With a whopping population of 600 million people, Southeast Asia has been a hotbed for the e-commerce industry. This Asian region consists of young consumers with demands that local retailers cannot satisfy, which tempts foreign e-commerce companies to take risks and enter its market. But what are some tips foreign retailers can use to introduce their brand in this fast-growing Asian market? 

Mobile is king 

When entering a certain market, it is a requirement to know who your audience is, and by entering this region, you should already know that a large number of its population are young, demanding, and spend most of their time using their mobile phones. 

This is what makes having a website that would provide an easy and seamless mobile shopping experience important. And as we all know, customer satisfaction is what keeps a business alive and growing. 

Understanding logistics

In doing business with online shoppers in Southeast Asia, foreign brands should also find a solution to shorten the time of delivering and transporting goods from their hub to their customers’ doors. The region is known for having heavy traffic, poor motorways, and poorly planned urban development projects which all contribute to a longer duration of delivering customer orders. 

It has been proven that factors such as cost, quality, and delivery time helps a business stand out from its competitors. This is why excellent planning when it comes to logistics should be made to ensure consumers that they will get what they paid for as soon as possible. 

Provide flexible payment options

An easy payment process plays a crucial role in the overall customer experience. This means that in completing a purchase, your business must offer a variety of payment options for your consumers to choose from, especially Southeast Asian consumers. This is because these consumers have different ways to pay for something and it primarily depends on what is the most convenient for them. Some use cash thru cash-on-delivery options, some pay using credit and as the region has already embraced FinTech (Financial Technology), a lot of consumers tend to pay using their e-wallets. 

To successfully enter the Southeast Asian market, one must know what works for a business and what doesn’t. These tips are just “tips” that can make it easier for you to achieve your goals, and don’t guarantee to meet expectations. But these tips together with a lot of patience, dedication, and hard work, can make the chances greater to find the path to success.