Today, thanks to the explosion of growth in the e-commerce industry, anything you want to buy is merely a short click away. From your groceries to your next smartphone, no product is too meager, and none too unattainable. With a multitude of both local and international e-commerce platforms flooding the online shopping market, the entire dynamic of shopping online has shifted, with more people opting to shop at a virtual marketplace than at an actual store.
Akhoni.com, launched in Bangladesh in 2010, was one of the very first online marketplaces, branded as a virtual store that catered to the urgency of local shoppers to get their products and get them fast. Instead of spending hours to get to your closest marketplace, you could have your products ‘akhoni’ or ‘now’ – quick, simple and delivered to your doorstep with a mere click of a finger. While it was the pioneer e-commerce platform in Bangladesh, with changing trends in the industry, they began to notice a shift in customer perspectives. While initially, they had to work on raising awareness about the science of online shopping itself, with the proliferation of the market, came intense competition where it wasn’t so much about educating the consumer, but more about catering to their niche needs.
In November 2015, akhoni.com was revamped to give it a makeover that fit its brand ideals. Bagdoom.com was unveiled as the fresh, young, quirky new face of akhoni.com. To start with they have an iconic name, a colloquial Bengali word that connects to Bangladesh’s millennial audience – customers that are young, spontaneous and full of impulsive energy. One look at the websites simple interface, bubble eyed logo and promises of ‘jotil offers’, you know millennials will feel right at ease, ready to make their next impulsive 1 am purchase.
Marketed as a lifestyle platform, they sell everything from Body Shop’s tea tree oil for the ladies to wedding pagdi’s for men. Initially, they decided to solely focus on the younger audience, but now they’ve moved up the customer lifecycle, also catering to young parents and corporates, having a library of high-quality home and living products to meet their increasing demands.
Price Wars: Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Although business is booming and they have managed to capture a significant portion of the market, dumping practices within the industry have created an environment conducive to unhealthy price wars. Not only does this mean that commodity prices are now more inconsistent than ever before, but it also has consumers questioning the credibility and authenticity of online sellers and the market as a whole.
On a more micro level, another challenge they face is being able to have their products delivered to metro and peri-urban areas such as upazilas and thanas and have it done within the promised time period. While the delivery industry itself needs to evolve further, Bagdoom also believes in taking matters into their own hands. Partnering with the A2i UDC project is one way in which they’ve tried to ensure the last mile solution to this dilemma.
Efficiency and responsiveness go hand in hand
Whether it is a product query or a delivery deadline, at Bagdoom.com, no customers should ever have to suffer the agony of waiting. With on-time delivery being a key part of their service, they make sure to consistently provide timely responses to any queries. Alongside this, they educate and encourage merchants to follow the best practices – be it the question of product quality, stock management or even prices. Trust is a two-way street and they believe that both merchants and they share equal responsibility to track and update inventories to ensure that the brand’s goodwill is never tarnished.
Finally, they follow a ‘no-questions-asked’ return policy that is firmly rooted in the ‘customer is always’ right mindset. If you a don’t like a product, you return it, no questions asked. Interestingly, returns to Bagdoom.com are extremely low, with most buyers trusting Bagdoom’s products and service.
Trust-building: Leading By Example
The proliferation of the market has meant that almost every other website is selling the same product – whether it’s an original, quality product is a question most shoppers ask. At Bagdoom.com they try to provide all necessary disclaimers within their UI, which can often prove to be tricky business, given the large number of SKUs and merchants they handle. However, when it comes to trust building, they believe their interactions alone will represent and relay their honesty and intent to serve their customers, and serve them well. In addition, to ensure that dubious products are completely negated, they have partnered with top retailers that offer international and local brands.
When Marketing Comes Second to Operational Efficiency
At Bagdoom, the recipe for success is simple: you offer a high-quality product, at a fair price and have it delivered to your customer in time, and the rest will follow. By focusing on end-to-end solutions – from UX to CRM to product delivery, they build brand loyalty and retention as the same customers return to purchase from the brand. Sustainability and retention are as important as awareness or outreach. In addition, they also communicate with their customers, boasting of a highly engaged social media audience with higher positive affinity.
The Importance of Human Connection
As much as customers enjoy real-time automated interactions, the market has a pressing need for human connection. Before each purchase is made, their savvy CRM team makes sure the customer’s queries are being addressed, and they are given suggestions. Interestingly, they’ve made sure they’ve instilled a layer of advocacy in their CRM teammates so that shoppers don’t just purchase any product but recall that product. To take it up a notch, consumers are defined on the basis of their past purchases of similar SKU’s, allowing Bagdoom to make targeted, relevant suggestions to potential consumers.
Customers Know Best
Bangladeshi shoppers are up-to-date with the latest products, knowing full well the price, specifications, and details of any product they are seeking. As customers that heavily research and compare products before purchasing, to secure a sale, Bagdoom believes in providing a clear, easy to understand website interface coupled with excellent customer care communications so every customer looking for the best product can find it at Bagdoom, with ease.
Stringent Quality Standards
Bagdoom’s value proposition has always been focusing on top-notch quality and quality control is extended to not only the product, but the service Bagdoom provides. Regardless of the wave of online consumerism, every merchant that joins the team and each of their product pools are meticulously checked to ensure that they meet the mark.
When Design Matters
Much like a virtual shopping alley, Bagdoom’s website design maximizes product content having plenty of visuals and calls for actions, employing various tempting offers to convince consumers to click the ‘buy’ button. To keep things clean and clutter-free, they have a unique, aesthetically pleasing layout that is easy on the eye. Not only do they focus on how they brand their own website, but they also educate merchants, giving them guidelines on how to upload product content. Finally, they work with their specialized content management, art, and visualization team to ensure end-to-end support for every purchase.
With nearly 57% of experts believing that customer retention will be the prime challenge in 2018, Bagdoom believes their single-minded focus on building positive customer experience, going from the path to purchase, will create brand affinity that is strong enough to retain their growing base. Add to that improving technological standards, and more consumer data research, they believe they can optimize data, making more relevant and efficient recommendations.
