help with search engine optimization (SEO), but it can be a useful tool for visitors looking to scope your full offerings in a different format. 
    • Validate your code.Code needs to be perfect to work properly. Before uploading a manually coded sitemap, use a code validation tool like W3C Markup Validation Service or TutorialsPoint’s XML Validation Tool. 
    • Update your sitemap periodically. Set yourself a reminder to upload a new sitemap occasionally. If you’re frequently adding lots of new pages, consider doing this every couple of weeks. If you’ve performed a dramatic redesign, update your sitemap quickly so the new pages are reflected in search engine results. Even if you have a relatively static page, consider giving it an annual once-over.

Wrapping Up:

We at ShopShipShake have been working with businesses like yours with fulfilling experiences. We offer one-stop services, including an efficient supply chain, over 10 thousand of China’s suppliers, over 1,000,000 SKU and more. With a successful track record of over 100,000 clients, we are sure to deliver your orders requirements.

Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow your businesses! If you would like to know more details about us, please contact us:  blog.shopshipshake.com. If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on: https://shop.shopshipshake.com/register/business

This article originates from: https://www.shopify.com/za/blog/how-to-create-a-sitemap

Posted on in ecommerce, Marketing

How the Facebook Ad Auction Works

Billions of ad auctions take place every day to determine what Facebook ads people see. Do you understand how the Facebook ad auction works?

When the advertiser defines the audience they are targeting, there is no guarantee that anyone in that audience will see their ad. The advertiser must first win in the auctions.

Here’s what you need to know…

The Goal of the Auction

You can’t think of the Facebook ad auction as the stereotypical auction with a fast-talking auctioneer and the item on the auction block going to the highest bidder. That’s not really how this works.

The goal of the auction isn’t necessarily to award the ad with the highest bid a placement in a particular user’s feed. The hope is to accomplish two primary things:

  1. Show a user an ad they are likely to care about and engage with
  2. Provide results to the business paying for the ad

If only the highest bid mattered, users would be less likely to see the ads they care about — and advertisers would be less likely to get the actions they paid for. When done right, both users and advertisers benefit.

How it Works

So, it’s more complicated than having the highest bid. The winner of the ad auction is the ad with the highest total value. The total value is determined by three factors:

1. Bid: Okay, this still matters. The bid is how much the advertiser is willing to pay to get their desired action. This is sometimes set manually, but usually automatically.

Meta-Ads-Auction-Manually-Bid

2. Estimated Action Rates: This is an estimate of the probability that a person will engage with your ad. This could be based on what a user tends to engage with and the rate that people are engaging with your ad.

3. Ad Quality: This has less to do with the level of engagement and more to do with signals related to quality. This is derived from feedback of users who have seen it so far and automated assessments of the ad that include checks for violations like engagement bait.

How Do You Win the Auction?

Can you win an auction based primarily on having the highest bid? Well, technically. In that case, your ad may not get shown based on estimated action rates and ad quality alone. As a result, you can expect to spend more to get your ad shown. Will that be worth it?

The goal, of course, is to win these auctions in a balanced way. You want to spend the least while reaching the right people who are most likely to perform your desired action.

What’s the best way to do this? Effective creative that grabs attention and inspires engagement while playing within the rules. Ultimately, it’s a quality ad that will give you the biggest advantage with winning auctions while keeping your costs down.

What strategies do you follow to win Facebook ad auctions?

Let me know in the comments below!

Wrapping Up:

We at ShopShipShake have been working with businesses like yours with fulfilling experiences. We offer one-stop services, including an efficient supply chain, over 10 thousand of China’s suppliers, over 1,000,000 SKU and more. With a successful track record of over 100,000 clients, we are sure to deliver your orders requirements.

Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow your businesses! If you would like to know more details about us, please contact us:  blog.shopshipshake.com. If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on: https://shop.shopshipshake.com/register/business

This article originates from: https://www.jonloomer.com/facebook-ad-auction/

Posted on in Business, products

Choosing the Best Safety Shoes: A Comprehensive Guide in 2024

When it comes to working outdoors or in potentially hazardous environments, investing in a reliable pair of safety shoes is paramount. Whether you’re an electrician, construction worker, or involved in chemical or mining industries, the right safety boots can significantly mitigate risks and protect your feet from harm. In this guide, we’ll delve into the different types of safety shoes available, how to choose the best ones, and recommendations for the latest models that offer both safety and comfort.

Main Factors to Look for When Choosing Proper Footwear for Your Job

When choosing the right safety shoes, check your working environment and the kind of job you perform for any of the following safety hazards:

WALKING SURFACES

In workplaces with smooth, wet, or slippery walking surfaces such as kitchens, you will need non-slip shoes or safety shoes with anti-slip soles which give you maximum grip under conditions caused by polishing, water, ice, oil, or any substance that will cause you to lose your balance. For uneven surfaces such as milling sites, look for ankle-high safety shoes that will protect your ankle from sprains. Make sure the walking surfaces are properly maintained as well.

PROTRUDING OBJECTS

In workplaces where sharp-pointed objects such as nails or scrap metal are commonly found on the walking surface, such as workshops, safety boots with thick soles that are resistant to punctures are required.

FALLING OBJECTS

In workplaces such as construction sites, where injuries from falling objects such as bricks or tools can occur, steel toe boots are a necessity.

ROLLING OR MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT

Steel toe boots should also be worn in workplaces such as warehouses that have heavy rolling equipment such as forklifts and trollies. Workplaces such as assembly factories with mechanical equipment that perform punching and crushing tasks such as scrapyards also require steel toe boots.

THERMAL

In work environments that have working conditions with extremely hot materials or temperatures such as foundries, or extremely low temperatures such as refrigerated warehouses, thermal boots must be worn. Wearing the proper safety boots will protect workers against burns or frostbite.

ELECTRICAL

In a work environment where electricity is a hazard, work boots with non-conductive soles and heels must be worn. This will protect workers against electric shock.

CHEMICAL

Chemical resistant boots must be worn in workplaces that deal with harmful or corrosive substances such as bleach or acid. These boots are made knee-high to protect against accidental splashes.

BIOLOGICAL

Biological hazards such as allergies, rashes, and germ growth, are usually found in wet or outdoor working environments. Safety boots are designed to be waterproof and chemical resistant.

Once you have selected the right safety shoe for your workplace’s environment, check them for these minor but important details:

What are the work, safety and protective shoe norms?

Safety shoes must meet the EN ISO 20345 norm which requires:

  • 200 joule impact resistance at the front of the shoe,
  • anti-slip soles on smooth and greasy floors in industrial environments (XPS 73012 norm),
  • closed back of the shoe.

The EN ISO 20345 norm is then divided into different categories corresponding to specific protections indicated by the letters:

  • A: anti-static footwear
  • Fo: hydrocarbon-resistant soles
  • E: heel and sole energy absorption
  • P: perforation-resistant soles
  • Wru: upper part of the shoe resistant to water penetration and water absorption
  • Wr: water-resistant shoes

EN ISO 20345 compliant safety shoes:

What kind of shoes are appropriate for my work environment?

Safety shoes must be worn in all industries where there is a risk of foot injury. You have to determine the type of shoes you will need for the work environment:

  • For indoor and outdoor work, for example on construction sites and in mines, it is better to favor S3 shoes or potentially S5 if it is necessary to intervene in a flooded environment regularly.
  • In the agri-food industry, generally work is done indoors and in a dry environment. In this case, it is possible to switch to S1 safety shoes or S1P shoes if there is a risk of perforation of the soles. Depending on the type of floor covering, you may also need to provide anti-slip protection such as SRA or SRB, or soles insulated against cold or heat.
  • In some laboratories, especially for the chemical industry, you will need to provide safety shoes, for example to prevent risks related to products used. In this case you can choose S1, or S2 if there is a spray risk.
  • On construction sites, often S1 or S1P shoes provide the necessary protection, but you will of course have to adapt the type of protection to your specific risks.
  • For the automotive industry, shoes must often meet specific risks such as those related to welding. In this case, you can for example look for S1 shoes that are also classified Hro.
Fashionable safety shoes with ISO standards

Where to find stable safety shoes suppliers for your business?

Choosing the right safety shoe doesn’t have to feel like a daunting task because we are here to help! Our extensive range of brands and shoes and our many years of experience makes meeting your requirement easy and speedy.

As the world’s largest industrial nation, China boasts competitive quality and prices for industrial safety products on the international stage. SSS provides stable Chinese supply chain and logistics services to small and medium-sized enterprises in South Africa. Our partnered factories strictly adhere to ISO 20345 standards , offering high-quality and affordable products.

Fashionable safety shoes with ISO standards sponsored by Shopshipshake (SA Warehouse Available):

Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow your businesses! If you would like to know more details about us, please contact us:  blog.shopshipshake.com.

If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on: https://shop.shopshipshake.com/register/business

Posted on in B2B e-commerce, Business in South Sfrica, e-commerce, Shopify

How does dropshipping work in South Africa?

Dropshipping is a retail method that allows online merchants (any person) to sell goods without keeping any inventory on hand.

The retail method helps online merchants (any person) sell goods without holding any stock. When a store owner gets an order (via their e-commerce store) from a customer, the store owner arranges for the products to be delivered to the customer’s door.

It’s also ideal for individuals who want to test various product concepts before committing to a more extensive inventory. When you use the dropshipping business strategy, you can advertise products directly from your online storefront. Once a customer places an order, you transmit (depending on how your store integrates with the supplier) the order to the drop shipper; you may not want the customer to know that the supplier will ship the products. Depending on your agreement and the services the supplier offers, you may want the supplier to send the order directly to your customer.

Reselling of products is the most common kind of drop-shipping. It is a business that sources products from several suppliers and puts them all up for sale online on one website.

Dropshipping is an order fulfilment process in which the goods go straight from the supplier to the customer without ever going through the seller. Instead, the retailer asks their supplier to send the item from the manufacturer’s or wholesaler’s warehouse directly to the customer when a customer places an order. Dropshipping is most frequently used for physical products.

What is a drop shipper, and how does a supplier fulfil the order and delivery process?

A business that stores inventory and ships goods on behalf of a merchant is known as a drop shipper. One scenario would be when an e-commerce company that lacks the space or money to maintain inventory uses drop shippers. Order fulfilment is all the steps a company takes between receiving a new order and placing that order in the customer’s hands. The most popular strategy is when a store owner calls the supplier when a customer places an order, and the supplier will send the goods directly to the customer’s door.
Dropshipping is a unique way to launch an online web business with little initial outlay, it is a manufacturer or a supplier who controls inventory for a retail merchant and sends orders straight to the client. A business or individual that sells goods to clients without keeping stock is known as a drop shipper.

They serve as a go-between for the supplier and the customer. After receiving a customer’s order, the drop shipper will contact the supplier to purchase on the client’s behalf. The supplier will send the item straight to the customer’s home.

What are the benefits of the drop-shipping business in South Africa?

Dropshipping is a business strategy that allows online merchants to sell goods without keeping any inventory on hand. A store owner contacts the supplier after receiving an order from a customer, and the supplier will send the goods to the customer’s door. You could jumpstart your business if you pick the correct niche and have a solid marketing plan.

The following are some of the primary advantages of drop shipping:

Dropshipping has advantages because it enables business owners to provide products from numerous vendors without purchasing inventory. Since they don’t have the same overhead expenses as traditional stores, they can offer more affordable prices.

There is no need to pay rent for a warehouse to store your goods, which may save small enterprises a lot of money.

It is a fast-to-the-market with a minimum-cost business strategy. You would only need an online store so that you could start accepting orders from customers right away.

It will save you time: Your average retailer is responsible for specific duties such as: accepting and receiving stock, storing and packing stock, retrieving stock when sold, packing stock, and shipping it off. All of these tasks take a lot of time and money, and you probably need help to do them. Drop shipping takes care of all these tasks for you, saving you time and money that you can put toward other areas of your business.

Test new products without investing large sums of money. In this way, dropshipping allows retailers to test new products, and they don’t need to carry any stock.

Find products for your eCommerce store from South African suppliers:

If you are looking for products for your online business from South African suppliers, there are a few things to keep in mind. Ensure the supplier has a solid reputation and a proven track record first. Next, evaluate if the supplier offers reasonable prices. Third, check the supplier’s return policy if you’re unhappy with the goods. Verify the supplier’s shipping policy on orders exceeding a particular threshold. Contact us for affordable rates if you want to launch an online store. Finding suppliers in South Africa is one of the best ways to do this, ensuring that you can access local products and save on shipping costs.

The most popular products people buy on the internet:

1. Clothing
2. Electronics
3. Books
4. Music
5. Games
6. Toys
7. Health and beauty products
8. Home and garden products
9. Sports and outdoors equipment
10. Baby and child products
11. Office and school supplies
12. Travel and Luggage
13. Pets and pet supplies
14. Food and drink
15. DIY and crafts
16. Garden and outdoors
17. Car and motorsports
18. Motorcycles and Powersports
19. Collectibles and antiques

Does dropshipping work in South Africa?

Dropshipping is popular in South Africa and is a great way to start an online business without risking too much of your investment.

Do Takealot and Bidorbuy do dropshipping?


Takealot and Bidorbuy do not do dropshipping. However, they are excellent sites to find niche products to dropship by figuring out the best-selling products. The Takealot website is a great place to monitor top goods. Enter a keyword into the takealot.com or bidorbuy search box and filter the results.

Let’s set up your online dropshipping business in South Africa

We will formulate the best retail method to start a dropship business.

Different methods for sourcing products for your prospective dropshipping business:

1. Obtain a list of products from another country’s suppliers’ websites. For example, Amazon and eBay in the USA, or Shopshipshake.
2. Join a local dropshipping supplier’s dropshipping program.
3. Source items from various South African suppliers and sell them on your website.

Here are a few general pointers that can assist you in getting started:

Decide on a niche:

The niche you choose to focus on is very important. It is the niche that will determine the type of products you will be selling and the type of customers you will be targeting. Focusing on a certain niche is one of the best ways to differentiate your dropshipping business from the competition; it helps you develop a marketing strategy that is more focused and efficient, as well as makes it simpler to locate the ideal vendors and goods for your company.

Let’s create your professional website. Because your website is the public face of your company, it must be credible and professional. We build, host, and support your store.

Doing research on your company’s customers, competitors, and products can help you figure out which products are popular and should be dropshipped.

4 Dropshipping Product Research Tools:

1. Semrush is well-known in digital marketing and SEO.
If you dropship on Amazon, Semrush’s Product Research Tool for Amazon is a great place to start.
It delivers real-time Amazon product popularity data. The built-in calculator helps you figure out how profitable a product is by calculating its return on investment.
2. Ecomhunt updates its successful product list.
Ecomhunt offers subscriptions to its product database.
3. The Shopshipshake Shopify Dropshipping Integration Empowers Shopify business owners with advanced product research capabilities. It seamlessly integrates the entire Chinese supply chain platform, allowing you to easily purchase products from 1688, Alibaba, and Taobao on a single website. With dropshipping functionality, it automatically syncs with your Shopify store, offering fully managed procurement, shipping, international transportation, customs clearance, and local delivery. Plus, all transactions support Rand payments for your convenience.
4. Thieve.Co, which says that its product list has been looked over by experts in its field. Using millions of buyer activities, the programme generates a list of profitable products.
5. Dropship Spy analyses Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok data to further analyse platforms.

No Inventory Worries with Multi-Vendor and Dropshipping Stores

ModelAdvantages
Multi-vendor and dropshippingEntrepreneurs don’t have to keep stock or inventory. This feature lets business owners focus on marketing, customer service, and platform management while enjoying benefits like low startup costs, scalability, flexibility, reduced risk, and streamlined operations. Amazon, Etsy, and eBay are examples of multi-vendor stores that do well, and Shopify and SaleHoo are popular dropshipping platforms.
Print-on-demandStore owners work with service providers to print designs on products only when a customer orders them. Printful, Printify, and Teespring are all examples of platforms that let store owners do this.
Affiliate marketingPromote and sell products from other businesses and get paid a commission through sites like Amazon Associates, ClickBank, and CJ Affiliate.
Digital productsE-books, online courses, and downloadable art do not require physical inventory and can be sold via platforms like Gumroad, Teachable, and Etsy (for digital downloads).
Subscription boxesStore owners curate products from various suppliers and offer them as a subscription service like Cratejoy and Subbly.
LicensingGetting the right to sell or distribute products, brands, or intellectual properties lets store owners work with licensors or third-party manufacturers, and opportunities can be found on platforms like License Global and Art Licensing Show.
Online marketplaces for servicesConnect service providers with customers, so there’s no need to manage inventory.

Entrepreneurs don’t have to keep stock or inventory.

This feature lets business owners focus on marketing, customer service, and platform management while enjoying benefits like low startup costs, scalability, flexibility, reduced risk, and streamlined operations.

In conclusion, multi-vendor stores, dropshipping stores, and other e-commerce models mentioned in the above “table” are all similar in that they don’t require stock or inventory management. This gives entrepreneurs different ways to build successful businesses while focusing on important things like marketing and customer service.

Let’s get in touch to build, sustain, and grow your businesses! If you would like to know more details about us, please contact us:  blog.shopshipshake.com. If you are interested in cooperating with us. Please register on: https://shop.shopshipshake.com/shop/register/business